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 Choice of household adaptation strategies to flood risk management in Accra, Ghana(City and Environment Interactions, 2019) Twerefou, D.K.; Adu-Danso, E.; Abbey, E.; Dovie, B.D.In this paper, we discuss the psychological and socio-economic factors as well as the constraints that inhibit private precautionary flood-risk mitigation measures among urban households in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana within the Protection Motivation framework. The results show that threat appraisal has mixed effects on the decisions by households to adopt a damage protection measure against flooding. With regards to coping appraisal, the study found that households who do not feel helpless about flooding in the neighbourhood resort to some struc tural measures such as reinforcing their house against flood damage. The study also finds that socio-economic factors have an overall positive effect on protective behaviour. Additionally, structural measures taken by the public sector to provide protection against damage from a flood are shown to complement the adoption of some specific private pro tective measures such as clearing drains and sandbagging by households. We, therefore, recommend policy choices to focus on the provision of the needed community-level flood protection infrastructure since it stimulates private flood precautionary measuresItem Religious Diversity and Modes of Coexistence in Urban West Africa(Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), 2023-09) Musah, Ibrahim; Sieveking, Nadine; Dumbe, Yunus; Binaté, Issouf; Zaami, MariamaThis article introduces the research of MIASA’s IFG 7 project titled “Religious Diversity in Urban West Africa: Exploring Modes of Coexistence for Sustainable Governance”. It conceptualises the methodological approach of the group by identifying three main thematic axes that emerged from the overlapping individual approaches to the study of religious diversity in urban centres, namely 1) migration, mobilities, entrepreneurship, and trans-nationalism; (2) territoriality, power, and configurations of religious minorities and majorities; and (3) urban infrastructure(s).Item Socio-demographic and neighbourhood factors influencing urban green space use and development at home: A population-based survey in Accra, Ghana(Public Library of Science, 2023) Kyere-Gyeabour, E.; Yeboah, K.; Amegah, A. K.; et al.Abstract In Sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, there has been very little systematic attempt to document the uses and perceived health benefits of urban green spaces in cities and the factors influencing usage. We therefore sought to establish the availability, accessibility and use of urban green spaces, and the perceived health benefits in an African population. We also ascertained the factors influencing use and development of green spaces at home. A population-based survey was conducted in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, spanning 11 Municipal and 3 Sub-Metropolitan areas. Multivariable binary logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders was used to establish the association between green space use and development at home, and socio-demographic, neighbourhood and health factors. Odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were estimated from the models. Several socio-demographic (gender, age, marital status, occupation, ethnicity, religion) and district-level (population density, income level, neighbourhood greenness) factors were associated with use of green spaces and development of green spaces at home in Accra. Residents who were worried about depletion of green spaces in their community were more likely to develop green spaces at home. In neighbourhoods with moderate and high level of greenness, residents were less likely to develop green spaces at home. Fivepercent and 47% of green space users in Accra reported witnessing an improvement in theirphysical and mental health, respectively, from use of green spaces. The study findings can inform policy action for promoting use and development of green spaces in African cities and for mitigating depletion and degradation of the limited urban greenery.Item Continuity of care among diabetic patients in Accra, Ghana(Frontiers Media S.A., 2023) Awumee, V.; Dery, S.K.K.Abstract Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a fast-rising non-contagious disease of global importance that remains a leading cause of indisposition and death. Evidence shows that effective management of diabetes has a close link with continuity of care which is known to be the integral pillar of quality care. This study, therefore, sought to determine the extent of continuity of care between diabetic patients and their care providers as well as factors associated with relational continuity of care. Methodology: This cross-sectional, facility-based study was conducted among diabetics in Accra, Ghana. We sampled 401 diabetic patients from three diabetic clinics in the region using a stratified and systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing information on socio-demographic characteristics, the four dimensions of continuity of care, and patients' satisfaction. A 5-point Likert scale was used to measure patient's perception of relational, flexible, and team continuity, while most frequent provider continuity was used to measure longitudinal continuity of care. Scores were added for each person and divided by the highest possible score for each domain to estimate the continuity of care index. Data were collected and exported to Stata 15 for analysis. Results: The results show that team continuity was the highest (0.9), followed by relational and flexibility continuity of care (0.8), and longitudinal continuity of care was the least (0.5). Majority of patients experienced high team (97.3%), relational (68.1%), and flexible (65.3%) continuity of care. Most patients (98.3%) were satisfied with the diabetes care they received from healthcare providers. Female subjects had higher odds of experiencing relational continuity of care as compared to male subjects. Furthermore, participants with higher educational levels were five times more likely to experience relational continuity of care than those with lower educational background. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that the majority of diabetics had team continuity of care being the highest experienced among the four domains, followed by flexible and longitudinal being the least experienced. Notably, team and flexible continuity of care had a positive association with relational continuity of care. Higher educational level and being female were associated with relational continuity of care. There is therefore the need for policy action on the adoption of multidisciplinary team-based care. Copyright © 2023 Awumee and Dery.Item Barriers and facilitators of weight management: Perspectives of the urban poor in Accra, Ghana(PLOS ONE, 2022) Afrifa-Anane, G.F.; Badasu, D.M.; Codjoe, S.N.A.; Anarfi, J.K.Background Obesity is rising in sub-Saharan Africa and globally, and is a highly significant public health problem that needs urgent attention. To reduce the obesity prevalence levels and associated challenges, public health interventions highlight healthy eating and increased physical activity, which are key elements for weight management. Aim This study explored perceived factors that hinder or facilitate weight management in an urban poor context in Accra, Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional qualitative data was obtained from eight focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted among community members. The FGDs were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results The findings indicate that weight management is mainly inhibited by the perception that healthy foods are expensive and not satisfying, laziness, lack of time to engage in physical activity, and social representation of being fat or slim. On the contrary, personal decision to manage weight and social support facilitated engagement in weight management. Conclusion The findings indicate that weight management is influenced by individual, community, and structural factors. These findings have programmatic implications in terms of health education strategies and messagingItem Anemia Prvalence And Associated Factors Among School Age Children In Accra And Kumasi Metropolis In Ghana(ajfand, 2022) Egbi, G.; Larbi, I.A.; Nti, H.; Marquis, G.S.; Lartey, A.; Aryeetey, R.Anemia remains a serious public health concern, globally, affecting learning ability and physical development of children. Anemic children are at a higher risk of diminished economic productivity and low earning capacity in adulthood due to impaired school performance and reduced work capacity. Anemia contributes to about a quarter of Africa’s nutrition-related Disability Adjusted Life Years. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and its associated risk factors among school-aged children (SAC) between ages 9 and 15 years in urban Ghana. The analysis included a randomly selected subsample of 1,634 children from a larger study on nutrition of SAC enrolled between 2009 and 2012 in private and public basic schools in the Accra and Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. Socio-demographic and household characteristics were collected with questionnaires. Weight and height were taken to the nearest 0.1kg and 0.1cm, respectively. Dietary information was collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistic version 23. The relationship between hemoglobin levels and socio-demographic variables, and predictors of hemoglobin levels were determined using Chi-square and binary logistic regression. The mean hemoglobin concentration of the study participants was 12.9±1.3 g/dL. In Kumasi, SAC had higher mean hemoglobin concentration (13.1±1.2 g/dL) compared to those from Accra (12.6±1.3 g/dL; p=0.001). Mean hemoglobin concentration was significantly higher among males than females (13.0±1.4 g/dL vs 12.8±1.2 g/dL; p=0.002). Prevalence of anemia was 20.4%; mild anemia was most common (13.6% of total sample). Anemia cases were higher in public schools (24.6%) compared to private (18.2%). Two-thirds of anemia cases (64.0%) were from schools in Accra. Males had significantly higher prevalence of anemia (26.5%) than females (15.9%; p <0.05). In the adjusted logistic regression model, only city of residence (OR+1.65, 95% CI: 1.44–1.83), thinness (OR=2.60, 95% CI: 1.11-5.75), stunting (OR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.99-3.10) and overweight (OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.36-0.94) were significantly associated with anemia. In this study, anemia was significantly associated with location and nutritional status.Item Emotional intelligence in medical students at the University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana(Ghana Med J, 2021) Lawson, H.J.; Yigah, M.; Yamson, P.Emotional Intelligence is a form of interpersonal intelligence. There’s evidence that high emotional intelligence (EQ) of a medical student is associated with better coping with the tedious medical training. We evaluated EQ in medical students in their clinical years. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS), Accra. In all, 111 students completed the questionnaires. Their average age was 24±1.5 years with marginal male preponderance. There were 37, 31 and 43 students in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd clinical years respectively. For global scores, 16 (14.1%) had good EQ (>120) with a mean total score of 105.49. The mean EQ for males was 104.2±17 and 106.2±12 for females, however this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.319). Mean EQ for 1st, 2nd and 3rd clinical years were 104.4±13, 104.4±20, and 107.1±12. This rise with increasing years was however not significant (p=0.659). EQ showed a weak positive correlation with age (r=0.1) but this was not significant (p=0.29). We report low EQ among students of the UGMS with no significant difference between gender, age and clinical year. EQ should be actively taught as part of the curriculum in UGMS. A larger study involving other medical schools in Ghana is recommended.Item Les pratiques langagières des familles d’origine francophone à Accra(2020) Chachu, S.This paper reveals the language practices of families in which the parents are francophone migrants who have settled in Accra, Ghana. We observe the interplay of languages in four selected families and the linguistic choices made by the parents, as well as the effects of these linguistic choices on the children. Beyond the language practices in the home, we consider the effects of the other linguistic spaces that the members of the family have to deal with on a daily basis. This study is not one to be generalised but the aim is to present a conscientious observation of the particularity of each family concerning linguistic convictions, language and identity and the perception of the importance of pre-migratory and post-migratory languages. We observe that the families act differently with regards to maintaining pre-migratory languages and often the ‘Mother Tongue’ is sacrificed for the English and French languages which are considered to have economic value, while the local languages are rather seen to have an emotive value.Item Prevalence of self‑harm among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adolescents: a comparison of personal and social adversity with a heterosexual sample in Ghana(BMC Research Notes, 2020-06-03) Quarshie, E.N.B.; Waterman, M.G.; House, A.O.Objectives: We sought to estimate the prevalence of self-reported self-harm among adolescents identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) in Ghana, and compare self-reported personal and social adversities related to self-harm in this group to those in a random sample of heterosexual adolescents from the same locality. Results: A total of 444 adolescents aged 13-21 years, comprising 74 LGBT adolescents and 370 heterosexual adolescents, provided data. The lifetime prevalence estimate of self-harm was higher in the LGBT group (47%) than the heterosexual group (23%). The LGBT group reported a higher rate of self-harm during the previous 12 months (45%), compared to the heterosexual group (18%). LGBT adolescents reported more alcohol and substance use and more personal social adversities, including various forms of victimisation, than heterosexual adolescents. They were no more likely to report difficulty in making and keeping friends or schoolwork problems than were heterosexual adolescents.Item Predictors of primary and secondary sexual abstinence among never-married youth in urban poor Accra, Ghana(Reproductive Health, 2020-02-21) Dodoo, F.N-A.; Alhassan, N.Background: Sexual abstinence is a key component of the strategy to address unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and HIV among youth in sub-Sahara Africa. But contextual pressures make abstaining from sex a formidable task for urban poor youth in the sub-region. Nevertheless, some youth in these settings still manage to resist the pressure to initiate sex early, while others choose abstinence after an initial sexual debut. Few studies in the sub-region have examined sexual abstinence among urban poor youth. We therefore examined the factors that predict primary and secondary sexual abstinence among youth in urban poor Accra. The findings highlight the protective factors associated with sexual intercourse and should help to address the needs of youth at risk of unprotected sex. Methods: The study analysed pooled data from two rounds of the Urban Health and Poverty Survey. The surveys analysed were conducted in 2011 and 2013. The analysis was restricted to unmarried youth between age 20 and 24 years. The total sample comprised 235 female and male youth. We conducted multinomial logistic regression analysis to examine the predictors of primary and secondary abstinence relative to current sexual intercourse. Results: The results showed that being female, sexual communication with only fathers, sexual communication with only friends and slum residence were negatively associated with primary sexual abstinence. Contrarily, being in school, attaching importance to religion, residing in a household that received social support and sexual communication with both parents were positively associated with primary abstinence. Regarding secondary abstinence, only the sexual communication variables had significant effects. Sexual communication with both parents positively predicted secondary abstinence while communication with fathers-only and friends-only had a negative effect. Conclusion: Sexual abstinence is predicted by factors which range from individual through household factors to the locality of residence. Despite the importance of all the predictors, the study found that sexual communication with both parents was the only factor that predicted a higher likelihood of both primary and secondary sexual abstinence. We therefore recommend sexual communication between parents and youth as a key strategy for promoting sexual abstinence among urban poor youth in Accra, Ghana