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A long essay or dissertation or thesis involving personal research, written by postgraduates of University of Ghana for a university degree.
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Item Factors Influencing Retention In Prevention Of Mother-To- Child Transmission Services During The Post-Natal Period Among Women Living With HIV In The Shai-Osudoku District Hospital(University of Ghana, 2022-03) Afful, R.Background: Globally, the burden of HIV/AIDS on maternal and child health calls for a global collaborative response to the Prevention of Mother- to- Child Transmission of HIV. Prevention of Mother- To -Child Transmission (PMTCT) program coverage has been scaled up globally to eliminate new pediatric HIV infections by 2020. Despite the scale-up in plans, there is growing evidence of high new pediatric infections in Sub-Saharan Africa countries including Ghana. Aim: The purpose of this study was to estimate the retention rate in PMTCT services and explore the factors influencing retention in PMTCT services during the post-natal period among women living with HIV in the Shai- Osudoku District Hospital. Methods: The study employed both quantitative and qualitative designs to reflect research objectives. A sample of 51 women enrolled into the PMTCT programme from January 2019 to December 2020 and in 12- 18 months postpartum secondary data was extracted from the ART database. Data was imported into STATA version 16 software and analyzed using descriptive statistics and results were presented in frequency distribution and tables. The retention rate was determined using univariate analysis in the form of descriptive statistics. Thirteen (13) respondents were then recruited for in-depth interviews using an interview guide. Data was translated and transcribed. Transcribed data was imported into ATLAS.ti9 and analyzed for emerging themes. Results: In this study, the sample had a mean age of 34 years with a standard deviation of 4.75. Thirty-six (70.5%) of them had basic level of education, 11(21.6%) had secondary level education, 1 (2.0%) had tertiary level of education and 3(5.9%) of them had no formal education. Approximately, 25 (49.0%) were involved in informal work such as farming, hairdressing, tailoring, trading, whilst 21 (41%) were involved in formal works such as teaching, nursing. Out of the 51participants 44 (86.3%) of them were Christians and were either married or cohabiting and 7 (13.7%) were Muslims. All (100%) of the sample completed all the schedules for ANC PMTCT. 90.2% of the sample reported for first Postnatal PMTCT visit, 58.2% reported for second Postnatal PMTCT visit and 49% reported for third Post-natal PMTCT visit. Thirty-eight (38) out of the fifty-one participants reported at the facility for infant PCR test at 6 weeks after zidovudine/Nevirapine prophylaxis had been given. For retention rate analysis, 29 (56.9%) were of active status, 17 (33.3%) had defaulted/lost to follow up following birth, 3 (5.9%) had been transferred to other facilities for continuity of care and 2 (3.9%) died during the programme period. Maternal factors likely to influence PMTCT retention includes; PMTCT literacy. Service provider factors identified to influence retention include; supportive working environment, supportive counselling role of health professionals, privacy and confidentiality. Socio-cultural factors identified to influence PMTCT service include; male partner support, HIV status disclosure, family and peer support and stigma. Conclusion: The level of retention in PMTCT during the post-natal phase in the Shai-Osudoku District Hospital was lower compared to other low -resource settings reviewed in literature. Good knowledge and understanding of PMTCT programme, supportive working environment, supportive counselling role, assurance of privacy and confidentiality, partner, family and peer support/acceptance are some of the factors that influence retention rate in PMTCT at the study site. It therefore critical for service providers to tailor activities of the programme with a high sense of empathy and a system of tracking women in the programme to achieve higher retention rate in the programme.Item Factors Associated With The Uptake Of Antenatal Care Services Among Women Of Sefwi Akontombra District In The Western North Region Of Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2020-12) Adjei, M.A.This study aimed at ascertaining the factors associated with the uptake of antenatal care services in the Sefwi Akontombra District of the Western North Region of Ghana. It was necessary to carry out this study because there is low attendance of antenatal care (54.1%) albeit the district's target of 80% based on the minimum attendance of 4 visits. The existing report showed that only 30.7% of the women who registered for antenatal care services (ANC) fully met the criterion of 4 ANC visits (Sefwi Akontombra health directorate annual report, 2016). This study used a quantitative facility-based descriptive cross-sectional design. Four hundred and twenty (420) women in fertile age (WIFA), 15-49 years who have given birth within the past two years and were attending child welfare clinic (CWC) during the data collection period were involved. A systematic sampling method was used to select eligible women at each child welfare clinic after estimating the sample size for each sub – district and facility using a sample proportional to the population. Structured questionnaires were interviewer-administered to respondents and data were entered into statistical software Stata version 15 for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were determined for respondents' characteristics and presented in tables and graphs. Also, logistics regression analysis reporting odds ratios was performed to determine factors that influence the uptake of antenatal services among respondents. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results from the study show that uptake of ANC services in Sefwi Akontombra District is low with only (20.7%) of respondents meeting the recommended ANC visits of at least 8. About 3-in-4 of the women had average knowledge about ANC services. The intensity of ANC utilization increases with age. Women aged 35 and above had six times the odds (AOR: 6.33, 95% CI: 1.98-20.31; p=0.002) of making a minimum of 8 visits compared to women in lower age groups. The uptake of ANC services was negatively associated with education and trimester of first ANC visit. Women with no formal education had five times the odds of utilizing ANC services compared to those with tertiary education (AOR: 5.32, 95% CI: 1.06-26.58; p=0.042). Similarly, women who had their first ANC visit in their third trimester had four times the odds (AOR: 4.49, 95% CI: 1.07-18.83; p=0.040) of utilizing ANC services compared to their counterparts who had their first ANC visit in their first trimester. Also, women who perceive the overall ANC service charges to be affordable and free had increased odds of utilizing the services (AOR: 1.93, 95% CI:1.02 – 3.67; p=0.044) and ( AOR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.21 – 5.94; p=0.015) respectively. Despite the high investment in maternal health, inadequate uptake of ANC services remains a problem in the Sefwi Akontombra district. This may be attributed to the perceived high cost of indirect service charges, the strong desire of some women to deliver outside the health facilities, and the unattractiveness of ANC services to most adolescents due to stigmatization and ridicule at service centers. More innovative ways of providing health education may be needed to improve women's knowledge of the importance of ANC services. The free maternal health policy should be reviewed and enforced to cover all services offered at antenatal care. Finally, there is a need to introduce adolescent-friendly maternal services to make the utilization of ANC services attractive to adolescents and younger adults who are pregnant.Item Quality Of Maternal Health-Seeking Behaviour And Pregnancy Outcomes Among Young Women In Ghana(University Of Ghana, 2020-07) Bobo, E.K.Pregnancy among young women is a concern worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries i(LMICs), as they often have a higher incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The utilization of maternal health care services is imperative to reducing the number of perinatal deaths and postnatal complications iamongst ipregnant iwomen. iAttempts ito iexplain ithis isituation ihave ifocusedioniindividual iandihouseholdilevel ideterminants, ibut itheiroleiofineighbourhoodifactors ihas inot ireceived imuch iattention. iUnderstanding ineighbourhood ifactors iassociated iwith imaternal ihealth-seeking ibehaviour iis iimportant. iThis iis ibecause iindividuals ireside iwithin ineighbourhoods iand itheir ihealth-related ibehaviour ican ibe iinfluenced iby ithe icharacteristics ior iconditions iof ithe ineighbourhoodiin iwhichitheyilive. This istudy iposits ithat iquality iof icare iand ineighbourhood-level icharacteristics iare ivery icritical ipredictors iof iyoung iwomen’s iutilization iof imaternal ihealth icare iand ipregnancy ioutcomes iamong iyoungiwomeniin iGhana, iin iadditionito iotheriindividual iandihouseholdicharacteristics. iDrawingion itheories iof ibehavioural imodel iof ihealthiservice iuse, ithe ithree idelays, iand iDonabedian’s iqualityiof icare imodel, ithe istudy iused ia imodified iBehavioural iModel iof iHealth iService iUse iand iQuality iof icareimodelitoiunderstandiindividualiandineighbourhood-level ifactorsionitheiutilizationiofimaternal ihealthcare iservices iandipregnancyioutcomes iamongiyoungiwomeniin iGhana. i Data ifrom ithe i2017 iGhana iMaternal iHealth iSurvey iwas iused ito iconduct ia iquantitative istudy ito iunderstand ithe ieffects iof iindividual iand ineighbourhood-level ifactors ion ithe iquality iof iantenatal icare, iskilled ibirth iattendance, iand ipregnancy ioutcomes. iThe iquantitative istudy iused ia isample iof i2,669 iyoung iwomen ibetween ithe iages iof i15 ito i24 iyears inested iwithin i900 iclusters iacross iGhana. iMultilevel ilogistic iregression imodels iwere iemployed ito iexamine ithe ieffects iof iindividual iand ineighbourhood-level ifactors ion ithe iquality iof iantenatal icare, iskilled ibirth iattendance, iand ipregnancy ioutcomes. iThe iquantitative ianalysis irevealed iboth iindividual iand icommunity-level ifactors ias isignificant ipredictors iof imaternal ihealth ioutcomes iin iGhana. iFor iinstance, iwealthier iwomen iand ithose iwith ihigher ieducation iwere isignificantly imore ilikely ito iutilize ithe iquality iof iantenatal icare iand idelivery iservices. i The ianalysis ialso irevealed ithat iafter icontrolling ifor iother ifactors, iplace iof iresidence, ia ineighbourhood ivariable ihas ino idirect iassociation iwith ithe iquality iof iANC, ihowever, iit ihas ia idirect icontribution ito iskilled ibirth iattendance iand ipregnancy ioutcomes. iNeighbourhood-level irandom ieffects iwere ialso isignificant iand ithere iwas iconfirmation iof inesting iat ithe ineighbourhood ilevel ieven iafter icontrolling ifor iindividual iand ineighbourhood-level ivariables. This istudy iprovides ifurther iempirical ievidence ithat, ito iimprove ithe istrides itowards ireducing ithe irisk iof iadverse ipregnancy ioutcomes iamong iwomen iin iGhana, iinterventions ishould ibe itargeted iat iwomen iin ipoor ihouseholds iliving iin ipoor isocioeconomic iconditions iwith ino iaccess ito iquality imaternal icare iservices. iThis iwould ihave ia isignificant iinfluence ion ithe iliving iconditions iof ithe iwomen iand ithus, ireduce itheir irisk iof ihaving ia inegative ioutcome iof ipregnancy.Item Child Adoption Awareness Among Women With Infertility In The Greater Accra Region(University Of Ghana, 2021-09) Abankwah, B.N.A.The traditional Ghanaian society is pro-natal, where marriage's ultimate purpose is to reproduce children to continue the family lineage. Infertility is the most common reason for married women not having children. Infertility is one of the most challenging life experiences for women, and finding a solution can be difficult. Child adoption is an alternative coping strategy for couples to deal with infertility. The situation awareness model which was used as an organizing framework investigated child adoption awareness among women with infertility in the Greater Accra Region. A descriptive exploratory design was employed. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to conduct semistructured interviews with 14 women with infertility. Women with infertility in the community who visited St. Moses Hospital provided data. Analyses of the data were conducted using thematic content analysis after audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim. Six significant themes and nineteen subthemes emerged. The findings demonstrated that childless women were aware of child adoption, but they were unknowledgeable about where to go or the procedure involved. Discrimination, cultural beliefs, property inheritance concerns, and procedural bottlenecks are the hurdles to child adoption. These findings have implications for nursing practice, research, and community sensitization. There is the need for education on child adoption as an alternative coping strategy for infertility.Item Determinants Of Hepatitis B Vaccination Among Women Attending Child Welfare Clinics In Tarkwa-Nsuaem(University Of Ghana, 2022-06) Labi, A.K.A.Y.Introduction: Hepatitis B is an infection of major public health concern with serious chronic sequela potentially preventable with the right resources and strategies. Apart childhood immunization, at-risk adult populations are encouraged to be immunised to curtail the morbidity and mortality effects. Despite the administration of birth dose vaccine and immunoglobulin, there still exists some risk of contracting HBV and developing chronic hepatitis B. This research sought to identify factors associated with vaccination among post-delivery women to inform policies and strategies to help eliminate hepatitis among expectant and post-delivery mothers. Objective: The study sort to determine the prevalence and factors associated with hepatitis B vaccination amongst women attending child-welfare services in Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. Methods: This was a quantitative cross sectional analytical study conducted in Tarkwa-Nsuaem involving women attending CWCs. Questionnaires were administered to a total of 423 women selected from 11 health facilities and data collected was analysed using Stata/IC 16.1. Appropriate measures of centrality and dispersion were calculated for numerical data. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were employed in addition to the descriptive statistics to determine associations and predictors of the hepatitis B vaccination. Results: Nearly all (92.2%) respondents had ever tested for Hepatitis B (self-report) with a positive result of 11.4%. About 29.1% of the respondents indicated that they had had at least a dose of Hepatitis vaccination yet only 10.6% had completed (self-report) their vaccination (3doses). More than half (64.1%) and greater than three quarters (79.1%) of CWC attendants had good knowledge and attitude to hepatitis B respectively. Hepatitis B vaccination was significantly higher by 6.80 times among women who had had tertiary education as compared to those who had had no formal education. Similarly, a unit increase in the number of CWC visits significantly increased the odds of complete hepatitis B vaccination by 14%. There was a 79% reduction in the odds of complete vaccination by CWC attendants when they were attended to by CHN as compared to midwives/nurses. Conclusion: A high prevalence of hepatitis B infection was recorded among women attending CWCs in Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality. Two-thirds of mothers were unvaccinated with only a tenth having completed vaccination. Maternal educational level, the cadre of health care provider (HCP) and number of visits to CWC greatly influenced a woman’s full Hepatitis B vaccination.Item Mainstreaming Women Participation In Local Economic Development Decision Making At The Local Levels: The Case Of Adenta Municipal Assembly(University of Ghana, 2023-05) Dzokoto, K. E.Women constitute more than half of the world’s population, their involvement and participation in all development processes is pivotal for inclusive development. However, “gender inequalities hamper the equal and significant participation of women in Local Economic Development processes. The issue of women’s participation in development, decision making and most importantly, governance, has gained global attention and has necessitated considerable efforts at both international and local levels to bridge the inequality gap between men and women’s participation in governance. Whereas previous studies have focused on gender participation in local economic development processes, little studies are found on mainstreaming women participation in LED implementation and processes at the local government level, thereby creating a gap in knowledge. The study revealed that women are fairly represented on the district LED sub-committee. They form less than one-third of the general assembly membership, needed to take major decisions. This composition does not favor the women as much as it favors men. It is therefore recommended that, there should be complete application of gender responsive approaches in all phases of the LED cycle in district planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation processes to promote women mainstreaming.Item Social Support and Pregnancy Experiences of Women in an Urban Slum in Accra(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Brifo, H.A.A.Item Husband-Wife Decision Making Dynamics and Modern Contraceptives Method Use Type in Ghana(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Kwarteng, D.The literature suggests an important association between husband-wife decision making and contraceptive use. Decision making in every marital union is very crucial because it helps to strengthen the bond between couples as negotiations can be made on delicate issues, such as those pertaining to fertility preference, the type of modern contraceptive method to use, and other reproductive health issues that affect the overall health and wellbeing of the woman. The main objective of the study was to describe the relationship between husbandwife decision making dynamics on the type of modern contraceptive methods used in Ghana. The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) women’s file dataset and the weighted sample consisted of 1,164 married or cohabiting women who were currently using a modern method of contraception. Husband-wife decision making and the type of modern contraceptive method used was investigated by using cross tabulations and binary logistic regression techniques to assess their associations. At the multivariate level, the relationship between decision making and the type of modern contraceptive method used was analyzed while controlling for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of the woman using binary logistic regression. Decision making was found to be a statistically significant predictor of the type of modern contraceptive method used as those making joint decisions were more likely to use longacting and permanent methods of contraception. A woman’s age, ethnicity, wealth quintile, partner’s age and education showed significant associations with the type of contraceptive method used. Findings from the study inform recommendations to improve joint decision making among couples. There is also a need for further qualitative research to explore the details of husband-wife decision making and how it influences their type of modern contraceptive method used.Item Portrayal of Women in Televised Beauty Pageants: A Content Analysis of Miss Ghana and Miss Malaika(University of Ghana, 2021-03) Adu, D.A.This study examined the portrayal of women in television productions with a focus on beauty pageants. Two televised pageants, Miss Ghana and Miss Malaika were studied underpinned by objectification and male gaze theories. Segments of the programmes were content analysed to ascertain manifestations of objectification. The segments were the introductory, performance, interview and evening gown sessions. The overarching question that guided this study was “Do beauty pageants (Miss Ghana and Miss Malaika) objectify or empower contestants and in what ways? The study also examined the similarities and differences in the ways the two television products depicted women. Findings showed that physical appearance (attractiveness) and body exposure were common features in two segments and that not all segments of both beauty pageants depicted women as sexual objects. Other segments depicted women in non-sexualizing ways. Sexually objectifying images were observed more in the introductory and performance segment’s than the interview and evening gown segments. However, the interview segments showed that the televised pageants depicted women in empowering ways. Key indicators of objectifications were observed as body exposure and physical appearance. Some recorded comments by judges and camera shots also directed audiences’ attention to “gaze” at particular parts of contestants’ bodies. Camera focus played a role in depicting women as sex objects. Also observed was as an effort to make the ladies ‘perform’ a certain standard of ‘femininity’.Item Aliénation et Féminisme Dans La Vie Sans Fards de Maryse Condé(University of Ghana, 2021-09) Amlado, K.Alienation and feminism are inseparable phenomena of culture in which literature has been entrenched. Literature and popular social culture happen to be a matter of dispute and debate which seem to be a matter of concern in La vie sans fards by Maryse Condé that our research work seems to investigate. Alienation has long been a devastating phenomenon among the Caribbeans and it is a psychological occurrence that manifests itself in them as a result of their slavery origination and for them also being colonized by the western world. Women are the most affected by alienation in the West Indies because they feel marginalized and oppressed as a result of their gender and also of their status as a product of slavery. In La vie sans fards, it is the writer, Condé, who portrays this renowned character in Africa and Europe. Our research aims at demonstrating the effects of alienation and feminism on the protagonist in a society that is said to be mainly patriarchal. We used a qualitative approach to achieve our research goal. The data collected shows that the narrator was alienated in view of her maladjustment and her quest for identity power and supremacy. Her feminism however reflects on her struggle for self-identity position.