scholarly journals An assessment of hospital maternal health services in northern Ghana: a cross-sectional survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw ◽  
Roberta Mensima Amoah ◽  
Carolyne Njue ◽  
Nguyen Toan Tran ◽  
Angela Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Newborn Care ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Health System Strengthening ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Access to and delivery of comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care (CEmONC) services are often weak in low and middle-income countries affecting maternal and infant health outcomes. There are no studies on resources for maternal healthcare in the Northern region of Ghana. This knowledge is vital for health service planning and mobilising funding to address identified gaps. We investigated the available resources for managing CEmONC and referral services in the region. Methods This study involved a cross-sectional survey of maternity facilities in ten hospitals in the Northern region of Ghana, serving a population of 2,479,461, including 582,897 women aged 15–49. Public and faith-based hospitals were included in the study. We used the Service Provision Assessment tool to gather data for this study between October and December 2019. Given the small sample size, we used descriptive statistics to summarise the data using SPSS version 25 and Excel 2016. Results A total of 22,271 ANC visits from women to these hospitals occurred in the past 3 months preceding the study; however, 6072 birth events (cases) occurred within the same period. All the hospitals had less than one general medical doctor per 10,000 population (range 0.02–0.30). The number of midwives per 10,000 population ranged from 0.00 (facility H and J) to 1.87 (facility E), and none of the hospitals had a university-trained nurse designated for maternity care. Only one hospital had complete equipment for emergency obstetric and newborn care, while four others had adequate emergency obstetric care equipment. The number of maternity and delivery beds per 10,000 population was low, ranging from 0.40 to 2.13. Conclusions The management of emergency obstetric care and referrals are likely to be affected by the limited human resources and equipment in hospitals in Northern Ghana. Financial and non-financial incentives to entice midwives, obstetricians and medical officers to the Northern region should be implemented. Resources should be mobilised to improve the availability of essential equipment such as vacuum extractors and reliable ambulances to enhance referral services. Considerable health system strengthening efforts are required to achieve the required standards.

scholarly journals Determinants of dietary diversity and its relationship with the nutritional status of pregnant women

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahama Saaka ◽  
Sofo Mutaru ◽  
Shaibu Mohammed Osman
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Household Wealth ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract There is little information regarding factors that determine dietary diversity among pregnant women in Ghana. The present study, therefore, sought to assess the independent predictors of dietary diversity and its relationship with nutritional status of pregnant women in the Northern Region of Ghana. The present study was an analytical cross-sectional survey involving 423 pregnant women in different stages of gestation. The 24-h dietary recall method was used to assess minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W), and nutritional status was assessed using mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurements. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the association between maternal dietary diversity and maternal thinness and a P value of <0⋅05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 423 women, 79⋅9 % (95 % CI 76⋅1, 83⋅7) met the MDD-W and the prevalence of undernutrition among the pregnant women was 26⋅0 %. The analysis showed that women of low household wealth index were 48 % less likely (AOR 0⋅52, CI 0⋅31, 0⋅88) of meeting the MDD-W, whereas women from households of poor food insecurity were 88 % less likely (AOR 0⋅12, CI 0⋅05, 0⋅27) of achieving the MDD-W. Women of low household size were three times more likely of meeting the MDD-W (AOR 3⋅07, CI 1⋅13, 8⋅39). MDD-W was not associated with maternal underweight during pregnancy. In conclusion, the results of the present study showed that food insecurity and not low MDD-W, associated with mothers’ thinness (underweight) during pregnancy in peri-urban setting of Northern Ghana.

scholarly journals Assessment of knowledge and practice towards birth preparedness and complication readiness among women in Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pius Kaba Affipunguh ◽  
Alexander Suuk Laar
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Blood Donor ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Skilled Birth Attendant ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Birth Preparedness ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Complication Readiness ◽  
Preparedness Plan

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The principle and practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP&amp;CR) in resource-poor settings have the potential of reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates. The purpose of this study was to assess BP and CR among pregnant women and women who gave birth in the12 months preceding the study and the socio-demographic factors affecting BP and CR.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The study was a health facility-based cross-sectional survey using pre-tested and structured questionnaires to gather data among 422 currently pregnant women and women who gave birth in the 12 months preceding the study and attending antenatal or postnatal care in health facilities in the Kassena-Nankana Districts in Northern Ghana. Data were analysed using State version 10.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> For the 422 respondents, 50% were rural and 50% urban residents. Having at least a primary education and living in a rural area were significantly associated with birth preparedness plan (BPP) (P = 0.044) and (P = 0.007). There was no association between age group, occupation, marital status and religion to BPP (P=0.907), (P=0.397), (P=0.573) and (P=0.564) respectively. The study also revealed that identification of a potential blood donor and a skilled birth attendant were not considered crucial by the respondents.</p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The study identified poor knowledge and practices of identification of a potential blood donor and skilled birth attendant preparation for birth preparedness and its complication in the study area. Antenatal care education should place emphasis on birth preparedness and complication readiness to improve access to skilled and emergency obstetric care.

scholarly journals ASSESSING THE MODERATING ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION IN JOB SATISFACTION AND TURNOVER INTENTION RELATIONSHIP OF BASIC SCHOOL TEACHERS: EVIDENCE FROM NORTHERN GHANA

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 488-501
Author(s):  
Abdul Kahar Abukari ◽  
Ibrahim Alhassan
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Moderating Role

The emphasis on the Educational Qualifications (EQ) of employees, the demand for skilled labour and the professionalization of the occupational structure of teachers in general, have created a dilemma for employers and school authorities in retaining their competent and experienced staff and meeting their job needs on one hand, and increasing pressure to release them for higher edu-cational experience on the other. This paper examines the moderating role of teachers’ EQ in their Job Satisfaction (JS) and Turnover Intention (ToI) relationship in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana. The proposed model was evaluated based on valid data from 116 teachers obtained from a cross-sectional survey. To confirm whether EQ will moderate the JS and ToI relationship, a process macro (Hayes, 2018 v. 3.4) was run with mean cantering and 5000 bootstrapping. Regression Analysis was employed to determine the relationships proposed in the study. The results show a significant but inverse relationship between JS and ToI of teachers in the Metropolis. However, the EQ moderator function in JS and the ToI relationship was not support-ed. It was also found that the Teachers’ EQ had no significant effect on their ToI in the Metropolis. Empirically, the study extends our understanding of the constructs discussed. The paper also dis-cusses some managerial implications, and because there were some contextual limitations, direc-tions are also provided for future studies.

Prediction of the distribution of Glossina tachinoides (Diptera: Glossinidae) in the Volta basin of northern Ghana

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.I. Mahama ◽  
A. Koné ◽  
S. de la Rocque ◽  
R. De Deken ◽  
S. Geerts
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Image ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Glossina Tachinoides ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Flood Plains ◽  
Volta Basin ◽  
Data Layer

AbstractThe classification of a Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite image helped demonstrate prevailing habitat types and land use intensity in the Volta basin of the Northern Region of Ghana. A geo-referenced data layer comprising the capture results of a cross-sectional survey of Glossina tachinoides Westwood was over-laid on a data layer of habitat types within 500 m of either bank of the Volta river and its tributaries. An evaluation of the relationship between habitat types and the capture results of G. tachinoides suggested a strong preference of G. tachinoides for woodland, followed by shrubland, grassland and flood plains. The findings were used to classify the suitability of habitat types for G. tachinoides as ‘high’, ‘medium’ and ‘low’ and a prediction map for the distribution of G. tachinoides in the entire river network was produced. The usefulness of this method in estimating the potential distribution of G. tachinoides in an area of increasing agricultural expansion is discussed.

scholarly journals What the percentage of births in facilities does not measure: readiness for emergency obstetric care and referral in Senegal

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. e001915
Author(s):  
Francesca L Cavallaro ◽  
Lenka Benova ◽  
El Hadji Dioukhane ◽  
Kerry Wong ◽  
Paula Sheppard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Newborn Care ◽  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Facilities ◽  
Facility Births

IntroductionIncreases in facility deliveries in sub-Saharan Africa have not yielded expected declines in maternal mortality, raising concerns about the quality of care provided in facilities. The readiness of facilities at different health system levels to provide both emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) as well as referral is unknown. We describe this combined readiness by facility level and region in Senegal.MethodsFor this cross-sectional study, we used data from nine Demographic and Health Surveys between 1992 and 2017 in Senegal to describe trends in location of births over time. We used data from the 2017 Service Provision Assessment to describe EmONC and emergency referral readiness across facility levels in the public system, where 94% of facility births occur. A national global positioning system facility census was used to map access from lower-level facilities to the nearest facility performing caesareans.ResultsBirths in facilities increased from 47% in 1992 to 80% in 2016, driven by births in lower-level health posts, where half of facility births now occur. Caesarean rates in rural areas more than doubled but only to 3.7%, indicating minor improvements in EmONC access. Only 9% of health posts had full readiness for basic EmONC, and 62% had adequate referral readiness (vehicle on-site or telephone and vehicle access elsewhere). Although public facilities accounted for three-quarters of all births in 2016, only 16% of such births occurred in facilities able to provide adequate combined readiness for EmONC and referral.ConclusionsOur findings imply that many lower-level public facilities—the most common place of birth in Senegal—are unable to treat or refer women with obstetric complications, especially in rural areas. In light of rising lower-level facility births in Senegal and elsewhere, improvements in EmONC and referral readiness are urgently needed to accelerate reductions in maternal and perinatal mortality.

scholarly journals The Availability of Emergency Obstetric Care in Birthing Centres in Rural Nepal: A Cross-sectional Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 806-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amrit Banstola ◽  
Padam Simkhada ◽  
Edwin van Teijlingen ◽  
Surya Bhatta ◽  
Susma Lama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Obstetric Care ◽  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rural Nepal ◽  
Birthing Centres

scholarly journals A screening questionnaire for occupational and hobby exposures during pregnancy

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 428-435
Author(s):  
C M Zachek ◽  
J M Schwartz ◽  
M Glasser ◽  
E DeMicco ◽  
T J Woodruff
Keyword(s):  
Obstetric Care ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Solvent Exposure ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cleaning Product ◽  
Occupational And Environmental Exposure ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy ◽  
Exposures During Pregnancy

Abstract Background Occupational and environmental exposures during the prenatal period may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and lifelong health effects. Yet, identification and evaluation of these potential hazards is lacking in routine obstetric care. Aims To assess the feasibility of incorporating a self-administered occupational and environmental exposure questionnaire into obstetric clinics. Methods A cross-sectional survey assessed prenatal clinic patients at a public hospital who were currently employed and &lt;20 weeks gestation. Questionnaires evaluated job characteristics, workplace and hobby exposures, protective equipment use and symptoms during pregnancy. Results Of 69 participants (96% response rate), 46% were predominantly Spanish-speaking. Primary occupations were caregiver (16%), cleaner (14%) and administrative assistant (14%). Overall, 93% were exposed to a workplace hazard, with most participants reporting physical stressors (82%) or organic solvent exposure (78%). Most women (74%) used some personal protective equipment. Nearly half (54%) reported at least one non-pregnancy symptom, and 52% were referred for follow-up with an occupational medicine practitioner. Household and hobby-related chemical exposures were common in our sample (91%). We observed moderate consistency between job task and chemical use responses: 67–99% of intentionally redundant questions were fully or partially matched. Closed- compared to open-ended activity questions identified a higher proportion of physical stressors (82% versus 12%) and cleaning product (76% versus 30%) exposures. Conclusions A self-administered questionnaire is an effective screening tool for identifying women with occupational and hobby-related exposures during pregnancy. Consistent incorporation of exposure assessment into prenatal care can improve clinical communications and early interventions for at-risk pregnant women.

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