Papers by Jacob Owusu Sarfo
BMC Palliative Care, 2025
Background Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) face the challenges of a rare condition im... more Background Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) face the challenges of a rare condition impacting their motor neurons, placing substantial caregiving burdens on their mothers. Despite being primary caregivers, mothers of children with SMA in Ghana often find their voices unheard, with restricted access to vital interventions like counselling, support groups, and respite care designed to aid them. This study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers caring for children with SMA in Ghana, where the diagnosis is often delayed and support systems are limited. Methods We conducted an interpretative phenomenological study with a purposive sample of seven mothers whose children, aged between 8 and 24 months, were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and registered with the Rare Disease Ghana Initiative (RDGI). Individual interviews were conducted between August and September 2023 using semi-structured interview guides. The data were manually analysed using a pen-and-paper method. The study adhered to ethical guidelines, including informed consent procedures and confidentiality measures to protect participants' rights and privacy. Results This study explored mothers' experiences caring for children with SMA, revealing a spectrum of challenges that impact their physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. The findings identified five dominant themes and thirteen subcategories, encompassing issues such as sleep deprivation, mental health concerns, emotional turmoil, practical difficulties, and social isolation. It was also found that mothers tend to have a deep connection to their faith and a sense of closeness to God during challenging times, which provides them with strength and comfort. This collectively identifies the difficult journey of these mothers as they seek diagnosis and treatment for their children. Conclusion The study identified challenges faced by mothers in caring for their children with SMA. These challenges are reported to significantly impact their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. To support these mothers effectively, it is recommended that the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and non-governmental organisations in Ghana should consider community engagement and education, integration of spiritual care, and psychosocial support programmes.
Background Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) face the challenges of a rare condition im... more Background Children with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) face the challenges of a rare condition impacting their motor neurons, placing substantial caregiving burdens on their mothers. Despite being primary caregivers, mothers of children with SMA in Ghana often find their voices unheard, with restricted access to vital interventions like counselling, support groups, and respite care designed to aid them. This study aimed to explore the experiences of mothers caring for children with SMA in Ghana, where the diagnosis is often delayed and support systems are limited. We conducted an interpretative phenomenological study with a purposive sample of seven mothers whose children, aged between 8 and 24 months, were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and registered with the Rare Disease Ghana Initiative (RDGI). Individual interviews were conducted between August and September 2023 using semi-structured interview guides. The data were manually analysed using a pen-and-paper method. The study adhered to ethical guidelines, including informed consent procedures and confidentiality measures to protect participants' rights and privacy. This study explored mothers' experiences caring for children with SMA, revealing a spectrum of challenges that impact their physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. The findings identified five dominant themes and thirteen subcategories, encompassing issues such as sleep deprivation, mental health concerns, emotional turmoil, practical difficulties, and social isolation. It was also found that mothers tend to have a deep connection to their faith and a sense of closeness to God during challenging times, which provides them with strength and comfort. This collectively identifies the difficult journey of these mothers as they seek diagnosis and treatment for their children. The study identified challenges faced by mothers in caring for their children with SMA. These challenges are reported to significantly impact their physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. To support these mothers effectively, it is recommended that the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and non-governmental organisations in Ghana should consider community engagement and education, integration of spiritual care, and psychosocial support programmes.
Journal of diabetes research, Apr 29, 2024
Journal of Enterprise and Development, Mar 21, 2023
Purpose-This paper mainly studies how human development (value-added per worker) and control of c... more Purpose-This paper mainly studies how human development (value-added per worker) and control of corruption (CRPT) impact FDI inflows in sub-Saharan Africa. It also highlights the contributions of gross domestic product (GDP), inflation, population growth, natural resources, and political stability to foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Method-The study employs the dynamic panel GMM model to estimate the factors that influence the region's foreign direct investment (FDI). The data span for the research was 33 years (1984-2016). Result-The survey shows a strong connection between FDI inflow, human development, and corruption control. While human development has a beneficial influence, controlling corruption has an uncomplimentary impact on the growth of FDI in SSA. Contribution-There is a gap concerning human development and corruption control in SSA and how they impact FDI inflows. Researchers have attempted to establish this relationship, but they have mostly opted for individual countries and not predominantly in the Sub-Saharan region. This study contributes to the literature by concentrating on these variables (value added per worker and control of corruption) and how they interact with FDI inflows in the Sub-Saharan region.
Middle East Current Psychiatry, Jun 17, 2024
Background Despite efforts to increase awareness about suicide, related behaviours among adolesce... more Background Despite efforts to increase awareness about suicide, related behaviours among adolescents in Benin persist as a significant health challenge globally. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that conceptualises suicidal behaviour and its correlates to provide a better picture for preventive interventions. We analysed a national survey dataset of school-going Benin adolescents, with an analytical sample of 2,536. Results The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt were 14.8%, 16.3%, and 15.3%, respectively. The likelihood of ideating suicide increased among adolescents who engaged in marijuana usage, encountered bullying, felt lonely, and experienced anxiety. Additionally, the likelihood of planning suicide was high among individuals who skipped school, used marijuana, encountered bullying, felt lonely, experienced anxiety, and engaged in multiple sexual relationships. Similarly, the likelihood of attempting suicide was increased among adolescents in grades 3-6 who skipped school, used marijuana, encountered bullying, and felt lonely. Nonetheless, being a male was protective against suicidal ideation and suicidal plans, while younger age was protective against suicidal attempts. Also, having parents who respected adolescents' autonomy and privacy (never inspected their things without their knowledge) had lower odds of suicidal ideation. Conclusion Suicide prevention programmes must consider multidimensional protective and risk factors concerning adolescents' personal, parental, family, and community settings in Benin.
European journal of contemporary education, Mar 12, 2024
Serious injuries among adolescents are a leading cause of death and a global public health concer... more Serious injuries among adolescents are a leading cause of death and a global public health concern. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of serious injuries among in-school adolescents in Saint Lucia. Using a two-stage cluster sampling design to attain a fair population representation, we analysed data from the World Health Organization's 2018 Global School-based Health Survey among adolescents in the Eastern Caribbean Island of Saint Lucia. We used the Chisquare test and binomial logistic regression analysis with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95 % confidence interval (CI). We observed that the prevalence rate of serious injuries among adolescents in Saint Lucia was 44.5 % (24.5 % male versus 20.0 % female). After controlling for other factors, serious injuries among in-school adolescents in Saint Lucia were predicted by sex (male) (AOR=1.110, 95 % CI=0.792-1.556), missing class without permission (AOR=1.308, 95 % CI=1.009-1.696), abusing alcohol (AOR=1.370, 95 % CI=1.114-1.684), experiencing physical attacks (AOR=1.669, 95 % CI=1.327-2.099), physical fight (AOR=1.527, 95 % CI=1.529-1.225) and being bullied (AOR=2.171, 95 % CI=1.712-2.753). Adolescent health promotion and injury prevention programmes should adopt multidisciplinary approaches to address these personal and psychosocial risk factors in Saint Lucia.
Middle East Current Psychiatry, Aug 24, 2023
Background Suicide has become a major threat to achieving Sustainable Development Goals three and... more Background Suicide has become a major threat to achieving Sustainable Development Goals three and four, especially for school-going adolescents worldwide. As part of efforts to prevent suicide, population-based studies regarding the prevalence and variables that predict suicidal behaviours are required to inform decisions. Despite this realisation, Samoa lacks empirical data on suicidal behaviours among adolescents. We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2017 Global School-based Student Health Survey to examine the prevalence of suicidal behaviours (idea, plan, and attempt) of school-going adolescents in Samoa. The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt was 24.1%, 23.8%, and 21.8%, respectively. Also, we found that having understanding parents was an important protective factor against all three suicidal behaviours among Samoan in-school adolescents. Suicidal ideation was predicted by cigarette smoking, having someone who smokes in adolescents' presence, bullying, loneliness, and worrying about things they could not study. Also, cigarette smoking, bullying, having multiple sexual partners, and worrying increased the risk of having suicidal plans. Again, adolescents' suicidal attempt was predicted by adolescent truancy, alcohol use, cigarette smoking, being bullied, having close friends, loneliness, and worry. Conclusions Rather than focusing on the school setting alone, suicide prevention interventions in Samoa should foster interdisciplinary collaborations to help reduce suicide.
Research Square (Research Square), Jun 1, 2023
Background: This study aimed at determining the current prevalence and predictors of substance us... more Background: This study aimed at determining the current prevalence and predictors of substance use (Cigarette, amphetamine, alcohol and marijuana) among in-school adolescents in Samoa. Methods: We analysed the 2017 Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) on Samoa to estimate the prevalence and determinants of substance use among in-school adolescents. The GSHS was a cross-sectional survey which used cluster and simple random sampling techniques to select 7,116 inschool adolescents aged 13-17 years in Samoa. Frequency counts, percentages, chi-square statistics and binary logistic regression were the statistical tests used in the data analysis. Results: We found a prevalence of 13.2% (alcohol), 6.6% (amphetamines), 11.6% (cigarettes) and 7.9% (marijuana) of substance use among in-school adolescents in Samoa. The results from the multivariate logistic regression indicate that being a boy and with multiple sexual partners were associated with substance use. Also, truants and adolescents who engaged in physical ghts were more likely to use alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana. Furthermore, bullied and physically attacked adolescents were more likely to use amphetamines. Moreover, in-school adolescents with serious injuries were likelier to smoke cigarettes and marijuana. Besides, cigarette smoking and marijuana usage were more likely to be used in adolescents who had planned suicide, whiles suicide attempters were more likely to use alcohol, amphetamines and marijuana. Again, an adolescent whose parents use tobacco is more likely to use alcohol and amphetamines. However, adolescents whose parents checked their academic performance were less likely to use alcohol and amphetamines. Conclusion: Policies and interventions should target drug policy and create a decent, healthy and safe school environment where mental health, bullying, truancy, parental/caregivers' involvement in children's education, sexual risk behaviours and violence among students are prioritised.
BMC Public Health, Jul 13, 2023
Background Creating a healthy, decent and safe workplace and designing quality jobs are ways to e... more Background Creating a healthy, decent and safe workplace and designing quality jobs are ways to eliminate precarious work in organisations and industries. This review aimed at mapping evidence on how psychosocial safety climate (PSC) influence health, safety and performance of workers. Methods A literature search was conducted in four main databases (PubMed, Scopus, Central and Web of Science) and other online sources like Google Scholar. A reference list of eligible studies was also checked for additional papers. Only full-text peer-reviewed papers published in English were eligible for this review. Results A search in the databases produced 13,711 records, and through a rigorous screening process, 93 papers were included in this review. PSC is found to directly affect job demands, job insecurity, effort-reward imbalance, work-family conflict, job resources, job control and quality leadership. Moreover, PSC directly affects social relations at work, including workplace abuse, violence, discrimination and harassment. Again, PSC has a direct effect on health, safety and performance outcomes because it moderates the impact of excessive job demands on workers' health and safety. Finally, PSC boosts job resources' effect on improving workers' well-being, safety and performance. Conclusion Managers' efforts directed towards designing quality jobs, prioritising the well-being of workers, and fostering a bottom-up communication through robust organisational policies, practices, and procedures may help create a high organisational PSC that, in turn, promotes a healthy and decent work environment.
Research Square (Research Square), Apr 12, 2023
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide, being life-changing and affecting anxiety, ... more The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has spread rapidly worldwide, being life-changing and affecting anxiety, misconceptions, knowledge, and people's health behavioral intentions, which is related to COVID-19 prevention practices adherence. Thus, it is relevant to test whether related measures would have a factor or network model in different populations, and know its’ relations as complex systems. The goal of this research is to test whether the Fear and Health-Seeking Behavioral Intentions Scales follow a network or factor model in a Brazilian sample, in addition to an attempt to understand COVID-19 psychological impacts and its relations in a Brazilian sample during the first year of the pandemic. To do so, we used recent developments in the field of network and psychometrics, with a sample of 476 Brazilians collected during the first pandemic year. We found evidence for a network model using two approaches. In addition, we used the network model to see the relationship between those variables, and the findings are discussed. We highlighted the importance of COVID-19 knowledge, misinformation, and prevention practices adherence relation in the network structure.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Apr 1, 2019
So who cares if all the local journals in Africa extinct?" Generally, there is an assertion that ... more So who cares if all the local journals in Africa extinct?" Generally, there is an assertion that Africa as a continent provides the world with relatively small research output. This perception seems valid since Africa accounts only for 2 % of the global research output (Moahi, 2012). Furthermore, most of these studies are published in foreign journals by African authors. This practice is due to several reasons. Firstly, some researchers prefer foreign journals to local ones due to the perceived prestige of publishing abroad (Alemna, 1996). Secondly, they choose foreign journals because of their swift review process, and high visibility through international abstracting and indexing (Tarkang, Bain, 2019). Although these factors may seem harmless to the average African researchers and academics, they may affect the degree of quality manuscripts submitted to existing local journals and journal viability rate in Africa. Another factor worth noting regarding the high mortality of local African journals is the gloomy financial status of journals. Like the case of the Journal of Advocacy, Research and Education (JARE) which was established in 2014 with donor funds (Sarfo, 2018), African journals often function solely on donor support, "with no income or revenue" (Clobridge, 2014: 7). The only benevolent offers they get from institutions like their host universities include "office space, office equipment, telephones, or internet access" (Clobridge, 2014: 7). As this "cashless status" persists for many of these local journals, their failure to thrive may become inevitable. Furthermore, the "cashless status" of many African journals worsen with the fact that many of these African journal publishers feel obliged to publish print versions in addition to online versions. Though this process is expensive, African respondents in Clobridge's (2014) study indicated that print is often preferred due to "requirements (or preferences) by university libraries, readers, and promotion committees at universities" (P. 7). Again, local journals face scarcity of quality manuscript submissions due to the policy demands of African universities to encourage researchers and academics to publish in high Impact Factor to earn promotions (Clobridge, 2014). Other local publishers due to systemic challenges like financial strains and difficulty in obtaining reviewers take too long to complete reviews. Hence, African researchers and academics are literally pushed away to submit their papers to foreign journals who appear more effective in terms of publishing standards (Tarkang, Bain, 2019). To an extent, we as Africans are to blame for the dearth of viable local journals in Africa. African authors, publishers, and academic institutions all play subtle and obvious roles in making
Behavioral Sciences
Suicide poses a debilitating threat to adolescents’ lives worldwide. Although suicide prevention ... more Suicide poses a debilitating threat to adolescents’ lives worldwide. Although suicide prevention efforts are evident globally, there is limited evidence on the prevalence and correlations of suicidal behaviour among school-going adolescents in Saint Lucia. We used a dataset from the 2018 Global School-based Student Health Survey to examine the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal behaviour among 1864 students from schools in Saint Lucia. Prevalence rates of 25.5%, 22.1%, and 17.5% were found for suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt, respectively. After adjusting for other factors, being male and having understanding parents were protective against suicidal behaviour. However, suicidal ideation was predicted by being physically attacked and bullied, parental/guidance tobacco use, loneliness, and worry. Moreover, being a victim of physical attacks and bullying, having close friends, being lonely, and worrying were predictive of making suicidal plans among adol...
The Journal of Climate Change and Health
Background: Big Events like the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in disruptions of socio-economic ... more Background: Big Events like the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in disruptions of socio-economic activities as well as work life. The disruption of social support systems and economic activities can be detrimental to human health and survival. In such situations, social structures such as workplaces need to be re-structured to effectively support individuals, communities as well protect and promote the wellbeing and safety of workers. The purpose of this study is to identify occupational health and safety (OHS) policies and measures institutions/businesses adopted to protect the health and safety and promote a safe working environment for workers during the pandemic. Method: The interventions were identified from 21 organizations through direct phone and email conversations, search through organizations’ website publications and press releases. Results: It was found that most of these organizations instituted policies on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and provided si...
Discover Social Science and Health
Aim The study investigated the prevalence and determinants of multiple sexual partnerships among ... more Aim The study investigated the prevalence and determinants of multiple sexual partnerships among school-going adolescents. Methods A secondary analysis of data from the 2016 Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS) was conducted to determine the prevalence and determinants of multiple sexual partners among 2496 school-going adolescents aged 13–17 years in Benin. Results The overall prevalence of multiple sexual partnerships was 26.1% among adolescents. After adjusting for other factors, male sex (AOR = 4.80, 95% CI 3.78–6.09), truancy (AOR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.35–2.12), sedentary lifestyle (AOR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.00–1.62), cigarette smoking (AOR = 3.14, 95% CI 1.95–5.07) and alcohol use (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.44–2.20) were significantly associated with the increased odds of engaging in multiple sexual partnerships. However, younger age (AOR = .37, 95% CI 0.25–0.56), lower grade (AOR = .52, 95% CI 0.42–65), and parental monitoring (AOR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.55–0.91) were significantly as...
Middle East Current Psychiatry, 2024
Background Despite efforts to increase awareness about suicide, related behaviours among adolesce... more Background Despite efforts to increase awareness about suicide, related behaviours among adolescents in Benin persist as a significant health challenge globally. Nonetheless, there is a dearth of empirical evidence that conceptualises suicidal behaviour and its correlates to provide a better picture for preventive interventions. We analysed a national survey dataset of school-going Benin adolescents, with an analytical sample of 2,536. Results The prevalence of suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt were 14.8%, 16.3%, and 15.3%, respectively. The likelihood of ideating suicide increased among adolescents who engaged in marijuana usage, encountered bullying, felt lonely, and experienced anxiety. Additionally, the likelihood of planning suicide was high among individuals who skipped school, used marijuana, encountered bullying, felt lonely, experienced anxiety, and engaged in multiple sexual relationships. Similarly, the likelihood of attempting suicide was increased among adolescents in grades 3-6 who skipped school, used marijuana, encountered bullying, and felt lonely. Nonetheless, being a male was protective against suicidal ideation and suicidal plans, while younger age was protective against suicidal attempts. Also, having parents who respected adolescents' autonomy and privacy (never inspected their things without their knowledge) had lower odds of suicidal ideation. Conclusion Suicide prevention programmes must consider multidimensional protective and risk factors concerning adolescents' personal, parental, family, and community settings in Benin.
BMC Nursing
Objectives Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a necessary life-saving emergency intervention ... more Objectives Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a necessary life-saving emergency intervention for patients with cardiac arrest and other medical conditions. The study’s primary objective was to qualitatively explore nurses’ perceptions of the quality of adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Ghana. Methods An exploratory descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 13 purposively sampled nurses in Ghana. We collected thirteen face-to-face and telephone interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the thematic analysis approach recommended by Braun and Clarke. Results Data analysis revealed that nurses were filled with positive emotions when patients regained consciousness following resuscitation. When the otherwise happens, they tend to become tortured psychologically and filled with negative emotions. Besides, environmental factors such as the time of initiating CPR following a cardiac arrest, the availability and app...
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Papers by Jacob Owusu Sarfo