University for Development Studies

This study aimed to investigate the moderating effect of school location and gender on the relationship between school type and students’ mathematics achievement. The study was restricted to only senior high schools in the Ashanti region of Ghana. A quantitative research approach using a descriptive survey design guided the study. Proportional stratification techniques and simple random sampling using a lottery approach were employed in selecting the sample size and the participants for the study. A sample size of 398 students was used for the study. Two (one in rural areas and one in urban areas) of these schools were private, and the other two (one in rural and one in urban areas) were from the public schools. The questionnaire for the study was in two parts. The first part consisted of the demographic characteristics of the respondents, and the other part was a Likert-scale type of questionnaire on the students’ mathematics achievement which was administered to the selected students. A structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis was conducted on the responses from the participants, and it was revealed that the moderating effect of school location and gender (more females) dampens the positive relationship between school type and students’ mathematics achievement. In conclusion, it was implied that school location and gender have a negative effect on the relationship between school type and students’ mathematics achievement. It was recommended that the government and the Ministry of Education should consider the location when setting up a senior high school and to bridge the social amenities and infrastructure gap that exists between the rural and urban schools to enhance the better mathematics achievement of all students in their final examinations, like the WASSCE.

To examine the association between women's empowerment, measured using the Survey-based Women's emPowERment (SWPER) Global Index, and receipt of quality antenatal care (ANC) in Ghana. Cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative survey data. Ghana. A total of 3837 women aged 15-49 years who had a live birth or stillbirth in the 3 years preceding the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and reported at least one ANC visit for the most recent pregnancy. Quality ANC was defined as receipt of four essential ANC components: blood pressure measurement, urine testing, blood sample collection and iron supplementation. Women's empowerment was assessed across three SWPER domains: attitude toward violence, social independence and decision-making, categorised as low, medium or high. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to examine associations while accounting for individual, household, community and regional-level factors. Overall, 90.9% of women received all four ANC components. In bivariate and partially adjusted analyses, higher empowerment in the attitude toward violence and social independence domains was associated with higher odds of receiving quality ANC. However, these associations were attenuated and no longer statistically significant in the fully adjusted multilevel model. The strongest independent associations with quality ANC were health-service utilisation factors. Late ANC initiation at 4-6 months (adjusted OR (AOR)=0.75, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.97) and ≥7 months (AOR=0.28, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.49) reduced the likelihood of receiving quality ANC, whereas attending 4-8 visits (AOR=2.89, 95% CI 2.05 to 4.07) and ≥nine visits (AOR=4.25, 95% CI 2.69 to 6.71) increased the likelihood. Receiving ANC at private hospitals was associated with lower odds of quality ANC compared with public hospitals (AOR=0.43, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.74). Regular radio exposure was positively associated with quality ANC, and substantial regional disparities persisted, particularly in the Western North, Northern, Savannah, North East and Upper East regions. In Ghana, women's empowerment indirectly influences the quality of ANC through pathways of early initiation and adequate continuity of care, whereas health-system factors and regional inequities remain the dominant independent determinants. Policy efforts should prioritise timely ANC initiation, continuity of care and equitable service delivery, alongside integrated empowerment strategies within broader health-system strengthening initiatives.

Contraceptive use is integral to improving reproductive health outcomes, but disparities in access and use persist across Africa, influenced by socio-economic, educational, and age-related factors. This study explores socioeconomic and education-based inequalities in modern and traditional contraceptive use among women in 41 African countries. Secondary data from the World Health Organisation’s Health Equity Assessment Toolkits and national demographic surveys (2010–2022) were analysed. The study focused on women aged 15–49, categorised by socio-economic status, education level, and age. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used, employing inequality measures such as D (Estimate), R (Estimate), PAF (Estimate), and PAR (Estimate) to assess disparities in contraceptive use. The study found significant variation in contraceptive prevalence, ranging from high-prevalence nations such as Zimbabwe (66.8%), Malawi (65.6%), and Lesotho (64.9%). South Sudan (4%) and Chad (8.2%) had very low prevalence rates. Age-related disparities were also significant, with contraceptive use generally higher in the 20–49 years age group compared to the 15–19 years age group. Again, Ghana exhibited 17% use among 15–19-year-olds compared to 53% in the 20–49-year-old group. The D revealed substantial inequalities in contraceptive use, particularly in countries like Kenya (22.5) and Malawi (20.6). The R highlighted greater disparities in countries such as Nigeria (4.0), indicating a significant socio-economic divide. The PAF demonstrated that socio-economic inequalities contributed to disparities, with Mozambique (5.8) and Niger (8.1) showing higher contributions. PAR further revealed that countries like Malawi (1.6) and Gambia (1.0) had a higher burden of inequality in contraceptive use. This study demonstrates persistent and intersecting age-, wealth-, and education-related inequalities in contraceptive use across Africa. By applying standardised inequality metrics in a cross-country comparative framework, the findings extend beyond prevalence-based analyses and provide actionable evidence to inform equity-oriented family planning policies and programmes. Not applicable.

Aquatic environmental quality plays an essential role in the growth, survival, and abundance of flora and fauna species in the ecosystems. Change in the physiochemical properties and biological quality of the ecosystem has a deleterious effect on the organisms in their habitat. Due to increasing levels of anthropogenic activities that range from agriculture, mining, fishing, and aquaculture, toxicity burdens have been imposed on the environment, forcing organisms to migrate or face extinction. Waste generated from agriculture through organic and inorganic means and pesticides washed from farmland periphery to the boundaries of reservoirs into the aquatic habitat have compromised the quality of water acceptable for organisms’ survival. Adding to the load of waste draining from outside the water is the direct deposition of organic feed waste, excreta of the cultured fish, and washed mine waste, which exacerbate the water quality by increasing the nutrients and heavy metals level, causing eutrophication and lethal toxicity of the water. These have affected the biodiversity of the freshwater ecosystem in Ghana, leading to declining numbers of macroinvertebrates. Recently, pesticide levels in water have been found to be low, such as organophosphate/synthetic pyrethroid and organochlorines, which were

Yam serves as a cornerstone for food security in West Africa; however, it is categorized as an orphan crop due to little research on the nutritional composition of local yam varieties across different locations. The objective for this study is to determine mineral profiles of two popular white yam varieties (Larbako and Fusheini Billa) across three distinct locations in Northern Region of Ghana (Mion, Yendi and Zabzugu) while the specific objective was to evaluate how the location of cultivation, variety and interactive effects influences yam nutritional profile for six minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe and Zn). The design used in the study was a 2 x 3 factorial experiment with six distinct treatment groups. All the groups were analyzed in triplicates with a level of significance of P<.005. Mineral analysis was done in the Soil and Crop Department Laboratory of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The samples of yam were obtained at Mion District, Yendi Municipal and Zabzugu District. The mineral concentrations were quantified using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, Flame Photometry, and complexometric titration. The results showed highly significant effects for both location and variety for potassium (P<.001), Calcium (P<.001 and P=.004), Magnesium (P<.001), Iron (P<.001) and highly significant interactive effects (LxV) were observed for Sodium (P<.001), Iron (P<.001) and Zinc (P<.001). The obtained values for the locations (Mion, Yendi, and Zabzugu) are; Iron ranged from 8.73-13.14%, Zinc levels ranged from 5.86% to 5.95%. Potassium levels ranged from 2.23% to 2.45%, Calcium levels ranged from 1.15% to 1.45%, Magnesium levels ranged from 0.53% to 0.65% and Sodium levels were the lowest being less than 0.052%. For yam varieties, Fusheini Billa outperformed Larbako in terms of mineral profile for Potassium (2.40%), Magnesium (0.61%), Iron (11.71%), and Zinc (6.36%). There were varying interactives effects for the six minerals. These findings demonstrate that the nutritional potential of white yam is location specific. Targeted location selection and cultivation of these yam varieties based on agroecological suitability can serve as a strategic intervention to address micronutrient deficiencies and enhance regional food security.

In a technologized 21st century, the global community is grappling with the issue of climate change, within which drought is topical and considered the most threatening component of climate change, and its impact is much felt in societies where there is heavy dependence on natural resources for survival with minimal or low coping mechanisms. Most of these societies are to be found in Africa. This study, thus, examined drought and its effects on men's and women’s livelihoods among rural households in the Nandom Municipality of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study adopted the drought identification theory. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used, allowing for the use of questionnaire administration and focus group discussions. Guides were used to solicit information from the respondents and participants. The target population was men and women in the ten communities. The questionnaire was administered to 100 women and men in the ten communities in the Nandom Municipality. The simple random sampling technique was used. Focus group discussions were held with three (3) men's groups and three (3) women's groups. The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 20 software, followed by descriptions, explanations, and narratives. The study revealed that droughts have devastating effects on the livelihood of rural households in the municipality. Thus, the rural households have to supplement their livelihoods with low-income jobs, including migrating to the southern part of the country to engage in menial jobs. Locally, households also engage in fuelwood and charcoal burning during drought periods. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) minimally support the rural pro-poor households during the drought periods. Comparatively, women’s drought stress is more severe than men's. Drought is also more severe among the aged, the illiterate, and the landless who are considered poor. Conclusively, drought is a real phenomenon in the Nandom Municipality, and it has more debilitating effects on women than men. Recommendations are the need for irrigation initiatives in the municipality and the assembly to incorporate and coordinate drought development interventions by national, international, governmental, and non-governmental organizations.