Welcome to UGSpace
UGSpace is the institutional repository of the University of Ghana. UGSpace is an open access electronic archive for the collection, preservation and distribution of digital materials.
- facilitate the deposit of digital content of a scholarly or heritage nature
- and ultimately share, preserve and promote the intellectual output of the University in a managed environment.
Communities in UGSpace
Select a community to browse its collections.
- 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. It also the researcher to stay abreast of new literature in the field.
- Grey literature consists of research and information produced outside conventional publishing channels, such as reports, policy briefs, working papers, and conference materials. It offers valuable insights and data that complement peer-reviewed sources, supporting research, policy, and practice.
- The J. H. Kwabena Nketia Archives preserve Ghanaian and African cultural heritage through music, oral traditions, photographs, and audiovisual collections. Guided by Professor Nketia’s vision that African traditional arts must be collected, preserved, practiced, and continually inspire creative expression, the Archives serve as a living resource for scholarship, teaching, and innovation
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Recent Submissions
Determinants Of An Extended Metric Of Agricultural Commercialization In Ghana
(Scientific African, 2024-07-23) Abu, B.M.; Sarpong, D.B.; Osei-Asare, Y.B.; Okyere, C.Y.; Kim, T.
For smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing productivity and agricultural
commercialization are mooted as one of the pillars for agricultural development. However, the
measurement of agricultural commercialization has been restricted to the household crop
commercialization index (HCCI) that focuses on crops neglecting livestock. This study develops
an extended metric of agricultural commercialization named household crop-livestock commercialization index (HCLCI), which combines crop and livestock commercialization with the
argument that it is superior to the overly used HCCI. Fractional regression is used to estimate the
determinants of the extended metric using secondary and primary data from Ghana. Results
indicate that agricultural commercialization is low when examined with the HCCI and the HCLCI.
However, the HCLCI (at 26.44 % and 29.76 %, respectively, for the GLSS7 and primary data) is
much lower relative to the HCCI (at 35.20 % and 38.24, respectively) but higher than the live stock commercialization index (10.93 % and 8.21 %, respectively). The underlying simultaneous
factors that boost agricultural commercialization are infrastructure variables (i.e., road, market,
transport, and bank), institutional variable (i.e., agricultural cooperatives) and scale of produc tion (i.e., land endowment and crop production diversity). These findings imply that Ghana needs
to invest in infrastructure and farmer institutional development to boost agricultural
commercialization.
Determinants Of Livelihood Diversification In An Integrated Agricultural And Non-Agricultural Livelihood System In Ghana
(Scientific African, 2024-10-07) Kolog, J.D.; Asem, F.E.; Mensah-Bonsu, A.; Atinga, R.A.
The diversification of livelihoods by households has been widely acknowledged as a way to
overcome food insecurity and poverty challenges in developing countries. Diversification of
livelihoods helps spread the risk among multiple livelihood earning activities to provide house holds with a range of their food needs all year round. By examining the integrated livelihood
systems of 405 rural farm households in the Upper East Region of Ghana, empirical evidence is
provided in this study using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to advance arguments in the
literature for the creation of sustainable strategies that improve diversified livelihood systems.
The mean diversification indices estimated were 0.45 for agricultural diversification systems,
0.32 for non-agricultural diversification systems and 0.59 for integrated agricultural and non-agricultural diversification systems. With the use of the Cragg two-step regression model, we
demonstrate that the decision to diversify and the extent of diversification of rural livelihoods are
distinct decisions and are influenced by distinct sets of factors. Similarly, for the three categories
of livelihood diversification studied, the effect of these factors also differed. The results emphasize
the significance of access to good road network, credit and market information in encouraging
rural farm households to diversify their livelihoods. In the short term, improving access to credit
and market information through community-based initiatives can provide immediate support to
rural households. Communities should also organize local markets and cooperatives to strengthen
their economic resilience. While government and stakeholders should focus on long-term infra structure projects, these community actions can complement such efforts and contribute to
achieving global and regional goals targeting food insecurity and poverty eradication.
The Charcoal Footprint Of Greater Accra On The Afram Plains: Urban Energy Consumption And Forest Degradation In Ghana
(Trees, Forests and People, 2024-09-25) Arko, T.; Mensah, A.; Obani, P.; Adomako, J.; Denton, F.
Rapid urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa is leading to increased energy consumption and a growing reliance on
charcoal as a fuel source, with significant environmental implications. This study examines the impact of
charcoal consumption in Greater Accra, Ghana, on the Afram Plains ecosystem. Employing a mixed-methods
approach, including geographical analysis, quantitative data collection, and sustainability assessment, we
evaluate the charcoal footprint of Greater Accra. Our findings reveal that charcoal remains the dominant cooking
fuel in Greater Accra despite increased access to electricity, resulting in an estimated loss of 354,479 trees
annually in the Afram Plains. This demand creates an ecological deficit of 18,850 hectares/yr, significantly
exceeding the ecosystem’s regenerative capacity. We observe complex dynamics between urban energy needs
and rural resource sustainability, highlighting socio-economic factors driving persistent charcoal use. The study
proposes a conceptual framework integrating urban demand, rural supply, ecological impact, and natural
regeneration. Our research contributes to urban sustainability literature, offering insights for policymakers to
develop more sustainable energy strategies, including quota systems for harvesting, promoting alternative
cooking fuels, community-based forest management, and improved charcoal production technologies. This case
study provides valuable lessons for other rapidly urbanizing regions facing similar sustainability challenges in
sub-Saharan Africa.
From Breath to Strength: Does Mindfulness Improve Handgrip Strength Among Older Adults in India? A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
(Psychogeriatrics, 2025-06-05) Muhammad, T.; Pai, M.; Ali, W.K.; Agyekum, B.; Srivastava, S.
Background: The integration of mindfulness activities into the daily lives of older adults has demonstrated profound benefits
for their overall well-being and vitality. However, evidence on how mindfulness correlates with muscle strength in older adults
remains limited. To fill this gap, we explored the association between mindfulness activities and handgrip strength (HGS) in
older adults in India. We also examined whether this association varies by sex.
Methods: We employed a propensity score matching technique, leveraging data from the nationally representative Longitudinal
Aging Study in India (2017–2018), comprising 27071 adults aged 60 and above. HGS was measured using a handheld Smedley
Hand Dynamometer while participants self-reported their engagement in mindfulness activities.
Results: Seventeen % of the men and 11.5% of the women engaged in mindfulness activities. Analysis of the matched sample
revealed that the average treatment effect (ATE) that represents the average effect across the entire population was 1.28kg for
men and 0.60kg for women, indicating that, on average, participation in mindfulness activities was associated with modest im provements in HGS for both sexes. Further, in the PSM matched regression models, for men, engagement in mindfulness activ ities was consistently associated with higher HGS across all models including the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT),
on the untreated (ATU), and ATE, with the largest effect seen in the ATE model (β=1.08, 95% CI: 0.77–1.40). For women, the
association was weaker and significant only in the unmatched and ATE models.
Conclusions: Engagement in mindfulness activities was associated with modest but meaningful improvements in HGS among
older adults in India, with the associations being much more pronounced in older Indian men. These findings underscore the
significance of integrating mindfulness practices into public health initiatives aimed at promoting healthier aging.
Secondary Cities At The Residential Housing Frontier: Examining The Determinants Of Private Renters’ Residential Satisfaction In Ghana.
(Habitat International, 2024-06-22) Mensah, S.L.; Okyere, S.A.; Frimpong, L.K.; Asiedu, A.B.; Zaami, M.; Abunyewah, M.
Decades of political ambivalence, housing injustice, and a neoliberal housing sector aided by the government’s
lax approach to housing provision have meant that, private rental housing remains the predominant sector for
housing urban residents and their shifting geographies into secondary cities. Residential satisfaction in urban
areas provides an important socio-spatial view of the housing sector in secondary cities and its implications for
the inclusive and sustainable development of small and medium-sized cities. Yet, a large set of studies into the
private rental housing sector has paid little attention to the influence of housing services (i.e. satisfaction with
maintenance services, utility services and privacy) on residential satisfaction amongst private rental households.
Using an ordinal logistic regression model and based on a sample size of 246 private rental households, this paper
examined the influence of sociodemographic and housing services (i.e. satisfaction with maintenance services,
utility services and privacy) variables on residential satisfaction amongst private rental households living in Cape
Coast, Ghana. The chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between duration of stay (χ2 = 15.908, p =
0.003), satisfaction with maintenance service (χ2 = 98.477, p = 0.000), satisfaction with utility services (elec tricity and water) (χ2 = 45.934, p = 0.000), satisfaction with privacy (χ 2 = 41.252, p = 0.000) and residential
satisfaction. Further, the logistic regression analysis also showed a significant negative relationship between
maintenance services (β = − 3.928, p < 0.001), utility services (electricity and water) (β = − 1.033, p < 0.001),
privacy (β = − 2.716, p < 0.01) and residential satisfaction. The findings call for the attention of both researchers
and policymakers to recognize the inseparable relationship between housing and the broader built environment
and to address challenges confronting the rental housing sector—considering that the quality of the residential
environment is directly linked to the quality of life and the socio-physical well-being of residents.