Theses

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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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    Raising Children In Urban Slums Of Ghana: Exploring The Experiences Of Young Mothers In Selected Slums Of Accra
    (University of Ghana, 2021-12) Brempong, P.N.A.
    Slums serve as home to a billion people, and this figure is expected to rise exponentially as most third-world countries continue to urbanise. In Ghana, about 4.8 million people live in slums and lack basic amenities. Given the unavailability of basic amenities in slum areas, raising children by young mothers in such environments becomes even more challenging as they are mostly considered not to have mastered that task of parenting. This study sought to: (a) explore the childcare practices of young mothers in raising their children in the slums of Ghana’s capital, Accra; (b) find out the challenges young mothers encounter in raising their children in the slums of Ghana’s capital, Accra; and (c) ascertain the coping mechanisms young mothers utilize in raising their children in the slums of Ghana’s capital, Accra. Using a sample size of twenty (20), the participants were purposively selected from two study sites: Old Fadama and African Eleven. A qualitative research design was used for this study, with in-depth interviews being the main data collection method. The data was categorised with the help of NVivo 12 Pro software, while Smith and Osborn’s Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data. The findings of the study revealed that most of the participants resort to the pharmacy rather than the hospital when their children fall ill because there are no clinics or hospitals within the slums. Furthermore, young mothers exercised control over their children through corporal punishments such as beatings, deprivation of privileges, and confining them indoors whenever they displayed unruly behaviour. Additionally, young mothers in their bid to raise their children encountered some feeding challenges due to financial constraints. Notwithstanding the challenges young mothers encountered, they were able to cope through the support of their peers, friends, and co-workers within the slum. Young mothers adopted some strategies such as endurance, tolerance and denial, savings and credit facilities, and group feeding strategies such as food rationing. With this, young mothers had to skip meals, fast, and reduce the quantity of food eaten in order to provide for their children. The study concludes that the lack of basic amenities within the two slums further worsens the plight of young mothers, as such, putting them in despair. To exploit or scale up the hope of young mothers in slums, the efforts of the government, stakeholders, and local and civil society groups (including community-based and faith-based organizations) should aim at improving the socio-economic conditions (especially education, health, and infrastructure) of both slums on a sustainable basis. In the long run, social workers should help link young mothers and families to resources, interventions, or organizations that could help them improve their well-being.
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    Nutritional Status And Anaemia Prevalence, Malaria And Helminths Infestations Levels Among Children Aged 6-23 Months In Peri-Urban Communities In Accra
    (University Of Ghana, 2022-01) Datohe, D.D.
    Background and objective: The first two years of life is very critical. Children especially those under two years are vulnerable to stunting, wasting, and anaemia. However, information on these growth indices in peri-urban areas are scanty. In this study, we examined the nutritional status, anaemia prevalence, malaria and helminthes infestation levels among children aged 6 to 23 months old living in peri-urban areas in the La-Nkwantanang-Madina Metropolitan Assembly (LaNMMA) area. Methodology: The study was cross-sectional. A one-time-point data was collected which involved 268 child/ mother (key caregiver) pairs from five peri-urban communities. A semistructured questionnaire was used to interview mothers with children aged 6 to 23 months old about socio-demographic characteristics, dietary intakes and breastfeeding patterns. The weight, recumbent length and mid-upper arm circumferences (MUAC) of the children were taken using procedures specified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Five millilitres of blood samples were collected to determine haemoglobin (Hb) levels and malaria infection. Stool samples were also collected to determine helminth infestations. The anthropometric indices were converted to z-scores with the help of WHO Anthro software. The data were summarized through descriptive statistics. Crude binary logistic regression was employed to check for associations and the logistic regression model was employed to control and determine factors that predicted anaemia, wasting, stunting and underweight in lined with the objectives of the study. Results: Anaemia prevalence among the study children was 85.1% with 2% being severely anaemic. However, stunting, wasting and underweight prevalence were relatively low; 9.0%, 8.2% and 10.1% respectively. About 1.5% of the study participants were infected with malaria and no helminthic infestation was detected. Colostrum, eating or drinking something else apart from breast milk during the first three days after delivery, start month on complementary feeding, food made from vitamin A-rich dark green leafy vegetables, food made from oil, fat, or butter, red palm oil, palm nut soup/ sauce and number of times a child received solids, semisolids, or soft foods during the day/ night significantly predicted anaemia (p<0.05). Mothers who were part time workers, sex of child, initiation of breastfeeding, breastfeeding duration and households salt used predicted wasting. Conclusion: Very high anaemia prevalence was found in this study. Efforts to prevent increased anaemia prevalence especially in rural and peri-urban settings and to improve the nutritional status of young children are warranted.
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    A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study on the Cognitive Function of Perinatally Acquired Hiv-Infected and Non-Infected Children at Ridge Hospital, Accra.
    (University of Ghana, 2018-12) Otu-Danquah, A.A.
    Background It can be estimated that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) continues to affect the health state of individuals worldwide. This study was a comparative study on the Cognitive function of perinatally acquired HIV-Infected and un-infected at Ridge Hospital. The study provides insight into the cognitive function of children infected with HIV perinatally so that appropriate psychotherapeutic or psycho-educational interventions can be explored to optimize the cognitive functioning and potential of the HIV-infected child. Methods Hundred (100) HIV-infected children were randomly selected as against two hundred (200) HIV-uninfected children aged six to twelve years at the Anti-retroviral clinic and the Out-patient department respectively. All underwent age appropriate cognitive testing by completing a twenty (20) minutes session of the mini mental scale examination. Results A total of 300 children were interviewed. Out of this, 200 were HIV- uinfected and 100 were HIV- infected. The mean age (± SD) of the participants was 8.8 ± 1.74 years. More than half 227 (92.3%) reported to be primary school pupils and 23 (7.7%) reported to be junior high school pupils. For the parents of the children, 44 (14.7%) were reported to have achieved primary school education, 72 (24%) had achieved junior high school education and 184 (61.3%%) achieved tertiary education. The higher rise in educational level of the parent was significantly associated with cognitive outcomes. Majority of the parents of HIV- uninfected participants earned a higher monthly income, although it had an association with the cognitive of the child it was not significantly associated after adjusting for other predictor variables (p= 0.158) . Generally, 10 (10%) of the HIV-infected participants recorded a normal overall cognitive function and 90 (90%) had an abnormal overall cognitive function compared to HIV- uninfected participants who had all 200 (100%) participants having a normal cognitive function and this difference was significant (p<0.001). Except for being an HIV- infected participant, the age of the child and the status of the child were linked to a normal cognitive score.[Adj mean=0.2, 95%CI (0.1,0.39); Adj mean= -9.1, 95%C (-9.8, -8.3)] Conclusion The study revealed that the overall performance for cognitive test was lower for HIV-infected children compared to HIV- uninfected children.
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    An Assessment Of The Outcomes Of An ILO/IPEC Project To Combat The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Of Children (CSEC) In Accra
    (University of Ghana, 2016-12) Yartey, M.M.V.
    This study is an outcome evaluation which sought to assess results of an 18 month project implemented using the logic model, to prevent and withdraw children from commercial sexual exploitation. One hundred and fourteen (114) child beneficiaries 36 female caregivers and representatives of implementing and collaborating agencies were engaged in the study. Quantitative data collection tools were used to gather information which was analysed using the SPSS version 16.0. Major findings from the study were that, there was increase understanding of child labour and commercial sexual exploitation of children in the project communities as a result of awareness raising and sensitization programs organized under the project. Again, direct support by way of educational materials and training tools and equipment received by project participants enrolled in school and vocational training, as part of the project interventions, had helped reduce vulnerabilities of children to labour and sexual exploitation as loitering has reduced. Also, financial support received by female caregivers, even though inadequate, helped them boost their businesses and increase profit, making them more capable of providing for their children. Participants in the study came up with some recommendations including continuous support for beneficiaries, increased support for caregivers, expansion of project to meet the needs to other children, nationwide sensitization on child labour and CSEC, increased capacity of law enforcement agencies and other institutions with child protection mandate to be able to address child abuse cases more professionally, better rehabilitation and support systems for survivors of abuse.
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    Malaria and Bacterial Co-Infections: A Study among Children Presenting With Febrile Illnesses in Accra.
    (University Of Ghana, 2015-06) Affrim, R.B; University Of Ghana,College of Health Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences; Gyan, B; Ayeh-Kumi, P. F
    Background: Malaria predisposes children in areas where malaria is endemic to concurrent bacteraemia. In the tropics, co-infections of both diseases are prevalent and are the leading causes of paediatric hospital admissions, morbidity and mortality. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of co-infection of malaria and bacterial bloodstream infections among 232 children under 13 years who reported to three healthcare facilities in Accra and Dodowa with conditions of febrile illnesses suspected to be malaria. The study was conducted between the months of May and December 2014. Results: Out of 1187 eligible febrile children, only 232 (19.55%) who tested positive for malaria were included in the study. They comprised 121 males and 111 females. Blood and stool specimens were taken for haematological analysis and culture for the identification of pathogenic bacteria after malaria diagnosis. Descriptive data were summarised and chi-square analysis was used in testing for associations. Fever (76.72%), anaemia (69.39%) and vomiting (49.56%) were the commonest symptoms of clinical visits. Of the 232 children tested, blood cultures were positive in 5.6% (13/232) for bacterial agents and there were no bacteria isolated from stool cultures. Anaemia, parasitaemia and white blood cell counts were high but not associated with co-infection after chi-square analysis. Co-infection of malaria and bacteraemia was associated with children who never patronised food from outside their homes. Other risk factors were in high frequencies but were not associated with co-infections. Conclusion: These results may suggest co-infection of bacteraemia and malaria, however non-typhoidal Salmonella may not be associated with malaria in the present study.