Research Articles
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A research article reports the results of original research, assesses its contribution to the body of knowledge in a given area, and is published in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. The faculty publications through published and on-going articles/researches are captured in this community
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Item Development of Strategies and Transformation Paths for Structured and Targeted Digital Change: The Case of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Trinity Congregation(Digitalization Cases, Management for Professionals, 2019) Asiedu, S.T.; Boateng, R.The situation faced: The Church, irrespective of its steady growth from 4 members in 1965 to 2910 members in 2015, struggles to reach out to larger (newer) communities and improve money collection. It struggles as well in reaching its local community especially its members at the right time with the right message. In brief, for the Church to engage its members and the public concerning worship service, publicizing its social activities (evangelism, donations to the needy, visits to prisons, etc.) and payment of voluntary contributions, it had to count on their physical presence in its premises. (b) Action taken: The Church developed an interactive online presence (website) with payment integration for payment of tithe, offertory, voluntary thanksgiving, etc. Social media accounts were established to help create an online community with the secondary objective of driving traffic to the website and engaging the congregation remotely outside church service hours. Mobile money and a point of sale (POS) device were used to facilitate cashless transactions. Supportive committees were set up while interconnecting existing ones. Some of the pastors upload videos to social media as a supplement to morning devotions. Events were promoted on the website and social media. (c) Results achieved: Amongst the lot, there is currently an increase in social media engagements through event posts, live streaming, images, and other post formats and also an increase in participation in church events by almost 50% on average as well as an increase in the number of website visitors from 2558 (901 unique visitors) in the first year after deployment to 11,612 visitors (5841 unique visitors) in the third year as of September 2017. Even though membership statistics surprisingly indicated a 638 decline in 2017, which is worth investigating. (d) Lessons learned: Although deploying the online system was successful, it came with its lessons drawn from challenges that cannot be ignored. These include trust in electronic payments, the need for a strategic framework in the adoption of technology, and the need to educate users. Other lessons include the need for management support and readiness of employees/volunteers and resource availability as a precursor to achieving strategic IS innovation objectives.Item The African Plant Breeders of Tomorrow(African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2019) Mumm, R.H.; Danquah, E.Y.Advances in agricultural productivity in Africa have lagged, as reflected by the fact that varieties have often popular with farmers for more than 14 years (Walker et al. 2015). The distribution and adoption of improved crop varieties has been stymied in part by an insufficient number of plant breeders on the continent. Would-be plant breeders often chose to pursue MS- and PhD-degree programs in the USA or Europe, and more than half of these did not return to Africa to practice their profession once graduated (Ali et al. 2007). The University of Ghana determined to change this by establishing the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) in 2007, in partnership with Cornell University, to offer quality education and training in Genetics and Plant Breeding to African students. Supported by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) as part of a strategy to launch a Green Revolution in Africa, WACCI aimed to create a sizeable, innovative workforce to increase agricultural productivity and ensure food security, especially for the people of west and central Africa. Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, a visionary leader, was appointed to establish and direct WACCI. He determined to create a pathway from BS to MS to PhD in plant breeding at the University of Ghana to serve students from both English-speaking and French-speaking countries and to attract both men and women into the program, to establish WACCI as a leading institution for plant breeding education on the global stage.Item Design and methodology of a mixed methods follow-up study to the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey(Global Health Action, 2017) Staveteig, S.; Aryeetey, R.; Anie-Ansah, M.; et al.Background: The intended meaning behind responses to standard questions posed in large-scale health surveys is not always well understood. Systematic follow-up studies, particularly those that pose a few repeated questions followed by open-ended discussions are well positioned to gauge the stability and consistency of data and to shed light on the intended meaning behind survey responses. Such follow-up studies require extensive coordination and face challenges in protecting respondent confidentiality during the process of recontacting and reinterviewing participants. Objectives: We describe practical field strategies for undertaking a mixed methods follow-up study during a large-scale health survey. Methods: The study was designed as a mixed methods follow-up study embedded within the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). The study was implemented in 13 clusters. Android tablets were used to import reference data from the parent survey and to administer the questionnaire, which asked a mixture of closed- and open-ended questions on reproductive intentions, decision-making, and family planning. Results: Despite several obstacles related to recontacting respondents and concern about respondent fatigue, over 92 percent of the selected sub-sample were successfully recontacted and reinterviewed; all consented to audio recording. A confidential linkage between GDHS data, follow-up tablet data, and audio transcripts was successfully created for analysis. Conclusions: We summarize the challenges in follow-up study design, including ethical considerations, sample size, auditing, filtering, successful use of tablets, and sharing lessons learned for future follow-up surveys.Item The Associations of Dyadic Coping and Relationship Satisfaction Vary between and within Nations: A 35-Nation Study(Frontiers in Psychology, 2016) Hilpert, P.; Aryeetey, R.; Randall, A.K.; et al.Objective: Theories about how couples help each other to cope with stress, such as the systemic transactional model of dyadic coping, suggests that the cultural context in which couples' lives influence how their coping behavior affects their relationship satisfaction. In contrast to the theoretical assumptions, a recent meta-analysis provides evidence that neither culture nor gender influences the association between dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction, at least based on their samples of couples living in North America and West Europe. Thus, it is an open question whether the theoretical assumptions of cultural influences are false or whether cultural influences on couple behavior just occur in cultures outside of the Western world. Method: To examine the cultural influence, using a sample of married individuals (N = 7973) from 35 nations, we used multilevel modeling to test whether the positive association between dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction varies across nations and whether gender might moderate the association. Results: Results reveal that the association between dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction varies between nations. In addition, results show that in some nations the association is higher for men and in other nations, it is higher for women. Conclusions: Cultural and gender differences across the globe influence how couples’ coping behavior affects relationship outcomes. This crucial finding indicates that a couple relationship education programs and interventions need to be culturally adapted, as skill trainings such as dyadic coping lead to differential effects on relationship satisfaction based on the culture in which couples live.Item Prevalence and predictors of overweight and obesity among school-aged children in urban Ghana(BMC Obesity, 2017) Aryeetey, R.; Lartey, A.; Marquis, G.S.; et al.Background: Childhood overnutrition is a serious public health problem, with consequences that extend into adulthood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity among school-age children in two urban settings in Ghana. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 3089 children (9–15 years) recruited between December 2009 and February 2012 in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Socio-demographic, dietary, and physical activity data were collected using pretested questionnaires. BMI-for-age z-scores were used to categorize anthropometric data of the children as thin, normal, or overweight/obese. Determinants of overweight were examined using multiple logistic regressions. Results: Seventeen percent of children were overweight or obese. Children who reported lower participation (< 3 times/week) in sports activity were 44% more likely to be overweight or obese (AOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.94). Maternal tertiary education (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.42), higher household socioeconomic status (AOR = 1. 56, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.06), and attending private school (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.32) were also associated with elevated risk of overweight and obesity. Conclusions: Physical inactivity is a modifiable independent determinant of overweight or obesity among Ghanaian school-aged children. Promoting and supporting a physically active lifestyle in this population is likely to reduce the risk of childhood overnutrition.Item Dietary patterns and associated risk factors among school age children in urban Ghana(BMC Nutrition, 2018) Ogum Alangea, D.; Aryeetey, R.N.; Gray, H.L.; et al.Background: Understanding dietary patterns in the study of diet-disease relationships is crucial for designing dietary behavior interventions. This study aimed to determine associations between dietary patterns and background characteristics among school-age children (9–15 years) in Ghana. Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 487 urban-dwelling children aged 9–15 years was recruited using simple random sampling from 24 schools (12 private and 12 public) in the Ga-East Municipality in Southern Ghana. A 7-day food frequency questionnaire was used to record children’s consumption of over 100 unique food items. Principal component analyses based on 14 food groups were used to describe emerging dietary patterns (DP). BMI-for-age z-scores segregated by sex were derived using WHO Anthro plus software. Linear regression was used to test associations between ‘diet factor’ scores, and weight status controlling for age. Results: Four DPs were identified that explained 53.2% of the variation in the diets of children: (1) energy dense; (2) starchy root staples and vegetables; (3) cereal-grain staples and poultry; and (4) fish & seafood. Energy-dense DP characterized by processed meat, fried foods, and sugary foods was associated with child overweight/obese status after controlling for age, sex, SES, and school type [F(5, 484) = 6.868, p < 0.001]. Starchy root with vegetable DP was negatively associated with overweight/obese status, private school attendance, and higher SES after controlling for age at the bivariate level. However, the relationship between ‘starchy root staples and vegetables’ DP and overweight/obese status lost significance after controlling for other covariates. Conclusion: Our data identified energy-dense dietary patterns to be significantly associated with childhood overweight and obesity. Targeted dietary messages are required to address energy-dense dietary patterns among school-age children.Item Socio-economic differences in cost of pregnancy-related health services in the peri-urban Accra, Ghana(Journal of Public Health, 2014) Aikins, M.; Aryeetey, R.; Dako-Gyeke, P.; et al.Background Financial and physical barriers are known to limit access to maternal health services in developing countries. These limitations are often compounded by the low socio-economic status of women. This study examined socio-economic differences in health services costs incurred by pregnant women. Methods A cross-sectional cost survey of 300 women who had delivered a live birth in the last 12 months was undertaken. Results Majority of the women were aged between 20 and 39 years. About 63% of the women claimed they were registrants of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, only 64% of them provided valid NHIS identification cards. There were relatively more insured women in the rich quintiles (44%) compared with insured women in the poor quintiles (33%). Generally, women who were in the rich quintile incurred the highest average medical and non-medical costs, spent the highest time before service provision, and lost the highest average incomes. Conclusions Women's socio-economic differences play a critical role in access to health services. We recommend that awareness campaigns on the NHIS must be intensified. The Ghana Health Services through its Community-based Health Planning Service should carefully structure its home visits to cover education on pregnancy-related health services.Item Perceptions and experiences of Overweight among Women in the ga east District, ghana(Frontiers in Nutrition, 2016) Aryeetey, R.N.O.Overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge among women of reproductive age. While cultural norms suggest a preference for an overweight body image, limited evidence exists regarding women’s beliefs and experiences of being overweight in Ghana. The current study explored beliefs, perceptions, experiences, and practices concerning overweight among women living in suburban Accra, Ghana. Methods Four focus group discussions, and 10 in-depth interviews (IDI) were implemented among 42 adult women (>18 years) seeking preventive child health services in Dome, Accra. All the women in the IDI were overweight. In addition to notes, interviews and discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed for systematic content and narrative analysis. Results Overweight was considered undesirable by most women. Overweight individuals were often stigmatized using uncomplimentary names, such as cargo, obolo, and so on. However, some weight gain was admired and expected by women and their family and friends. Weight gain that was considered beautiful was believed to “evolve naturally.” Weight gain that is either medically induced or perceived as excessive was not viewed positively. Weight gain by women was perceived as a sign of financial prosperity and good care by a spouse. Overweight was perceived to be linked with heredity, childbirth, gluttony, and contraception. Adverse experiences of overweight included poor self-image, declining social lifestyle, increased disease risk, and feeling tired always. Strategies that had been used to lose weight included skipping meals, avoiding carbohydrate-based foods, and drinking herbal teas. Conclusion There is admiration for some weight gain among women but when it is excessive, overweight is stigmatized. Misperceptions regarding partner expectations, determinants of overweight, and weight reduction strategies require effective behavior change interventions in Ghana.Item Contraceptive Discontinuation and Switching Among Ghanaian Women: Evidence from the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2008(African Journal of Reproductive Health, 2014) Modey, E.J.; Aryeetey, R.; Adanu, R.This study identifies factors associated with contraceptive discontinuation and switching among Ghanaian women of reproductive age, using data from 1,378 female respondents of the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression models were used to determine relationships between key socio-demographic factors and user status. Discontinued use occurred among 56% of ever users and switching among 55% of current users. The IUD was most abandoned (70%) and its use was associated with almost twice the odds of discontinuation (OR=1.97; 95% CI (1.04, 3.75)). Having a history of terminated pregnancy significantly predicted both discontinuation (OR=1.36; 95% CI (1.03, 1.79) and switching (OR=1.78; 95% CI (1.16, 2.73)) and intention to limit births significantly predicted lower discontinuation (OR=0.71; 95% CI (0.52, 0.96)). Counseling services emphasizing contraceptive options and reinforcing switching are critically needed to reduce unwanted pregnancies that may result from poor method use and discontinuation, especially among post-abortion clients and IUD users.Item Lessons learned from Evidence-Informed Decision-Making in Nutrition & Health (EVIDENT) in Africa: a project evaluation(Health Research Policy and Systems, 2019) Motani, P.; Aryeetey, R.; Walle, A.V.D.; Verstraeten, R.Background: Evidence-informed Decision-making in Nutrition and Health (EVIDENT) is an international partnership that seeks to identify information needs in nutrition and health in Africa and build local capacity for knowledge management to help translate the best available evidence into context-appropriate recommendations aligned to the priorities of decision-makers. This study evaluates the extent to which EVIDENT achieved its intended activities, documents the lessons learned and draws on these lessons learned to inform future activities of EVIDENT, as well as in evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) in nutrition overall. Methods: Purposive and snowball sampling were used to identify participants who were either directly or indirectly involved with EVIDENT. An analytical framework of five key elements was developed to guide data collection from EVIDENT’s documentation, in-depth interviews (n = 20), online surveys (n = 26) and a participatory discussion. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded in NVivo 11, using deductive thematic content analysis and a phenomenological approach. Online surveys were analyzed using Stata 14. Data were triangulated to address both objectives under each element of the analytical framework. Results: EVIDENT succeeded in establishing a collaborative partnership, within which it delivered four short courses in EIDM. This capacity complemented case study activities in four partner African countries where EIDM processes were implemented and assessed. Identified barriers to these processes included little experience in EIDM, difficulties in engaging stakeholders, challenging local environments (e.g. donor influence, bureaucracy, inaccessibility to scientific research, poor internet connectivity), and limited time and funding. However, EVIDENT activities were driven by a local need for EIDM, a sheer interest and commitment to the cause, and the opportunity for the Global North and South to work together and build relationships. Future activities of EVIDENT, and EIDM in nutrition overall, should focus on sustained capacity-building in EIDM processes, leadership, and functional skills across the Global South, investment in stakeholder engagement, context-specific EIDM, enhanced communication and linking, and strengthening relationships with existing stakeholder organizations. Conclusions: In its first 3 years, EVIDENT developed and strengthened partnership, capacity, and visibility on EIDM in Africa. Innovative and long-term capacity-building, dedicated leadership, further stakeholder engagement, and sustainable financing, are needed for future activities of EVIDENT and EIDM in nutrition.