Papers by Samuel H. Nyarko
Cervical cancer is becoming a leading cause of death among women in developing countries. Neverth... more Cervical cancer is becoming a leading cause of death among women in developing countries. Nevertheless, little is known regarding knowledge and perception of cervical cancer and screening behaviour particularly among female tertiary students in Ghana. This study sought to examine the knowledge, perceptions of cervical cancer and screening behaviour among female students in the University of Cape Coast and Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. Systematic and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 410 participants for the study, and a questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The study found that the participants lacked knowledge on specific risk factors and symptoms of cervical cancer. Also, even though the participants had a fair perception of cervical cancer, they had a poor cervical cancer screening behaviour. Awareness of cervical cancer was significantly influenced by religious affiliation whilst cervical cancer screening was significantly determined by the working status of the participants. Specific knowledge on cervical cancer and its risk factors as well as regular screening behaviour is paramount to the prevention of cervical cancer. Consequently, the University Health Services should focus on promoting regular cervical cancer awareness campaigns among the students particularly the females.
Inadequate literature exists on knowledge and perception of prostate cancer and screening behavio... more Inadequate literature exists on knowledge and perception of prostate cancer and screening behaviour particularly
among male tertiary students in Ghana. This paper sought to examine prostate cancer knowledge, perceptions
and screening behaviour among male students in the University of Cape Coast and Ghana Institute of
Management and Public Administration in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey design for the study,
systematic and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 438 participants for the study.
Questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The study revealed that the participants lacked
knowledge on key risk factors and symptoms of prostate cancer. However, the majority of the participants had
some correct perceptions about the disease. Also, the participants had a poor screening behaviour for prostate
cancer. The University Health Services should promote regular and effective prostate cancer sensitisation
programmes for students particularly the males.
Background. Malaria is an entrenched global health challenge particularly in the sub-Saharan Afri... more Background. Malaria is an entrenched global health challenge particularly in the sub-Saharan African countries. However, in Ghana, little is known about the determinants of malaria prevalence among under-five children. As such, this study sought to examine the sociodemographic factors that determine malaria among under-five children in Ghana. Methods. This paper used secondary data drawn from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Bivariate analysis and complementary log-log regression models were used to examine the determinants of malaria prevalence among under-five children in Ghana for the study period. Results. The results therefore revealed that region of residence, age of child, and ownership of mosquito net were the key predictors of malaria cases among under-five children in Ghana for the five-year period preceding the survey. Conclusion. It is therefore imperative that special education on prevention of malaria should be intensified by the National Malaria Control Programme in all the regions in order to reduce malaria prevalence particularly among under-five children in Ghana.
Background. Malaria is an entrenched global health challenge particularly in the sub-Saharan Afri... more Background. Malaria is an entrenched global health challenge particularly in the sub-Saharan African countries. However, in Ghana, little is known about the determinants of malaria prevalence among under-five children. As such, this study sought to examine the sociodemographic factors that determine malaria among under-five children in Ghana. Methods. This paper used secondary data drawn from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Bivariate analysis and complementary log-log regression models were used to examine the determinants of malaria prevalence among under-five children in Ghana for the study period. Results. The results therefore revealed that region of residence, age of child, and ownership of mosquito net were the key predictors of malaria cases among under-five children in Ghana for the five-year period preceding the survey. Conclusion. It is therefore imperative that special education on prevention of malaria should be intensified by the National Malaria Control Programme in all the regions in order to reduce malaria prevalence particularly among under-five children in Ghana.
Background. Hypertension is a global health problem. Yet, studies on hypertension rarely focus on... more Background. Hypertension is a global health problem. Yet, studies on hypertension rarely focus on women in Ghana. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of hypertension history among Ghanaian women in reproductive age. Methods. This study used data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were carried out to ascertain the prevalence and determinants of hypertension history among the respondents. Results. The study found that the overall prevalence of hypertension history among the respondents was 7.5%; however, there were vast variations within most of the sociodemographic categories. Age, level of education, marital status, work status, and wealth status had a significant relationship with hypertension history among the respondents. Women in advanced age groups, highly educated, married, and widowed/divorced/separated, nonworking women, and women from wealthy households were at higher risk of having hypertension history. Conclusion. Myriads of sociodemographic factors determine the hypertension history of women in Ghana. It is therefore essential to target medical and psychosocial hypertension interventions at Ghanaian women in the higher risk groups.
Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders i... more Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders in early childhood. However, not many studies have been conducted on the prevalence and effect of ADHD on school performance in Ghana. This study sought to ascertain the prevalence of ADHD and its effect on school performance among primary school pupils in the Hohoe municipality of Ghana. Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that included 400 primary school pupils in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana. The study adopted the disruptive behaviour disorder rating scale which includes the three subtypes of ADHD among pupils in the form of a close-ended questionnaire for data collection. Results: The results revealed the overall prevalence of ADHD to be 12.8%. The males had a higher prevalence (14.4%) compared to the females (10.5%). For the subtypes, the prevalence was 8.0% for attention-deficit disorder, 8.5% for hyperactivity disorder and 3.8% for the combined subtype. In terms of school performance, the results showed that there was a significant difference in the school performance between ADHD-positive pupils and the negative status pupils among the various core subjects. Conclusions: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was quite prevalent among primary school pupils in the Hohoe Municipality, and has impacted negatively on their school performance. Screening of pupils for ADHD should be integrated into the school health services to enable early detection and management.
Background: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity around the world... more Background: Hypertension is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity around the world and has become a public health problem. Meanwhile, information on predictors of hypertension in Ghana seldom focuses on men. This study, therefore, sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of hypertension history among Ghanaian men. We derived data for the study from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey. Data from 4,387 men aged 15-59 years were analysed. Stata (version 12) was used to process the data. Cross-tabulations were done to ascertain the prevalence while logistic regression was applied to determine the predictors of hypertension history among respondents. Mean age was 32.2 years and 90% had at least primary education. The overall prevalence of hypertension history among Ghanaian men was 5.7%. Age group, educational level, marital status, number of wives/partners, work status and smoking status were significantly associated with hypertension history. Rich men and men from Eastern and Upper East regions were independently associated with hypertension history. Higher risk of hypertension history was thus observed among respondents in older age groups, men with higher education and men who are widowed/divorced/separated, non-working men and men who did not smoke. Hypertension is a health concern among men in Ghana. It is, therefore, imperative that hypertension interventions for Ghanaian men should target the higher risk factors.
Globally, literatures abound on the impact of microfinance interventions on beneficiaries. This s... more Globally, literatures abound on the impact of microfinance interventions on beneficiaries. This study sought to assess the impact of microfinance interventions on market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis in the Western Region of Ghana. Using a descriptive survey design, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 317 respondents for the study. Data were collected using questionnaire. The Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS version 17) was used to process the data into frequencies and tables for discussion. The study established that microfinance loans had a positive impact on the microenterprises and households of market women as well as on the personal well-being of the market women in the Metropolis. Thus, the majority of the women were able to expand their microenterprises, increase their household expenditure and improve their well-being. In a nutshell, microfinance loans had improved the lives of more market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis to a large extent. Consequently, it is important that microfinance institutions expedite the loan acquisition process for market women in Metropolis in order to make loan access easier and faster. ABSTRACT Globally, literatures abound on the impact of microfinance interventions on beneficiaries. This study sought to assess the impact of microfinance interventions on market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis in the Western Region of Ghana. Using a descriptive survey design, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 317 respondents for the study. Data were collected using questionnaire. The Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS version 17) was used to process the data into frequencies and tables for discussion. The study established that microfinance loans had a positive impact on the microenterprises and households of market women as well as on the personal well-being of the market women in the Metropolis. Thus, the majority of the women were able to expand their microenterprises, increase their household expenditure and improve their well-being. In a nutshell, microfinance loans had improved the lives of more market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis to a large extent. Consequently, it is important that microfinance institutions expedite the loan acquisition process for market women in Metropolis in order to make loan access easier and faster. ABSTRACT Globally, literatures abound on the impact of microfinance interventions on beneficiaries. This study sought to assess the impact of microfinance interventions on market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis in the Western Region of Ghana. Using a descriptive survey design, purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 317 respondents for the study. Data were collected using questionnaire. The Statistical Product for Service Solutions (SPSS version 17) was used to process the data into frequencies and tables for discussion. The study established that microfinance loans had a positive impact on the microenterprises and households of market women as well as on the personal well-being of the market women in the Metropolis. Thus, the majority of the women were able to expand their microenterprises, increase their household expenditure and improve their well-being. In a nutshell, microfinance loans had improved the lives of more market women in the Sekondi-Tarkoradi Metropolis to a large extent. Consequently, it is important that microfinance institutions expedite the loan acquisition process for market women in Metropolis in order to make loan access easier and faster.
Adolescence is a critical transitional period in everyone's life, and as much as adolescent child... more Adolescence is a critical transitional period in everyone's life, and as much as adolescent childbearing is not uncommon in many countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, it is quite imperative to study the underlining factors. However, in some sub-Saharan African countries such as Ghana, very little is known about these factors that influence adolescent fertility at both the regional and national levels. This article sought to examine the determinants of adolescent fertility in Ghana using secondary data from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health survey. Bivariate analysis was carried out to ascertain the proportions of fertility among female adolescents, while binary logistic regression model was applied to identify the determinants of adolescent fertility for the study period. The study revealed that adolescent fertility was significantly influenced by the level of education of the female adolescent and that her partner, the work status of the female adolescent, the wealth status, and the exposure to media. These determinants of adolescent fertility in Ghana as revealed in this study could form the basis for targeting adolescent sexual and reproductive health education interventions through effective social marketing.
Although childhood mortality rates have been steadily declining in Ghana over the last two decade... more Although childhood mortality rates have been steadily declining in Ghana over the last two decades, the rate of decline has been very slow and uneven. This study compares the determinants of childhood mortality in Ghana for and Health Surveys were used for the study. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used to examine the relation biomedical characteristics of mothers and childhood mortality for both survey years. The results show that childhood mortality had a significant relationship with parity, household size, and dura breastfeeding for both survey years; and that mothers with higher parity; mothers from small size households and mothers who never breast fed were significantly likely to experience childhood mortality compared to their counterparts, for both 2003 mosquito bed net use significantly influenced childhood mortality for 2003 while religion and type of birth significantly influenced childhood mortality for 2008. Some socio household/environmental as wel both survey periods.
This article assesses the institutional arrangements for sourcing credit and constraints facing S... more This article assesses the institutional arrangements for sourcing credit and constraints facing SMEs in accessing credit to finance their operations in Assin North Municipality of the Central Region, Ghana. A descriptive cross sectional survey research design was employed in the study. A sample size of 80 respondents was drawn for the study and questionnaire was the instrument used for collecting the data. The study reveals that friends or family members were the principal sources of funding available for SMEs. Also, high collateral requirements, high level of taxation and competition from large scale businesses for finance and market were the major constraints facing the growth and expansion of SMEs. These challenges have stifled the growth and expansion of SMEs in the municipality. It is recommended that a special fund be established by the government and other stakeholders in the finance sector to respond solely to the credit needs of SMEs in the municipality.
Under five mortality is an important target and indicator of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG... more Under five mortality is an important target and indicator of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, and with barely one year to the target year of 2015, it needs to be treated with urgency. The study examines the determinants of childhood mortality in Ghana in terms of the biomedical, individual and household characteristics of mothers. We used secondary data extracted from the 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey children's data file. Statistical analysis was done with STATA version 11 using proportions and stepwise logistic regression models to examine the relationship between the covariates and childhood mortality.
It is believed that access to financial resources is a major concern for small and medium enterpr... more It is believed that access to financial resources is a major concern for small and medium enterprises. Hence, small and medium businesses face a major challenge in their quest for growth and development. The study sought to evaluate the funding arrangements available to small and medium enterprises in the Techiman municipality. A descriptive survey design was used for the study, and data were obtained from 98 operators of small and medium enterprises, using questionnaires. The study established that personal savings was the main source of start-up fund for the small and medium enterprises. Further, inadequate working capital and low patronage of services were the main challenges faced by the small and medium enterprises. In spite of the numerous sources of start-up fund available to small and medium enterprises in the Techiman municipality, these businesses principally relied on personal savings as their mainstay. Therefore, it is recommended that the Government of Ghana should encourage small and medium enterprises in the municipality to patronise more government financial schemes.
The basic idea of the school feeding programme is to provide children in public primary schools a... more The basic idea of the school feeding programme is to provide children in public primary schools and kindergartens in the poorest areas of the country with one hot, nutritious meal per day, using locally-grown foodstuffs. This study seeks to assess the impact of the school feeding programme in the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District in the Central Region of Ghana from the perspective of teachers including head teachers. A descriptive survey design was used for the study, and data were obtained from eighty teachers and head teachers in the beneficiary schools in the district. The study revealed that the school feeding programme has improved the nutritional status of pupils in the beneficiary schools in the district to some extent; even though it could not improve the body mass index and height of some pupils.
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Papers by Samuel H. Nyarko
among male tertiary students in Ghana. This paper sought to examine prostate cancer knowledge, perceptions
and screening behaviour among male students in the University of Cape Coast and Ghana Institute of
Management and Public Administration in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey design for the study,
systematic and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 438 participants for the study.
Questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The study revealed that the participants lacked
knowledge on key risk factors and symptoms of prostate cancer. However, the majority of the participants had
some correct perceptions about the disease. Also, the participants had a poor screening behaviour for prostate
cancer. The University Health Services should promote regular and effective prostate cancer sensitisation
programmes for students particularly the males.
among male tertiary students in Ghana. This paper sought to examine prostate cancer knowledge, perceptions
and screening behaviour among male students in the University of Cape Coast and Ghana Institute of
Management and Public Administration in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional survey design for the study,
systematic and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 438 participants for the study.
Questionnaire was used to collect data from participants. The study revealed that the participants lacked
knowledge on key risk factors and symptoms of prostate cancer. However, the majority of the participants had
some correct perceptions about the disease. Also, the participants had a poor screening behaviour for prostate
cancer. The University Health Services should promote regular and effective prostate cancer sensitisation
programmes for students particularly the males.