Convergence Chronicles

Challenges and Facilitators of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Working Mothers in Urban Settings: A Study from Ga North Municipality

Isaac Buabeng Bempong — 2024-06-20

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), recommended for the first six months of life, faces notable adherence challenges among working mothers in urban environments. This study investigates the facilitators and barriers affecting EBF practices among working mothers in the Ga North Municipality, a diverse Greater Accra Region urban region. Employing a facility-based cross-sectional design, the research captures responses from 380 working mothers using a structured questionnaire developed through extensive literature reviews. Results indicate a high awareness of EBF benefits among participants; however, practical implementation challenges persist due to workplace demands, cultural norms, and lack of supportive infrastructure. A significant 91.1% of respondents observed positive health changes in their infants, yet 46.1% described difficulties in maintaining EBF due to work-related constraints. Cultural practices and workplace inflexibility were noted as major impediments, alongside physical and emotional challenges faced by mothers. Despite these obstacles, 83.9% of the mothers would recommend EBF to others, highlighting a positive disposition towards EBF amidst challenges. The study suggests that enhancing workplace policies and culturally sensitive educational campaigns could improve EBF rates and overall maternal and child health outcomes. This research underscores the need for targeted interventions to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, facilitating better support for breastfeeding mothers in similar urban settings.

Disease Detection in CCN-51 Cocoa Fruits through Convolutional Neural Networks: A Novel Approach for the Ghana Cocoa Board

Miracle Atianashie — 2024-07-08

The study explores the significant challenge of diagnosing diseases in CCN-51 cocoa fruits within Ghana, a key concern for the agricultural sector. This model aims to revolutionize the accuracy of disease detection in cocoa fruits, a crucial step toward bolstering the sustainability of Ghana's agricultural sector. By significantly improving detection rates, the project anticipates providing a solid foundation for more effective disease management strategies, ensuring the health and productivity of cocoa crops, and, by extension, supporting the economic stability of the farming communities reliant on cocoa production. The methodology is designed with a dual focus: ensuring the model's robustness to handle real-world agricultural complexities and verifying its adaptability to the diverse conditions encountered in cocoa farming environments. A comprehensive series of experiments were meticulously designed to evaluate the CNN model's diagnostic capabilities. These experiments were structured to assess the model's precision in identifying various diseases across different stages of infection, environmental conditions, and fruit varieties. The research aims to rigorously test the model's effectiveness and reliability by simulating a wide array of real-world scenarios, ensuring its practical applicability for farmers and agricultural professionals. The experimental findings paint a promising picture, showcasing the CNN model's exceptional performance across key metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores. These results highlight a significant leap forward in disease detection capabilities, surpassing the benchmarks set by conventional methods. The high level of accuracy not only validates the model's effectiveness and signals its potential to transform disease management practices in cocoa agriculture. The implications of these findings are profound, with the potential to catalyze a paradigm shift in how disease detection is approached in the cocoa farming sector. The study elaborates on the multifaceted benefits of the CNN model, emphasizing its role as a cost-effective, efficient, and scalable tool for disease management. By significantly reducing crop losses and enhancing production sustainability, the model promises to bolster the economic well-being of cocoa farmers and contribute to the broader goals of agricultural innovation and food security in Ghana.

Role of Pax Garments in the Economic Development of Sunyani Municipality: A Socio-Economic Perspective

Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu — 2024-06-01

This study investigates the socio-economic impacts of Pax Garments on the economic development of the Sunyani Municipality, highlighting its contributions to employment, economic growth, and social welfare. Employing a quantitative methodology, primary data was collected through meticulously crafted survey questionnaires targeting local residents and employees. A stratified sampling strategy ensured a representative sample, reflecting the demographic diversity of the community. The study's findings reveal that Pax Garments significantly contributes to local employment, benefiting women and youth, thus enhancing economic stability and reducing poverty. The company’s financial contributions through salary payments and local procurement stimulate economic activity, supporting ancillary businesses and services integral to the garment production ecosystem. Socially, Pax Garments plays a crucial role in community development by improving local infrastructure and supporting educational and healthcare facilities, leading to enhanced living conditions and community well-being. Despite these positive outcomes, regression analysis indicates that the explanatory power of variables such as employment opportunities, economic contributions, and social impact on community perceptions is moderate, suggesting the influence of other unexamined factors. This underscores the complexity of industrial impacts on local communities and the necessity for further research to identify additional relevant predictors. Policy implications of these findings suggest that local government and stakeholders should adopt a holistic approach to maximize the benefits of industrial activities. This includes fostering partnerships between industrial enterprises and community organizations to address broader social issues, thereby enhancing the overall impact of the garment industry on local development. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders, advocating for integrated strategies to harness the full potential of Pax Garments' contributions while mitigating associated challenges. Future research should incorporate qualitative methods and longitudinal designs to capture industrial activities' nuanced and long-term effects on local communities, thereby informing more comprehensive and effective development strategies.

Assessing Attitudes, Perceptions, and Barriers to Medical Research Among Undergraduate Students at the University of Ghana Medical School

Otoo Edward — 2024-06-20

Medical research is vital for advancing healthcare, fostering critical thinking, and enhancing scientific understanding. Despite its importance, medical students often encounter challenges that hinder their engagement in research activities. This study investigates the attitudes, perceptions, and barriers to medical research among undergraduate students at the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS). A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, affiliated with UGMS. The study population included undergraduate medical students from levels 100 to 600, ensuring a comprehensive understanding across different stages of medical education. Data were collected using a self-administered online questionnaire, which included sections on demographic data, attitudes and perceptions toward research, and barriers to research. A snowballing technique was employed to recruit participants via social media platforms. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and Microsoft Excel, with descriptive statistics and chi-square tests or Fisher exact tests used to identify significant patterns and associations. The study included 256 participants, with a balanced gender distribution (51.6% female, 48.4% male). The results revealed that 92.8% of students acknowledged the critical role of research in the medical field and 84.0% perceived research as beneficial for their careers. However, 68.8% of students reported inadequate time for research due to the demanding nature of their curriculum. Additionally, only 15.2% felt they received adequate training in research methodology, and mentorship availability was deemed insufficient by 50.4% of respondents. Gender differences were observed, with female students facing additional challenges balancing research with other responsibilities. While UGMS students generally have a positive attitude toward medical research, significant barriers impede their active participation. Key challenges include time constraints, inadequate research training, and insufficient mentorship. Addressing these barriers through curricular reforms, enhanced research training, and robust mentorship programs is crucial for fostering a research-oriented culture and equipping students for future academic and clinical careers. Ensuring equitable research opportunities for all students, particularly addressing gender disparities, is essential for advancing medical knowledge and improving patient care.

The Impact of Workplace Environment, Internal Communication, and Remuneration on Job Satisfaction among Lecturers in Private Universities in Ghana

Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu — 2024-06-01

This study investigates the impact of workplace environment, internal communication, and remuneration on lecturers' job satisfaction in Ghana's private universities. Recognizing job satisfaction as a critical component of organizational human resource strategies, this research explores the key factors that influence lecturers' job satisfaction, aiming to provide insights for enhancing employee engagement and performance. The study adopts a survey research design, gathering primary data through a structured 40-item questionnaire distributed to a randomly selected sample of 94 lecturers from five private universities in Ghana. Secondary data were sourced from books, journals, and organizational reports. Statistical analyses, including Cronbach’s Alpha for reliability, correlation, and regression analysis, were conducted using SPSS version 21.0. The findings reveal a strong positive correlation between job satisfaction and the three independent variables: workplace environment, internal communication, and remuneration. Internal communication emerged as the most significant factor, with a regression coefficient indicating that a 1% increase in internal communication leads to a 99.9% improvement in job satisfaction. Remuneration followed closely, suggesting that a 1% increase in remuneration results in a 96.6% rise in job satisfaction. The workplace environment also significantly influenced job satisfaction, with a 1% improvement leading to a 3.5% increase in satisfaction levels. The study concludes that effective internal communication, competitive remuneration, and a conducive workplace environment are essential for enhancing job satisfaction among lecturers in private universities. These findings underscore the importance of developing comprehensive human resource strategies that address these key areas to foster a motivated and committed academic workforce. The study recommends the implementation of regular job satisfaction assessments and enhancing non-financial benefits to improve lecturer performance and retention further. Future research should include more public and private universities to provide a broader understanding of the factors influencing job satisfaction in the Ghanaian higher education sector.