Research & Projects
Research & Projects
Aidoo, E. N., Ackaah, W., Appiah, S. K., Appiah, E. K., Addae, J., & Alhassan, H. (2019). A bivariate probit analysis of child passenger’s sitting behaviour and restraint use in motor vehicle. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 129, 225-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2019.05.022
Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children worldwide, though many of these deaths are preventable. Buckling young children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts and also seating them in appropriate positions can lead to a significant reduction of serious and fatal injuries.
This study investigated sitting behaviour and restraint use among child passengers through cross-sectional observational surveys conducted in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, Ghana.
A bivariate probit model was developed for simultaneous determination of the contributing factors influencing child passenger’s sitting behaviour and restraint use.
The results showed that 26% of the child passengers observed were occupying the front seat and the prevalence rate of restraint use was 4.5%. The developed bivariate probit model clearly highlights the existence of interrelationship between child passenger’s sitting position and restraint use. The key factors simultaneously influencing child passenger’s sitting position and restraint use include vehicle type, driver’s gender, driver’s belt use, child’s age, and the presence of other child or adult passenger. Furthermore, time of day and day of week also influence child passenger sitting behaviour but not their restraint use. These findings provide insight for better understanding of child transporting practices and the contributing factors influencing their sitting behaviour and restraint use. The findings also highlight the need for policy makers to design effective countermeasures to promote rear sitting and restraint use among child passengers.
Appiah, E. K., Aidoo, E. N., Avuglah, R. K., & Appiah, S. K. (2024). Geographically weighted logistic regression model for identifying risk factors for malaria infection among under-5 children in Ghana. Scientific African, e02398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2024.e02398
Malaria remains a significant public health problem globally and its effective management is crucial for many countries. The condition is severe for children under-5 since their immune systems are not strong enough at that age. Thus, proper identification of possible risk factors will be useful to support policy formulation and training programs.
The study's main objective was to identify the risk factors associated with malaria among children under five years. However, the study sought to compare spatial (geographically weighted logistic regression) and non-spatial (logistic regression) modelling approaches to ascertain which model better fit the data.
A geographically weighted logistic regression (GWLR) model was developed to identify risk factors for malaria infection among children under-5 in Ghana. The modelling approach used is based on the premise that the relationship between malaria infection and the potential risk factors are spatially heterogeneous. The analysis was based on data from the Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey obtained through the demographic and health survey program.
The results from the GWLR model show that the identified risk factors were non-stationary within the study area. Based on the information criterion used, the GWLR model was found to fit the data better compared to the conventional binary logistic regression (BLR) model. The figures below represent some of the maps from the GWLR model, where the red colour indicates higher estimates for a child's anaemia status, a child's age and whether or not a child's dwelling has been sprayed in the last 12 months, whilst cyan represents a lower implication. The results further suggest that a child’s age, anaemic condition, dwellings sprayed, place of residence, availability of electricity, age of the household head, and household wealth index significantly influence the likelihood of his/he malaria infection. These findings contribute to the existing literature on malaria risk factors in Ghana and could potentially inform the national malaria control policies.
Submitted to International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. (accepted for publication)
The increasing incidence of under and overweight as well as obesity in infertile women and especially those seeking fertility treatment has important implications for not only their own health, but also that of the yet to be conceived innocent babies and the treatment outcome as a whole. Understanding the prevalence of extremes of BMI will provide useful information for IVF counselling and treatment.
This archival study sought to establish the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among women seeking fertility treatment in a fertility hospital in a developing nation; Ghana - regarding the current global, continental, sub regional and national prevalence.
The study found that 1. the bulk (76.83%) of the Study participants (SPs) were obese (39.56%) and overweight (37.27%), 2. the majority with elevated BMI was between ages 30 and 49 years, 3. infertility and BMI increased with education 4. many more obese and overweight women presented with secondary than primary infertility. 5. the occupational risk of elevated BMI among this SPs ranked in the order of being a trader, a civil servant, an artisan, a health worker, to being a student. Weight management deserves needed attention before ART.