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AbstractThe study examines the effect of compliance with national governance frameworks on the relationship between corporate governance and the performance of publicly traded companies in Ghana. A sample of 31 companies listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange was drawn for the study based on their annual reports spanning from 2013 to 2022. A new national governance quality index composed of items drawn from world governance indicators and a corporate governance index was developed by principal component analysis. The study used the Huber M-estimation Robust Least Squares (HMRLS) regression method. The findings of our study reveal that corporate governance practices adversely affect the level of firm performance. However, our results demonstrate that compliance with national governance and institutional frameworks plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance. The study offers managerial implications, as listed firms can adopt effective national governance and institutional quality practices to improve firm performance.

AbstractThis study explored the perspectives of community members on the management and ownership of freshwater resources. A mixed-method study was conducted targeting household heads, traditional leaders, and assembly members in communities surrounding the lake. Household heads (309), and 14 focus group discussions were used in the study. There were 46.9% and 29.4% of the respondents who perceived that the lake was owned by the government and the community (chiefs and the indigene) respectively. While 48.2% and 28.8% perceived the traditional authority and the government separately as the managers of the lake. The study found out that, the community perceives the Lake as their resource and hence their traditional leaders should have control over it with support from the government and other NGOs. This implies that activities carried out concerning the Lake should have the approval of people to avoid conflict and power struggles.

AbstractTeacher self-efficacy is one of the most critical factors influencing students’ learning outcomes. Accordingly, school reforms globally have advocated professional learning communities (PLCs) as a school-level approach for improving teachers’ instructional practices. This inquiry tested the influence of PLCs on teaching efficacy beliefs of Economics teachers. Survey data were collected from 97 Economics teachers in senior high schools of Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana, using adapted Professional Learning Community Assessment-Revised (PLCA-R) and Teacher Sense of Efficacy scale (TSES). The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. The findings showed that Economics teachers had high level of teaching efficacy. They were moderately engaged in the implementation of PLCs. The research also revealed that shared and supportive leadership (SSL) had statistically significant effect on teachers’ teaching efficacy beliefs. Further, it was discovered that shared value and vision (SVV), collective learning applications (CLA), shared personal practice (SPP), supportive conditions-relationships (SCR) and supportive conditions-structures (SCS) had positive effects on teachers’ teaching efficacy. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education (MoE) and school administrators should continue to provide positive school culture that builds teachers’ teaching efficacy and engagement in PLCs.

AbstractThe study investigated the home factors affecting the academic performances of girl children in the Dome cluster of schools. A descriptive survey methodology was employed in this research. Through a multistage sample technique, 197 respondents were randomly selected. The primary data for the study were collected using a closed-ended questionnaire prepared by the researchers. The findings from the data collection were presented in terms of frequencies, percentages, averages, and standard deviations. The study concluded that the girl child at the Dome cluster of school was involved in household chores, fetching water, household income-generating activities, looking after their siblings and food preparation. The study, also, concluded that parents of students at the Dome cluster of school are of high socioeconomic status and highly involved in their academic work. Also, a girl’s academic performance at the Dome cluster of schools is positively influenced by her home environment factors such as access to educational resource, parental involvement in school events, and her family’s socioeconomic level. However, girl child home activity negatively influenced academic performance. It was recommended that authorities may encourage a balanced distribution of household chores, enhance parental involvement in school events and provide additional support for girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Abstract: Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has been a priority for Ghanaian governments. Despite the plethora of studies conducted to explore the various factors that influence enrolment into the scheme, there remains a dearth in the literature with regards to a systematic review of the health- and system-level determinants of NHIS enrolment among older adults in Ghana. This study aimed to synthesize evidence on macro- and meso-level determinants of NHIS enrolment among older adults in Ghana. With literature from data repositories including Wiley Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Ovid, Science Direct and Sage, we performed a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Out of 124 studies screened, the systematic review included 11 articles. The study identified 4 macro- and 3 meso-determinants of national health insurance enrolment among older adults in Ghana. Macro-determinants identified were perceived scheme benefits, affordability, proximity to NHIS offices, quality of administrative service delivery. Physical accessibility, quality of care, and staff attitude were identified as meso-determinants. The study recommends improving physical accessibility, quality of care, and staff attitude. Additionally, it suggests addressing perceived scheme benefits and improving the quality of administrative service delivery.

AbstractEven though studies have established that informal sector workers are prone to occupational-related diseases, not much is known about their health-seeking behaviour. This study aims to examine drivers of health-seeking behaviour among informal sector workers in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 350 informal sector workers. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. The study revealed that 33.5% of the participants practiced good health-seeking behaviour when they developed occupational-related diseases in 2016. The study further revealed that informal sector workers with five or more dependents (AOR: 8.482; CI: 1.265–56.872; p = 0.028) and those who spent more than an hour at a health facility (AOR: 24.040; CI: 8.508–67.927; p

AbstractAbstract: Safe and adequate water supply and sanitation in schools are pre-requisites for the right to basic education for school children and the achievement of goal 4 and 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals. Nonetheless, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in schools is fraught with inadequacy of toilet and handwashing facilities, and poor sustainability mechanisms that threaten its success. This paper, therefore, assesses the operation and sustainability of WASH in schools in the Nabdam District of Ghana. Adopting a qualitative approach, thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were held to capture the understanding and experiences of students, head teachers, health officers, officials of the Ghana Health Service and District Education Directorate on the phenomena. Fifteen focus group discussions were further held with students in the basic schools. The findings indicate that WASH is poorly managed even though the schools studied had some established WASH facilities. WASH in the schools was bedeviled with challenges such as inadequate toilets and handwashing facilities, poor funding and ineffective WASH committees. The WASH committees lacked the capacity to raise funds and carry out their duties in accordance with the WASH implementation guidelines. The study recommends that the Ghana Education Service organizes periodic capacity building programs for WASH committees to address this shortcoming. The Ministry of Education should support basic schools in districts in their efforts to provide WASH facilities and fund WASH activities. The study also calls for the formation of student WASH clubs and sanitation brigades to promote the operation and sustainability of WASH in schools.

AbstractThe older adult population has increased in the past few decades, and this is coupled with an increasing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases and a higher rate of healthcare utilisation among this population group. However, studies on healthcare utilisation have not tackled the healthcare service use dissatisfaction dynamics and associated factors, especially among older adults with very low incomes surviving under a social protection programme. The purpose of this study was to estimate demographic and socio-economic factors driving dissatisfaction with the utilisation of formal healthcare services among older adults with very low incomes in Ghana. Using data from a larger Ageing, Health, Lifestyle and Health Services survey conducted in the Atwima Nwabiagya District of Ghana, we estimate dissatisfaction with formal healthcare utilisation using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The study revealed that about 29% of the participants were dissatisfied with utilising formal healthcare services. The study showed that females (adjusted odd ratio (AOR): 0.42, 95% CI: 0.15–0.76) and those with high school education (AOR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.23–0.79) were significantly less likely to be dissatisfied with the utilisation of formal healthcare services compared with males or those with no formal education. We found that participants who earned a monthly income of GH¢201 or more were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with the utilisation of formal healthcare services than those who earned less than GH¢100 (AOR:1.16, 95% CI: 1.06–3.94). Our findings provide evidence that few older adults with very low incomes are dissatisfied with using formal healthcare services. The study has shown that demographic and socio-economic factors, particularly, gender, income, marital status, and education, are significant drivers of dissatisfaction with formal healthcare utilisation among older adults with very low incomes. This study, therefore, has implications for policy, practice, and future research decisions.

This paper examines price volatility and transmission of rice markets in Ghana and draws implications for food security. Using monthly rice price data from 2013 to 2019, the paper uses the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) with an Error Correction Model (ECM) to ascertain the availability and accessibility of rice, whilst the Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity (GARCH) model is considered to measure the stability of the commodity. The paper finds evidence of cointegration between the World and Ghana’s rice market. Findings confirm cointegration in Ghana’s regional markets for both imported and domestically produced rice. This ensures stable long-run relationship, allowing trade flows that guarantees rice availability. The corrections in short-run deviations of price ensure continuous accessibility of rice in the country. Estimates from the volatility model suggest high fluctuation in prices, implying that stability in the prices of rice is an issue across all regional markets. The paper recommends efforts in increasing domestic production to enhance availability and accessibility of rice. Stakeholders along the rice value chain should be encouraged to invest in competitive rice production. Government should leverage rice prices with giant import countries to reduce the cost of importation for stable price on the market.

The study investigated the social challenges of adolescents in secondary schools in Ghana. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 376 students from five public senior high schools within Cape Coast Metropolis via a multistage sampling procedure. The data were analysed using means, independent samples t-test and multiple linear regression. The results revealed that the most prevailing social challenges students experience are feeling of rejection by friends, fear or concern about the future, and feeling of not being attracted to the opposite sex. This study provides preliminary understanding into a group of adolescent students that are more susceptible to social challenges. Female adolescent, early adolescent, students without residence on campus and students in their final year of study are more likely to experience social challenges than other groups. Moreover, the study revealed that students prefer seeking help from teachers and parents rather than school counsellors.

Abstract: The formalization of the informal sector in Ghana can never be achieved without planning the working environment of the informal sector workers. Although studies have touched on various aspects of the informal sector working environment, no review studies are available on the role of planning in the working environment of the informal sector in Ghana. The purpose of this review was to identify the working environment of informal sector workers and highlight the role of planning as a first step in formalizing the sector to improve their working environment. The study is based on descriptive and narrative content analyses of the literature on the working environment of informal sector workers and the role of planning. The analysis revealed that the working environment of the informal sector workers is hazardous, devoid of social protection, and polluted, which poses risks of injuries and diseases to workers thereby undermining their health and well-being. The poor nature of the working environment of the informal sector workers makes the social, spatial, environmental and facilitating roles of planners crucial in the informal sector. Through planning, the informal sector could be sufficiently guided to appreciate the opportunities and challenges in their working environment to find lasting solutions to the inherent health and safety problems. There is a need for government to formulate a national occupational health and safety policy and regulatory framework to regulate the informal sector.

The incidence of occupational injuries and diseases among informal welders demands an understanding of a wider perspective that goes beyond the identification of hazards and preventive measures to minimize their effects. The literature on economic cost at the workplace has mainly focused on the formal sector with very little attention to the informal work environment. This paper fills this gap by estimating lost man-days and the economic cost among informal welders. The cross-sectional survey design employing a quantitative approach was used for the study. The data were collected from 220 informal master welders and their apprentices. Musculoskeletal injuries, malaria, hypertension and respiratory diseases were the major injuries and diseases leading to the highest days (35 days and above) lost for masters and apprentices. The master welders spent more days off work than the apprentices because they performed most of the technical work and were exposed to hazards for a longer period. These occupational-related injuries and diseases led to a total economic cost of 7.7% and 9.4% of masters and apprentices’ total earnings, respectively. Environmentally safe working conditions of informal welders would reduce the occurrence of injuries and diseases and give them an opportunity to sustain themselves and their dependents and contribute to national development.

This study examined the relationships between social loneliness, emotional loneliness, social anxiety and peer victimisation among 390 seventh- through ninth-grade secondary students. Data were collected in the fall and spring of the school year. Path analyses revealed that feelings of loneliness (both social and emotional) increased adolescents’ peer victimisation experiences, however social loneliness was associated with higher levels of peer victimisation than emotional loneliness in seventh and eighth grade. Early experiences of social anxiety significantly predicted bullying victimisation. Implications for research and intervention programmes are discussed.

This study was carried out to verify the production of haploid plantlets through somatic embryogenesis of Bupleurum falcatum in anther culture (2n=16). Flowers with anthers at the uninucleate stage, less than 200 µm in anther length, were exposed to 10ºC for 5 days (cold pretreatment) and the anthers were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 2,4-D and/or picloram at various concentrations at 30ºC. The optimal supplement for callus formation was a mixture of 0.075 mg L-1 2,4-D + 0.075 mg L-1 picloram or 0.75 mg L-1 2,4-D without picloram. Only a few calli were induced from the anthers without cold pretreatment. The calli were transplanted to MS medium without phytohormones and cultured at 25ºC for plant regeneration. Among one hundred twenty root tips of the regenerated plantlets examined, 14.2% were haploid (n=8). However, in the plantlets regenerated from anthers without cold pre-treatment only 2.5% was haploid. In both haploid and diploid regenerated plantlets, the chromosome number was fixed without variation. Among the regenerated plantlets, one was albino. Haploid plantlets were transplanted to the field after acclimation in pots filled with vermiculite under 90% humidity for a month, and haploid plant were produced. The potential of haploid plants derived from anther culture for production of high-yield and good-quality cultivars is discussed.