Browsing by Author "Quaye, A."
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Item A Delphi Study to Identify and Prioritize Nutrition Research for Ghana(University of Ghana, 2020-12) Quaye, A.Background: Nutrition is both a maker and marker of development. Addressing the emerging challenges malnutrition pose especially in Africa and in Ghana requires multisectoral policies based on trustworthy research. Ghana has implemented a range of nutritional interventions. Howbeit, the impact of these interventions has been minimal. A major reason is that policies are often developed and implemented based on single sector mandates without strong evidence based research to support it, and the lack of nutrition research priorities linked with the policymaking process disengages research from the policy. This study, therefore, aims to identify and prioritize policy and program relevant research questions as part of a national nutrition research agenda. Method: a two-round Delphi was used to seek the opinion of expert panelists on what nutrition research question they consider relevant for the country. A total of 66 and 56 panel members selected through purposive sampling participated in the first and second rounds respectively. Data was collected online as a google form link or digital copy in MS word document format via email. A total of 38 questions (for round one) and 66 questions (for round two) were presented to the panel members to indicate which question was relevant for nutrition research in Ghana. Results: Of the 38 questions presented to expert panelists in the first round, 35 (95%) were frequently (>75% responses) selected by panel members as relevant nutrition research questions. In the second round, consensus was achieved for 61 (88.4%) of the 69 (including the 35 that achieved consensus in round 1) questions presented to panel members. 23 questions of the total 61 questions presented were ranked by expert panel members as top research questions expert panelist further prioritized these questions into 10 using a prioritization criteria. Conclusion: the expert panel members identified ten research questions as the top priority nutrition research for Ghana. The main barriers identified for the effective nutrition research implementation in Ghana were lack of interaction between researchers and policymakers and lack of funding. Availability of nutrition policy and political will were seen as the opportunities that exist for accelerating nutrition research in Ghana. Recommendation: The top ten identified research questions should be used by Ghana Health Service and other relevant decision making institutions for nutrition in Ghana. Additionally, there is a need for a national framework to ensure that policymakers make input regarding nutrition research agenda-setting to enhance the linkage between policymakers and researchers.Item Effect of rootstock on growth, yield and fruit quality of late Valencia sweet orange(Ghana Journal of Horticulture, 2009) Ofosu-Budu, G.K.; Quaye, A.; Nkansah, G.O.The citrus rootstock determines several characteristics of the commercial planting material such as tree size, fruit yield, juice quality, maturity date and tolerance to disease like tristeza. The performance of late Valencia budded into four rootstocks; rough lemon, (C. jambhiri); volkameriana (C. volkameriana); Cleopatra mandarin (C. reticulate, Blanco), and Swingle citumelo (C. paradise macf. X P. trifoliate) was evaluated under the tropical himid forest conditions. Parameters such as tree size, yield, juice content, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS: TA ratio were evaluated after seven years. Results showed that the mean canopy volume of late velencia was significantly influenced by the rootstocks as follows: Rough lemon (Rl) 83.4m1, Cleopatra mandarian (Cleo) 54.5m3, Volkameriana (Volk) 53.5 m3, and Swingle citromelo (Swin) 51.2m1, Fruit size of trees grown on Swin was smallest (195g), while those on Volk recorded the biggest (247)g). RL induced the highest yield (7.21 tonnes/ha) while those on Swin recorded the lowest 5.51 tonnes/ha. The juice content (ww) of fruits ranged between 32% in Volk and 40% in Swin. RL induced the lowest TSS (brix) (10%), while Swin induced the highest (11.8%) among the rootstocks examined. Fruit juice of Late Valencia on RL recorded the highest TA (0.94%) while the TA of juice of trees on Swin, recorded the lowest (0.8%). Fruits of trees budded on Cleo and Swin attained nearly maturity as expressed by (TSS: TA) than those on rough lemon or Volk. The TSS value of fruits grown on RL was consistently lower than trees grown on Swin. Volk induced the highest peel thickness and lowest juice content than fruits grown on the other rootstocks. By planting Late Valencia budded onto these rootstocks, the harvesting period can be spread over a longer period, since the minimum TSS: TA for the different rootstocks is attained at different times during the harvesting season. Based on the difference is the mean canopy sizes, the pant spacing of Late Valencia budded onto Swin or Volk should be closer than that on RL and Cleo to achieve higher yield.Item Harmonizing procedures for the evaluation of compost maturity in two compost types in Ghana(Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2010-01) Ofosu-Budu, G.K.; Hogarh, J.N.; Fobil, J.N.; Quaye, A.; Danso, S.K.A.; Carboo, D.Composting is one of the most favoured options for municipal solid waste recycling for waste streams with high content of biodegradable materials. Compost has many uses including its use in agriculture for soil structure and fertility improvement. However, non-mature composts when applied to soils could present inimical phytotoxic problems to crops. Despite this reality, many developing countries including Ghana, lack simple and reliable compost maturity tests, and run the risk of producing and/or using composts that have not reached maturation stage. This study was conducted to validate some chemical and biological procedures for testing the maturity of composts prepared from agricultural residues (AR) and municipal solid wastes (MSW) in Ghana. Three maturity indices - humus colour, CO2 respirometry, and germination index - were considered for this validation study. For composts produced from crop residues, the optimal values for humus colour test, CO2 evolution test, and germination index were 0.36-0.59, 1.24-1.80 gCO2 kg-1 day-1, 159.5-259.4, respectively. Similarly for the MSW composts the optimal maturity index ranges were 0.41-0.51 for humus colour test, 0.43-0.56 g CO2 kg-1 day-1 for CO2 evolution test and 0-59.1 for germination index. The MSW composts appeared mature under humus colour and CO2 evolution tests, but inhibited germination. Agricultural residue composts on the other hand were found to be mature when subjected to all three maturity tests. This is indicative that composts may pass certain maturity parameters, yet fail germination test. It is therefore concluded that the germination test index is able to discriminate better between mature and non-mature composts. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Item Household and community poverty, biomass use, and air pollution in Accra, Ghana(Proceedings of the National Academy of the United States of America, 2011-07) Zhoua, Z.; Dionisio, K.L.; Arku, R.E.; Quaye, A.; Hughes, A.F.; Vallarino, J.; Spengler, J.D.; Hill, A.; Agyei-Mensah, S.; Ezzati, M.Many urban households in developing countries use biomass fuels for cooking. The proportion of household biomass use varies among neighborhoods, and is generally higher in low socioeconomic status (SES) communities. Little is known of how household air pollution varies by SES and how it is affected by biomass fuels and traffic sources in developing country cities. In four neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana, we collected and analyzed geo-referenced data on household and community particulate matter (PM) pollution, SES, fuel use for domestic and small-commercial cooking, housing characteristics, and distance to major roads. Cooking area PM was lowest in the high-SES neighborhood, with geometric means of 25 (95% confidence interval, 21–29) and 28 (23–33) μg/m3 for fine and coarse PM (PM2.5 and PM2.5–10), respectively; it was highest in two low-SES slums, with geometric means reaching 71 (62–80) and 131 (114–150) μg/m3 for fine and coarse PM. After adjustment for other factors, living in a community where all households use biomass fuels would be associated with 1.5- to 2.7-times PM levels in models with and without adjustment for ambient PM. Community biomass use had a stronger association with household PM than household’s own fuel choice in crude and adjusted estimates. Lack of regular physical access to clean fuels is an obstacle to fuel switching in low-income neighborhoods and should be addressed through equitable energy infrastructure.Item Household and community poverty, biomass use, and air pollution in Accra, Ghana(National Academy of Science of the Unites States of America, 2011-06) Zhoua, Z.; Dionisio, K.L.; Arku, R.E.; Quaye, A.; Hughes, A.F.; Vallarino, J.; Spengler, J.D.; Hill, A.; Agyei-Mensah, S.; Ezzati, M.Many urban households in developing countries use biomass fuels for cooking. The proportion of household biomass use varies among neighborhoods, and is generally higher in low socioeconomic status (SES) communities. Little is known of how household air pollution varies by SES and how it is affected by biomass fuels and traffic sources in developing country cities. In four neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana, we collected and analyzed geo-referenced data on household and community particulate matter (PM) pollution, SES, fuel use for domestic and small-commercial cooking, housing characteristics, and distance to major roads. Cooking area PM was lowest in the high-SES neighborhood, with geometric means of 25 (95% confidence interval, 21–29) and 28 (23–33) μg/m3 for fine and coarse PM (PM2.5 and PM2.5–10), respectively; it was highest in two low-SES slums, with geometric means reaching 71 (62–80) and 131 (114–150) μg/m3 for fine and coarse PM. After adjustment for other factors, living in a community where all households use biomass fuels would be associated with 1.5- to 2.7-times PM levels in models with and without adjustment for ambient PM. Community biomass use had a stronger association with household PM than household’s own fuel choice in crude and adjusted estimates. Lack of regular physical access to clean fuels is an obstacle to fuel switching in low-income neighborhoods and should be addressed through equitable energy infrastructure.