Geography and Rural Development

This study was conducted in January 2013 to identify risk factors associated with diarrhea morbidity among children younger than 5 years in the Atwima Nwabiagya District, Ghana. A total of 378 households were drawn from four Atwima Nwabiagya District communities in the dry season using a systematic random sampling strategy. Quantitative data was collected from eligible households using interviewer-administered questionnaires and spot-checks. The relationships of socio-demographic, environmental, and behavioral factors with childhood diarrhea were assessed via logistic regression. The mother's age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11-11.16] and educational level (aOR = 4.77, 95% CI = 1.85-12.28) and frequent playing on the bare ground with soil by the index child (aOR = 3.14, 95% CI = 1.40-7.05) were significant risk factors of childhood diarrhea. Water storage outside of the dwelling was significantly associated with a lower risk of diarrhea (aOR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.19-0.89). In the study communities, we recommend providing more education to mothers regarding environmentally-related disease transmission mechanisms, encouraging safe disposal of children's stools, discouraging children from playing with soil on bare floors, and promoting safe drinking water storage.

Research evidence indicates that the household environment has significant implications for the health of the members of the household. The objective of this study was to assess selected sanitation and hygiene practices in relation to the prevalence of childhood diarrhoea in households with children under-five years from the Ghanaian setting. A systematic random sampling approach was used to select 378 households from two communities each in the urban and peri-urban areas of the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana respectively. Structured questionnaires and observation schedules were used to collect quantitative data from mothers and analyzed using chi-square and odds ratios (OR). The study showed that private latrine possession was low (10%) and sanitation facilities used by households were largely unimproved (90%). Children who lived in households which had water closets (WCs) in their dwellings recorded the lowest diarrhoea prevalence rate (11.1%) whereas the highest rate was recorded in households where the WCs were located outside the dwelling. Childhood diarrhoea was most prevalent (36%) for children whose mothers reported that they did not wash their hands with water and soap after defecation. It is proposed that adequate sanitation and hygiene education be given to mothers of children under-five years in the district and further research carried into socio-demographic and behavioral determinants of childhood diarrhoea.

Energy is a key requirement for socio-economic development. However, the utilization of energy must not be at the expense of the environment and the future. One way of reducing dependence on biomassas a source of energy is to promote the use of briquettes by homes and industries. This study examined the feasibility of establishing and managing a briquette manufacturing plant at the Sokoban Wood Village, a leading wood industrial estate in Kumasi, Ghana. Using qualitative approach, a total of fifteen woodworkers and one technical officer were interviewed on the feasibility of such a project, availability of sawdust, and the ideal management structure for the project. Data were analysed by capturing the key themes and modes in responses, highlighting issues of contrasts and similarities, and supported by direct quotes. The results indicate that the setting up of plants to overturn sawdust into briquettes is highly feasible and would receive support and cooperation from saw millers and...

The aim of the study was to investigate university students’ use of the Internet for health purpose in the Ghanaian context. The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. A total of 650 out of 740 students selected from 3 different universities participated, giving a response rate of 87.7% (650/740). Data were obtained using questionnaires and frequency and percentages were used to analyze data. The results show that university students are active users of the Internet as 78.3% (509/650) used Internet daily and 67.7% (440/650) use Internet for health purposes, for reasons including availability and ease of accessing information, privacy, confidentiality, and affordability. Use of Internet was constrained by unreliable and slow connection, high cost of Internet, and unreliable power supply. Also, 72.4% (315/435) used the online health information obtained as a basis for lifestyle change and only 39.5% (170/430) consulted health professionals after obtaining online informa...

Background: People from different cultural backgrounds have used different forms of Traditional Medicine as a means to managing their ailments. This study examined public perceptions of the role of Traditional Medicine in relation to the accessibility, conditions treated, safety, efficacy rate and interactions between traditional and orthodox medical systems in the Sekyere South District of Ashanti, Ghana. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A sample of 70 Traditional Medical Practitioners, 30 health care users, and 20 Orthodox Medical Practitioners were used and selected respectively based on snowball, random sampling and purposive techniques. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through administered-questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Non-participant observation was used to assess the working environments of the practitioners in 9 selected communities in the district. Relevant data obtained were analysed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Percentages and cross-tabulations, using the Predictive Analytic Software (PASW), version i6.0 were the methods used to analyse the data. Findings: The main findings suggest that Traditional Medicine is effective as it was employed in treating numerous medical conditions such as malaria, typhoid fever, arthritis, jaundice, impotency, infertility, stroke, broken bones, boils, piles, HIV/AIDS, mental illness, etc. However, safety of use of the Traditional Medicine is not standardized. Moreover, there is some form of interaction between the two health care providers through cross-referrals though; the cross-referral systems are not coordinated and strictly unofficial. Traditional Medicine is readily available to the people and also less expensive, hence easily accessible. Policy options that seek to address some difficulties and challenges encountered by the practices of Traditional Medicine and improving upon the quality, safety, and standard of service are recommended. Conclusion: The conclusion drawn from the research is that Traditional Medicine is used by many people to managing numerous conditions. It is accessible and effective. It therefore plays a significant role by reducing life-threatening ailments of humanity. This study adds to the scant but growing documented literature about the potentials of Traditional Medicine.

This paper examined the effects of peri-urbanisation on arable land in Kumasi Metropolis. The study involved classification of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) 1986 imagery and images from Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) 2004 and Landsat 8 Operational Land Image and Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) image for 2016 to show land use and cover changes in the Metropolis. The results show that the Metropolis has undergone significant land use and land cover changes in thirty years with negative repercussions for food crop production. While urban land use increased by 54.6% between 1986 and 2016, arable land declined by 15.6% over the same period. The results show a strong positive correlation between the size of arable land and crop output over a fifteen-year period. The paper calls for legislative enforcement as well as standards on urban land use and development as enshrined in the 2016 Land Use and Spatial Planning Act to ensure that land use in the city is consistent with sustainable principles.

The study examined the activities of urban non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in fighting poverty in Kumasi, Ghana. Specifically, the study sought answers to three key questions relating to the role of NGOs in urban poverty reduction. Four NGOs in the city of Kumasi were selected for study. A sample size of 105 respondents drawn from beneficiaries of the NGOs, officers of the NGOs, and the local government was used. The research adopted the cross-sectional study design and the mixed method approach in the collection, processing, and analysis of the data. Results from the study showed that urban NGOs provide social intervention and livelihood empowerment programs to the extremely poor who were mostly migrants to the city. Women and the youth were the main beneficiaries of the poverty reduction programs of the NGOs. However, the efforts of the NGOs in reducing poverty were found to be of short term rather than long term. Three reasons accounted for this-firstly, targeted beneficiaries were not involved in the choice, design, and implementation of the poverty reduction programs. Secondly, the NGOs were faced with endogenous challenges that limited the extent of their impact in touching the lives of the poor. Finally, there was a weak collaboration between the NGOs and the government in the fight against poverty. Recommendations were made to enhance the activities of the NGOs in their endeavors.

Investment in technical facilities by government alone is not enough to meeting the challenge of providing adequate sanitation services in communities. This study aimed at examining the effectiveness and challenges of the National Sanitation Day (NSD) as a community participatory module towards environmental sanitation in Aboabo, Ghana. Adopting a descriptive and inferential mixed method design, 10 key informants were interviewed using purposive sampling and 180 study participants using systematic sampling techniques. Result indicates an encouraging number of participation during the NSD. Statistically, higher educational attainment was a predictor of respondents' participation in the exercise. Using respondents' perception about the extent of environmental sanitation before the NSD exercise and their perception about the current environmental sanitation as benchmarks for assessing the programme's effectiveness, the exercise was found to be ineffective. In recommendation, if needs be that prominent people are invited to intermittently grace the NSD exercise, their invitations should be to empower the local people to

Background: People from different cultural backgrounds have used different forms of Traditional Medicine as a means to managing their ailments. This study examined public perceptions of the role of Traditional Medicine in relation to the accessibility, conditions treated, safety, efficacy rate and interactions between traditional and orthodox medical systems in the Sekyere South District of Ashanti, Ghana. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A sample of 70 Traditional Medical Practitioners, 30 health care users, and 20 Orthodox Medical Practitioners were used and selected respectively based on snowball, random sampling and purposive techniques. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through administered-questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Non-participant observation was used to assess the working environments of the practitioners in 9 selected communities in the district. Relevant data obtained were analysed using both qualitative and quantitati...

Agriculture is one of the largest and most important sector in Ghana’s economy. Apparently about 57% of Ghana’s land can be good for agriculture. As at 2007, 38.9% of Ghana’s land was used for agricultural purposes (Ghana Statistical service). Agriculture has been the back bone of Ghana’s economy for several years and a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Ghana, since the year 2001 to 2012. Crop production has gone through a tremendous decrease from 14.03% to 2.95% respectively mostly due to competition from other crop such as cocoa especially in the Kumasi metropolis.

Herbal medicine use has been reported a but correlates of herbal medicine use among malaria subject frequency of and factors associated wit urban-periphery, Kwabre East District, Ghana. A were respectively selected through systematic random sampling and snowball technique in-depth interview guides were utilised analyzed using linear regression model through were subjected to content analysis. 50.3%) and a crux in malaria treatment efforts of herbal and modern health care side-effects, cost-effectiveness, efficacy and availability ( experienced and possessed a stash malaria treatment and the medicinal plants required to boost the process is urgent. Research direction is recommended to unravel the safety and quality of medicinal plants communicable diseases.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the use of traditional medicine by people living with HIV adhering to antiretroviral therapies in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Using systematic random sampling technique, 62 HIV-seropositive persons were selected from outpatient departments in three public hospitals and interviewed via interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were subjected to descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression through PASW for Windows application programme, version 17.0. The findings suggest that traditional medicine was commonly accessed for HIV/AIDS (33, 53.2%) and herbal therapy remained frequently used form of traditional medicine (23, 70%). Traditional medicines were mainly used for appetite (90.9%), pain relief (87.9%), stress relief (63.6%) and general wellbeing (75.8%). Most participants (93.9%) did not disclose traditional medicine use for HIV/AIDS to their orthodox medical providers. Multivariate logistic regression on demographics identified educational attainment (P=0.013), residence (P=0.001) and employment history (P=0.043) as significant with use of traditional therapies. An evaluation of traditional healers' role in managing HIV/AIDS is exigent and should be brought into a sharp focus. However, concomitant traditional medicine use with antiretroviral therapies has the propensity for drug interactions and should be discussed routinely in antiretroviral therapy counselling sessions.

Majority of rural denizens have limited access to modern medical as well as other health facilities. In the absence of adequate, readily accessible modern medical facilities, traditional teachings and practices concerning child health have proved to be a useful substitute and/or complement. Using qualitative data from selected communities in Central, Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions of Ghana, the paper examined traditional teachings and practices for child health. The results indicated a high level of utilization of both modern and traditional medical services and practices for child illnesses which feign complementary. Information gathered through indepth interviews, focus group discussions, narratives and conversations found that each society hands down mores from generation to generation by teaching certain attitudes, practices, beliefs, legends, customs, habits and prodigy. The study advanced that there are traditional beliefs and practices in all areas of life, including health in general and child health in parts. These practices include breastfeeding, massaging and postpartum sexual abstinence, for the health of the suckling infant and toddler, while socialization of good hygiene and nutrition practice is initiated and encouraged for the growing child. These reflect the values and beliefs held by members of the community for periods often spanning generations. Such practices recognize the critical importance of children's right to health and survival, an issue at the heart of the UN charter on the right of the child. These results have implications for health policy and planning regarding the incorporation of traditional health teachings and practices into the child health aspect of Primary Health Care programmes and the UN convention on the rights of the child.

The world has been ravaged by the deadly Coronavirus disease. This public health issue which has to some extend turned into an economic problem is having deleterious effects on the global population. Amid the high demand for healthcare services during pandemics like COVID-19, people across the globe are encouraged to stay home to reduce the rate of infection. In Ghana, pre-COVID-19 evidence points to high self-medication practices among older adults. This is underscored by the high demand for health services among the aged. The psychological distress among the various health challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic could have high implications for self-medication among older adults in Ghana. Evidence exists on the higher predisposition of older adults to self-medicate, and for the time being, this commentary draws the attention of health actors in the country to this pertinent subject matter. Among other things, the authors recommend that awareness should be augmented with regulation enforcement to promote judicious and safe self-medication practices. Dear Editor, Access to and the utilization of healthcare services is imperative towards ensuring the wellbeing of global populations. Accessibility to health services and its judicious utilization positively impacts on life expectancy, since the improvement in healthcare reduces susceptibility to diseases whereas the robustness of the system combat preventable deaths. The issue of removing barriers to healthcare services to increase access is a worth mentioning subject

The Bekwai Municipality is a Municipality with many rural communities, and greater percentage of its population live in rural communities. There are low levels of healthcare utilization by the rural people in the Bekwai Municipality, and no study has been done in the area to investigate the factors that influence the rate of healthcare utilization in the rural communities. The purpose of this study is to examine the determinants of healthcare utilization by the rural dwellers. The study was conducted in four rural communities in the Bekwai Municipality using a total of 286 household heads selected by systematic sampling as respondents. Data were collected using structured face to-face interviews and questionnaires, and analyzed using percentage and frequency charts, cross tabulation, and multiple (stepwise) regression, and a significance level of .05 was considered. Factors including age, gender, health status, household size, insurance status, education, service quality, attitude of staff, and employment status were found to influence utilization of health care in the rural communities. Also, insurance status was found to have the most significant influence people’s health care utilization. Hypotheses for the study were also clearly justified. Predisposing factors including Education, Age, and Household Size, were all found to have significant influence on utilization of health care by the rural people. Health status was also found to have significant influence on the utilization of health care. Also the hypothesis that education will be more predictive of utilization for males than for females was not rejected. The study demonstrated poor uptake of health care as well as the importance of predisposing, enabling, need and restrictive factors in influencing health care utilization. The study has made recommendations such as promotion of rural communities’ health education, improvement of educational opportunities for rural people, improving services of National Health Insurance Scheme, and effective supervision of health care providers.

This paper examines the influence of health insurance status on healthcare use in rural Ghana using 286 sampled respondents from four rural communities in the Bekwai Municipality. Data were obtained using structured interview and Pearson's Chi square and bivariate regressions were used to analyse data. The results show low healthcare utilization among study participants, with most respondents having irregular use (43.5%) or rare use (43.3%). Respondents with health insurance utilized healthcare more than those without health insurance, the results being statistically significant (df = 4; = 283, = 0.000). The bivariate analysis revealed that health insurance status has a positive and significant influence on utilization ( = 1.284; value = 0.000). The study recommends promotion and improvement of services of the National Health Insurance Scheme as effective strategy to improve healthcare consumption by the rural people. The expansion of health insurance services to all sections of the population is also recommended.