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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 Street Foods Contribute To Nutrient Intakes Among Children From Rural Communities In Winneba And Techiman Municipalities, Ghana(African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2012) Micah, E.B.; Colecraft, E.K.; Lartey, A.; et al.The contribution of Street Foods (SF) to the energy and nutrient intake of young children in rural African communities has been understudied. Under the Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management (ENAM) project, a microcredit and nutrition education intervention with caregivers of children 2-to 5- years old in rural Ghana, the prevalence of SF consumption by young children and the contribution SF makes to children’s energy, nutrient, and Animal Source Food (ASF) intakes were assessed. A simple random sample of 172 caregiver-child pairs residing in the ENAM intervention communities in Winneba and Techiman municipalities participated in this study. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview caregivers about SF purchased for their 2- to 5-year-old children in the previous week. During two non-consecutive 12-hour home observations, all foods consumed by a subsample of the children (n=45) were weighed. The energy and nutrient content of weighed foods were estimated using the Ghanaian food composition table. About 80% of caregivers purchased SF for their child at least once that previous week. Most (76%) SF purchased were grain-based and were purchased as complete meals. The children’s total ASF intake was 69.9 ± 11.0 g; the quantity of ASF consumed was similar but their sources of ASF differed between the two municipalities. In Techiman, SF contributed 36% of the ASF consumed over the two observation days compared to 4.2% in Winneba (P=0.003). Overall, SF contributed 35% of energy and 43% of vitamins. A, 20% of vitamin B12, 30% of zinc, 34% of iron, and 54% of calcium consumed by children. The contribution of SF to young children’s dietary intakes, especially their ASF intakes and hence micronutrient intakes, may improve overall dietary quality. This study provides evidence that SF is an important part of children’s diets in rural Ghana could be an important target for food-based interventions to enhance nutrition in young children.Item Incidence of Self-esteem among Children Exposed to Sexual Abuse in Kenya(Global Social Welfare, 2018) Mutavi, T.; Dako-Gyeke, M.; Obondo, A.; et.alIt has been established that sexual abuse against children is a widespread global problem (Stoltenborgh et al. 2011). Some scholars have reported that child abuse, including sexual abuse among children, is high in Africa, as well as other continents (Filkelhor et al. 2013; Hillis et al. 2016). Sexual abuse against children is a public health concern because its outcomes are detrimental to the health of children, families, and society (Madu et al. 2010). Often, mental health problems among children are detected late, and identification rates by health professionals are quite low (Grant & Brito, 2010; Ndetei et al. 2009).Item 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.Item Prevalence And Risk Factors Associated With HIV Comorbidities Among Children And Adolescents At The Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua(University of Ghana, 2022-08) Otu, P.O.Background: In the effort to curb HIV/AIDS, children and adolescents remain behind. Children and adolescents living with HIV are primarily at a greater risk of HIV comorbidities because of their susceptibility to infections. Objective: To determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with HIV comorbidities among children and adolescent patients at the Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua. Method: This is a hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study, which used clinical record review to obtain retrospective data for 1,437 children and adolescents, from January 2018 to January 2021. Clinical and socio-demographic factors were tabulated and Pearson’s chi square test applied to determine associations between risk factors and HIV comorbidities. Logistic regression was used to determine the socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with the presence of HIV comorbidities as well as the treatment outcomes Results: A majority of the study population (56.9%) were females. The prevalence of HIV co-morbidities among the study population was 33.0%. The most frequent comorbidity reported was Bronchopneumonia. Age (p=0.014), educational status (p=0.005) and adherence to ARTs (p=0.000) were significantly associated with HIV comorbidities in bivariate analysis. However, sex (p=0.063), level of education of parents or guardians (p=0.484), residence (p=0.845), viral load detection (p=0.308) and viral loads counts (p=0.973) were not significantly associated with HIV comorbidities. Children aged 5 - 9 years old were 30% (cOR = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.52 - 0.93; p= 0.017) less likely to have a comorbidity than children under 5 years old. The odds of having HIV comorbidity was 1.06 (cOR; 95% CI =0.83 - 1.35; p=0.147) times higher among children and adolescents whose parents or guardians attained primary education than those whose parents or guardians attained no formal education, but this was not statistically significant. The odds of having a comorbidity was 45% less likely (cOR = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.42 - 0.71; p= 0.000) among children and adolescents who were not adherent to ARTs than those who were adherent to ARTs. Results from this study showed that there was no significant association between adherence to ARTs and treatment outcomes (p=0.259). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of Respiratory comorbidities among children and adolescents with HIV infection. Children and adolescent patients also experience a higher risk of Bronchopneumonia, Pulmonary TB, and Pneumocystis pneumonia. Clinical and Socio-demographic risk factors contribute to the presence of HIV comorbidities and affect their treatment outcomes. There is the need to provide a system that will effectively monitor comorbidities and health conditions of children and adolescent patients living with HIV, whether on admission or not, to inform appropriate management.Item Exploration Of The Lived Experiences And Interventions Available To Children In James Town(University Of Ghana, 2021-12) Ade, D.A.Poverty is the "world's biggest killer" and the major cause of misery and ill health. Children are however the most affected by poverty regardless of the level of development within a country often due to their dependence on adults. The vulnerable nature of children is heightened by the very presence of poverty. Children living in poverty are usually deprived of sanitation, nutrition, shelter, education, quality water, and health services. Studies have shown that over eight million children in developing countries die from preventable diseases mainly from poverty and deprivation. Urban towns in recent years have housed many individuals from diverse regions due to urbanization and the dire need for greener pastures. As a result, population growth outnumbers the available resources within such communities, creating over-dependency on the limited resources available, which makes children more vulnerable. Also, the inability to distinguish between child and adult poverty within Ghanaian society has led to the oversight of the implications of poverty on children. Therefore, this study sought to explore perceptions of children from poor urban contexts in Ghana and their positive and negative lived experiences and gain information about their coping mechanisms. This qualitative study interviewed thirty (30) participants: twenty (20) adolescents (between twelve and seventeen years) from James Town and ten (10) professionals. Results revealed that poor children suffer from inadequate access to basic education, decent shelter and clothing; and good nutrition. As a result of their condition, they are forced to engage in activities in the bid to cope with poverty such as begging and running basic errands. The implications of this study highlight the vast distinction between child and adult poverty and the importance of social support, including the role of religion to adolescents in coping with poverty.Item Fathers’ Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Concerning Young Child Feeding And Nutritional Status Of Children 0-24 Months In The La Nkwantanang Municipal District(University Of Ghana, 2023-01) Anang, C.N.F.Introduction: Optimal Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) during the first 1000 days is critical for the growth and development of children. Research in this area focuses on the input mothers make in the feeding of the child. The efforts of fathers, although under reported, are just as important in determining the nutritional status of a child. The main objective of this study was to assess fathers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices in IYCF in the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal District (LaNMMA) and how this relates to children’s nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed for this study. Convenience sampling was used select the health facilities and recruit 180 fathers and their children aged 0-24 months. Data were collected on the sociodemographic characteristics of participants, the knowledge, attitudes and practices of fathers (KAP) and the anthropometric measurements of the children. A qualitative aspect was introduced to explore fathers’ roles and barriers of fathers’ involvement. This was conducted by means of a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews.. Results: The mean age of fathers was 34.16 ± 5.63 years. The average age for children was 7.28 ± 5.50 months and females were slightly more than males (51.7% and 48.3% respectively). Fathers of children 0-5 months and 6-24 months had high knowledge (55.1% and 57.1% respectively) but poor practice scores (44.9% and 48.4% respectively). The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight amongst the children was 18%, 8% and 7% respectively. There was no significant association between the KAP of fathers and the nutritional status of children. From the focus group discussion and in-depth interviews, fathers identified their roles in IYCF as providing support to mothers. Support from fathers was either financial, physical or emotional. Fathers reported that they received information on IYCF from their wives, the grandmothers of their children and the health centers. The fathers indicated that cultural perception of men’s roles, tiredness from work and financial difficulties were barriers to their involvement in infant feeding. Fathers believed being available for their children, education in schools, advertisements, improvement of services at health centers and policy change would help in overcoming their barriers towards IYCF involvement. Conclusion: All fathers had good knowledge and poor practices towards infant feeding. Fathers provided support for their wives and were aware that their involvement in infant feeding was necessary. There is the need to create interventions that specifically address fathers’ barriers towards infant feeding.Item 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.Item Pneumonia In Children Under Five At The Greater Accra Regional Hospital: 2016-2020(University Of Ghana, 2022-02) Amoakoa, A.M.Y.Pneumonia continues to be a leading cause of severe morbidity and mortality among children under five globally. It is the third cause of death among children under five in Ghana despite effective ways of preventing this disease. This study assessed the trend of pneumonia among children under five at the Greater Accra Regional hospital between the years 2016-2020. Electronic hospital records of children under 5 who reported to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital with pneumonia was retrieved. The data was transferred from Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to STATA version 16, analysed in terms of time, age, place, gender, immunization status, and clinical outcomes of the disease, using time series to determine the trend. 1901 confirmed cases of pneumonia in children under five years reported from 2016 to 2020.There was a consistent comparatively reduced number of pneumonia cases over the first 4years (from 487 to 282) and a rise to 472 in 2020 in children aged especially less than 2years with males demonstrating an increased pneumonia risk, probably due to the emergence of COVID-19. Children living in peri-urban areas were more affected than those in urban areas. There was a decline in pneumonia mortality from 2016 to 2018 with a slight peak in 2019 and subsequent decline in 2020 as well as a statistically significant association between one’s age, place of residence, immunization status and developing pneumonia in under-fives with complete immunization reducing the risk for severe pneumonia. There is the need to intensify health education on immunization, enforce environmental health policies and modify healthcare practice in relation to pneumonia.Item Factors Associated with Malaria Co-Infection in HIV Positive Children at a Health Facility in Accra(University of Ghana, 2019-07) Tibboh, A.M.Item Access to Healthcare Services Among Children with Cerebral Palsy in the Greater Accra Region(University of Ghana, 2020-10) Andah, N.L.