Book Chapters
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Book Chapters: A scholarly introduction of chapter length to an edited volume, where the content of the introduction reports research and makes a substantial contribution to a defined area of knowledge.
On the other hand, Review books or articles provide a critical and constructive analysis of existing published literature in a field, through summary, analysis, and comparison, often identifying specific gaps or problems and providing recommendations for future research. These are considered as secondary literature since they generally do not present new data from the author's experimental work. Review articles can be of three types, broadly speaking: literature reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses.
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Item Microfinance With Education In Rural Ghana: Men’s Perception Of Household Level Impact(African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2012) Hagan, L.L.; Aryeetey, R.; Colecraft, E.K.; et al.Microcredit schemes have been shown to enhance women’s Income Generation Activities (IGA), household food security, and child nutrition. However, spouses or Male Household Heads (MHH) can influence how women’s loans are invested and how incomes ensuing from the investments are expended. This study describes how MHH perceived and experienced the participation of female caregivers from their household in the Enhancing Child Nutrition through Animal Source Food Management (ENAM) project. The ENAM project was designed as an integrated intervention providing microcredit, entrepreneurship, and nutrition education to women in rural communities in Ghana. Eighty-five MHH of ENAM project caregivers in two regions of Ghana were interviewed about their awareness of the microcredit and education intervention, their involvement in the IGA that the caregivers’ loans were invested in, and their perceptions of the impact of the project on the caregivers’ IGA as well as household and child nutrition. The majority of MHH indicated that they had been consulted by the caregivers about the decision to participate in the ENAM project. The most common reasons given for consenting to the caregivers’ decision to participate in the program were expectations that the caregiver would receive business capital (30.6%), education on optimal child feeding (36.5%), and income to enable caregivers to contribute more to household expenses (31.8%). Concerning the project’s impact, MHH perceived that the caregivers’ project participation had a positive impact on their business practices, particularly concerning improved customer relations. The MHH perceived that caregivers’ incomes increased because they participated in ENAM as evidenced by regular income savings and increased contributions to household food and non-food expenditures. However, MHH reported decreases in their contributions to almost all household expenditure categories in response to the perceived increase in caregivers’ incomes. The MHH also perceived improvements in home meal quality. In summary, MHH credited the ENAM project with improved caregiver’s incomes and increased share of household expenses. However, this outcome resulted in unanticipated declines in MHH contribution to household expenses. Further studies are needed to understand the impact of empowering women through social experiments on households.Item Availability, acceptability, and utilization of micronutrient fortification for children 6-23 months in three districts in Ghana(World Nutrition, 2024) Donkor, W.E.S.; Boadu, I.; Babae, P.; et al.Background Micronutrient deficiencies result from multiple factors, including inadequate intake of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) from nutrient-rich diverse diets. Point-of-use fortification with a nutritional supplement powder is recommended to address micronutrient deficiencies and anemia among infants and young children (6-23 months), particularly, in low-income countries. In Ghana, about a quarter of children aged 6-59 months are anemic, or deficient in iron and vitamin A. World Vision Ghana (WVG) implemented the integrated Improved Feeding Practices (IFP) project between 2020 and 2023 in three districts in Ghana to improve diet quality and practices of women of reproductive age, and young children below age two years. One component of the project involved the distribution of a nutritional supplement powder (KOKO Plus). This is the second in a series of four papers that document the implementation and outcomes of the IFP project; the other papers are published in this journal. The current paper assessed the availability, acceptability, and utilization of KOKO Plus to households who participated in the IFP project as well as lessons learned from implementing the intervention. Methods A mixed-methods design was used, triangulating primary and secondary data. Secondary data originated from a review of IFP project documents, including project mid-year and annual reports, and implementation plans across the three interdependent components of the IFP project. Primary data were obtained from interviews in six purposively selected communities. Key informants included WVG staff, community volunteers, and local government agency staff from health and agriculture sector agencies, and beneficiaries of the intervention. Interview respondents answered questions on the project’s mechanism for KOKO Plus distribution, participant experiences of purchasing and using KOKO Plus, perceived benefits of using KOKO Plus, and lessons learned about KOKO Plus from the IFP project. Beneficiaries also provided information on their perceptions of KOKO Plus acceptability and adverse outcomes. Results The project distributed KOKO Plus free of charge to almost 14,000 (13,942) children, more than its target (4,900). In addition, Village-Based Entrepreneurs (VBE) sold 192,092 sachets of KOKO Plus in the project communities. The KOKO Plus value chain involved WVG purchased the KOKO Plus from the Ghanaian manufacturer and supplied it to VBEs either in their respective communities or at distribution centers in their respective WVG district office. KOKO Plus promotion and marketing were led by trained VBEs, VBE supervisors, and Community-Based Organizations across multiple settings (homes, child welfare clinics, markets, community durbars, and religious gatherings). There was high acceptability of KOKO Plus. Mothers attributed their acceptance of KOKO Plus to its a Corresponding author: raryeetey@ug.edu.gh 33 potential health and nutrition benefits for children. They also attributed increased child weight, and less frequent illness, to feeding meals that included KOKO Plus to their young children. KOKO Plus was added to the diverse local meals fed to young children. Diarrhea was the only mentioned adverse report, albeit rarely. At the end of the IFP project, WVG established a fund to ensure the sustainable distribution of KOKO Plus in the project communities. Conclusions The IFP project established a KOKO Plus value chain, increasing the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and utilization of KOKO Plus in the project communities. VBE successfully distributed KOKO Plus with support from community volunteers and healthcare workers. This approach to KOKO Plus distribution is feasible and sustainable and is recommended for similar contexts.Item Who is marginalized in energy justice? Amplifying community leader perspectives of energy transitions in Ghana(Energy Research & Social Science, 2021) Baker, E.; Atarah, S.A.; Afful-Dadzie, A.; et al.There is a divide in energy access studies, between technologically-focused modeling papers in engineering and economics, and energy justice frameworks and principles grounded in social sciences. Quantitative computational models are necessary when analyzing energy, and more specifically electricity, systems, as they are technologically complex systems that can diverge from intuitive patterns. To assure energy justice, these models must be reflective of, and informative to, a wide range of stakeholders, including households and communities alongside utilities, governments, and others. Yet, moving from a qualitative understanding of preferences to quantitative modeling is challenging. In this perspective piece, we pilot the use of the value-focused thinking framework to inform stakeholder engagement. The result is a strategic objective hierarchy that highlights the tradeoffs and the social, economic, and technological factors that need to be measured in models. We apply the process in Ghana, using a survey, stakeholder workshops, and follow-up interviews to uncover key tradeoffs and stakeholder-derived objectives. We discuss three key areas that have been rarely, if ever, well-represented in energy models: (1) the relationship between the dynamics of electricity end-use and the technology and economic structure of the system; (2) explicit tradeoffs between electricity access, cost, and reliability as defined by stakeholders; and (3) the definition of new objectives, such as minimizing hazards related to theft. We conclude that this model of engagement provides an opportunity to tie together rigorous qualitative analysis and stakeholder engagement with crucial quantitative models of the electricity system.Item Strengthening Applied Epidemiology in West Africa: Progress, Gaps, and Advancing a Regional Strategy to Improve Health Security(Health Security, 2021) Lokossou, V.K.; Kenu, E.; Sombie, I.; et al.The ability to prevent, promptly detect, and appropriately respond to a public health threat is essential for health security. Field epidemiology training has helped increase the quality and quantity of the public health workforce to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, and general public health capacity. We conducted a desk review on the status of the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program model in 16 countries in West Africa. We also developed a questionnaire and shared it with West African Health Organization (WAHO) member states to document their experiences and the status of training in their countries. WAHO organized a regional 3-day consultative meeting with major stakeholders in the region to examine progress, gaps, and challenges, and outline a roadmap to strengthen the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program. Stakeholders shared their experiences, engaged in discussions to identify strengths and gaps, and made plans for a way forward. Member states are at different levels of implementing field epidemiology and laboratory training programs in their countries, and, therefore, major gaps remain in the number and distribution of trained episode biologists throughout West Africa. Member states implement different variants of the program and in some instances, the same cadre of health workers are trained in different but comparable programs with different funding streams. Two member states had not begun implementing the training program. Developing regional centers of excellence was recommended in the long term while collaboration among member states to train the required number of epidemiologists to fill the acute needs could be helpful in the short and medium term. Curriculum harmonization and expansion, deployment and use of trained epidemiologists, accreditation of training institutions, and generation of indigenous funding streams are recommended to improve the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program in West Africa.Item Generational Perspective of Digital Literacy Among Ghanaians in the 21st Century: Wither Now?(Medijske Studije, 2019) Dovie, D.A.; Dzorgbo, D.B.S.; Mate-Kole, C.C.; et al.This paper investigates the nexus between generations and digital literacy. For the study, simple random sampling was undertaken in selecting 361 respondents, while 10 participants were selected through purposive sampling. The authors made use of mixed methods, including the interview survey method. The data were subjected to bivariate, correlation, and thematic analysis. Concerning the results, younger people turn out to be comparatively more digitally active and more digitally skilled than older people, which is indicative of the fact that there is a generational gap between the two distinct generations in terms of being in a technologically savvy position. This was influenced significantly by the era in which they were born, as each generation comes with its technological innovations, the phenomena of socialization, and social interaction with self-organization as the focus. It is concluded that digital literacy, expositions, and exploits are significant in how they shape generational interactions, including the adaptation to digital device utilization in later life.Item Investigating Students’ Perception towards the Use of Social Media for Computing Education in Nigeria(Journal of Information Systems Education, 2021) Agbo, F.J.; Kolog, E.A.; Olawumi, O.; et al.This study examined the use of a social media platform – WhatsApp – by computer science students for learning computing education in the context of a Nigerian education institution. Nowadays, a large community of students in higher education institutions has embraced the WhatsApp platform for social interactions which makes it a useful tool in education. In this study, students formed three closed groups, and each group had a specific computing topic they discussed. Their discussions were in the form of posting questions, providing answers to questions, or expressing knowledge on the group topic. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants regarding their experiences. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the student’s learning outcomes. The results show that the use of social media contributes positively to students’ learning achievement, and they are motivated to acquire more knowledge about different computing topics.Item The role of nutrition in respiratory disease and COVID-19 management(Mental Health Effects of COVID-19, 2021) Pereko, K.K.A.; Intiful, F.D.; Dai-Kosi, A.D.; et al.The role of nutrition in immune development and disease recovery as well as the impact of infection on one’s nutrition is widely known. However, much other evidence on this relationship is not conclusive, especially for emerging diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This chapter will review existing systematic reviews and meta-analysis literature on the subject of nutrition and infection with special emphasis on respiratory infection and COVID-19. The chapter will look at existing relationships between nutrition and respiratory infections, immunity and infection and patient recovery, nutrition and COVID-19, and the role of nutrition in infection control and management.Item How Does Leader’s Support for Environment Promote Organizational Citizenship Behaviour for Environment? A Multi-Theory Perspective(Sustainability, 2018) Priyankara, H.P.R.; Nubuor, S.A.; Luo, F.; et al.Organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment of employees is indispensable in realizing the environmental sustainability goals of organizations. However, in the growing literature on employee green behaviour at work, scant attention has been paid to the impact of a leader’s specific support for the environment, and the mechanisms through which it impacts organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment. Drawing upon social exchange theory, self-determination theory and theory of normative conduct, we tested the impact of a leader’s support for the environment, autonomous motivation for the environment and perceived group’s green climate on organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment in an integrated model. The sample included 313 executive-level employees of green-implemented textile and apparel manufacturing factories in Sri Lanka. The results of structural equation modelling showed a direct positive impact of a leader’s support for the environment on organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment. Further, autonomous motivation for the environment and the perceived group’s green climate were found to be partial mediators between the leader’s support for the environment and organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment. We discussed the theoretical implications for sustainability literature and the managerial implications for organizational practitioners in promoting organizational citizenship behaviour for the environment.Item Identifying Ecosystem-Based Alternatives for the Design of a Seaport’s Marine Infrastructure: The Case of Tema Port Expansion in Ghana(Sustainability, 2019) Boer, W.P.; Addo, K.A.; Slinger, J.H.; et al.Long-term sustainable port development requires accounting for the intrinsic values of ecosystems. However, in practice, ecosystem considerations often only enter the planning and design process of ports when required by an Environmental Impact Assessment. At this late stage, most of the design is already fixed and opportunities to minimize and restore ecosystem impacts are limited. In this paper, we adopt a large-scale, ecosystem perspective on port development with the aim to identify ecosystem-based design alternatives earlier and throughout the planning and design of a port’s marine infrastructure. We present a framework, termed the ‘ecosystem-based port design hierarchy’ (EPDH), to identify ecosystem-based alternatives at four hierarchical design levels: 1) alternatives to port developments, 2) port site selection, 3) port layout design, and 4) design of structures and materials. In applying the EPDH framework retrospectively to a case study of port expansion in Tema, Ghana, we establish that ecosystem considerations played only a limited role in identifying and evaluating alternatives at all four design levels in the case study, with more eco-friendly alternatives in terms of port layouts, structures, and materials are identified using the EPDH framework. This reveals that opportunities for ecosystem-friendly port designs may have been missed and demonstrates the need for and the potential added value of our framework. The framework can assist practitioners in earlier and wider identification of ecosystem-based alternatives for a port’s marine infrastructure in future seaport developments and, hence, represents an important step towards more sustainable port designs.Item Sub-Sahara Africa and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reflecting on Challenges and Recovery Opportunities(Journal of Developing Societies, 2021) Agwanda, B.; Dagba, G.; Opoku, P.; et al.How has Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) experienced the COVID-19 pandemic? This article seeks to examine the challenges faced by a region that was earlier expected to be the epicenter of the pandemic. The study identifies three critical stages that pose challenges for governments and development partners operating in SSA try ing to avoid mass infections and the subsequent negative socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic. First, the article begins by examining the challenges experienced in restraining the spread of COVID-19 such as the lack of adequate resources and technology to effectively pursue contact tracing, the dilemma of implementing lockdowns, and the impact of fake news. Second, the article looks at the challenges arising from technical and capacity elements of testing, treatment, and the development and access to vaccines. Finally, the study examines the potential obstacles to a smooth post-COVID-19 recovery. The author argues that although some positive actions have been taken by governments in SSA during the pandemic, the challenges that are emerging as a result of the direct and indirect impacts of the disease cannot be overlooked. The authors therefore offer several recommendations that can guide policy responses against pandemics in the short and long-run.