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Background: This thesis applies value assessment frameworks to non-specific low back pain (LBP) in a working population to evaluate health outcomes and to estimate productivity costs. LBP is a common diagnosis in primary health care. It is characterized by recurrent pain episodes and is a major factor in the increasing sickness absence among workers. LBP contributes substantially to the burden of disease and to the economic burden in terms of productivity loss to employer and society at large. Interventions are thus needed to prevent recurring LBP and its associated burden. Such interventions need to be properly evaluated from a variety of perspectives, including that of the worker, the employer and society at large, in order to help us better understand how to support worker-health policies and a sustainable working life. Aims: In the first part of this thesis, the frameworks used aim to investigate the cost-effectiveness of and preferences for secondary prevention interventions for LBP. The second part of the thesis focuses on the production loss measure validity test and on deriving wage multipliers to estimate productivity costs. The thesis investigates productivity costs associated with sickness absence, sickness presenteeism and work environment-related problems from the employer’s perspective. Methods: In Study 1, a cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted among working adults (n =159) to compare the effect and costs of yoga for the prevention of LBP with strength exercises and evidence-based advice. This analysis was conducted from two perspectives, namely that of the employer and that of society at large. The outcome quality adjusted-life years (QALYs) were examined in a 12-month follow-up randomized controlled trial. In Study 2, a discrete choice experiment was conducted among working adults with LBP (n =112). This experiment used the conditional logit model to examine the influence of exercise attributes and individual characteristics on preferences for

Background: Exercise is effective in improving non-specific low back pain (LBP). Certain components of physical exercise, such as the type, intensity and frequency of exercise, are likely to influence participation among working adults with non-specific LBP, but the value and relative importance of these components remain unknown. The study's aim was to examine such specific components and their influence on individual preferences for exercise for secondary prevention of non-specific LBP among working adults. Methods: In a discrete choice experiment, working individuals with non-specific LBP answered a webbased questionnaire. Each respondent was given ten pairs of hypothetical exercise programs and asked to choose one option from each pair. The choices comprised six attributes of exercise (i.e., type of training, design, intensity, frequency, proximity and incentives), each with either three or four levels. A conditional logit regression that reflected the random utility model was used to analyze the responses. Results: The final study population consisted of 112 participants. The participants' preferred exercise option was aerobic (i.e., cardiovascular) rather than strength training, group exercise with trainer supervision, rather than individual or unsupervised exercise. They also preferred high intensity exercise performed at least once or twice per week. The most popular types of incentive were exercise during working hours and a wellness allowance rather than coupons for sports goods. The results show that the relative value of some attribute levels differed between young adults (age <= 44 years) and older adults (age <= 45 years) in terms of the level of trainer supervision required, exercise intensity, travel time to exercise location and financial incentives. For active study participants, exercise frequency (i.e., twice per week, 1.15; CI: 0.25; 2.06) influenced choice of exercise. For individuals with more than one child, travel time (i.e., 20 minute

This study examines how internal governance structures in corporate organisations function in ensuring good corporate governance. It contributes to the extant art of knowledge by shedding light on how ownership and board control structures in corporate organisations operate to achieving good corporate governance in developing countries. Using interviews, observations and archival records, catholic and significant data is collected from four large quoted corporate organisations on the Ghana Stock Exchange for the analysis of the study. By linking the data to the theoretical propositions, the study reveals that these four corporate organisations are characterised by the presence of large shareholders and as a result, they tend to wield extensive control over the activities of the companies through their involvement in the decision-making processes. This sort of involvement by large shareholders in the decision-making processes of the companies is as a result of the incessant flow of information from the companies’ management to them. However, whilst the presence of large shareholders has the tendency to solving the principal-agent problem, it poses challenges in regards to minority shareholders’ interests in these corporate organisations. Small equity holders of the companies only rely on the minimum statutory disclosures in the annual reports of the companies and are always relegated to the background in times of information sharing. The study also highlights that boards of directors tend to exercise control over corporate organisations when majority shareholders stop interfering in their dealings. This implies that when major shareholders fully partake in corporate decision-making processes of companies, boards of directors seem to be sheer advisory bodies to management. Keywords: Ownership control, Board control, Board of directors, Ownership structure, Corporate Governance, Ghana.

Adua, E., Afrifa-Yamoah, E., Frimpong, K., Adama, E., Karthigesu, S. P., Anto, E. O., ... Wang, W. (2021). Construct validity of the suboptimal health status questionnaire-25 in a Ghanaian population. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 19, article 180. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-021-01810-z

Adua, E., Afrifa-Yamoah, E., Frimpong, K., Adama, E., Karthigesu, S. P., Anto, E. O., ... Wang, W. (2021). Construct validity of the suboptimal health status questionnaire-25 in a Ghanaian population. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 19, article 180. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-021-01810-z

Adua, E., Anto, E. O., Roberts, P., Kantanka, O. S., Aboagye, E., & Wang, W. (2018). The potential of N-glycosylation profiles as biomarkers for monitoring the progression of Type II diabetes mellitus towards diabetic kidney disease. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders, 17(2), 233-246. Available here