Household food insecurity and its association with psychological well-being of pregnant women in Ghana: the role of selected psychosocial factors

The inability to get enough food has contributed immensely to dangers confronting pregnant women, especially in the developing countries. Food insecurity has been associated with a variety of negative consequences such as poor health and wellbeing. However, the impact of food insecurity on well-being has not received the needed attention by researchers in Sub-Saharan Africa where the state of food insecurity and its consequence is very pandemic. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of food insecurity on psychological well-being and its components among pregnant women in Northern Ghana and to assess the roles of self-esteem, locus of control, proactivity, and social support on the underlying relationship. The cross-sectional survey was adopted where 386 pregnant women were recruited to complete questionnaires on demographic, some psychological factors, psychological well-being and food insecurity. Dimensionality and Item analyses were conducted to detect complex and poor items and also to ensure unidimensionality. Regression analysis, MANOVA, Baron and Kenney Model of moderation and mediation, the multivariate ANOVA and the Two-way ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses. Results indicated that the measurement and the structural models showed a good fit with the observed data. Results showed that about 37.5% (n=144) out of the 384 pregnant women experienced severe food insecurity. Food insecurity was negatively significantly related with psychological well-being and all its components among pregnant women. Food insecurity elucidated 48.5% of the observed variance of food insecurity. Food insecurity correlated highly to personal growth (β = -.327) element of psychological well-being compared to autonomy (β = -.227), interpersonal relationship (β = -.207), environmental mastery (β = -.168), self-acceptance (β = -.117), and of purpose in life (β = -.107). Self-esteem and locus of control mediated the relationship between food insecurity and psychological well-being. Proactivity and social support also moderated the nexus between food insecurity and psychological well-being. 4 Final Submission of Thesis, Dissertation or Research Report/Project, Conference or Exam Paper Having higher income status and being employed were associated positively with higher psychological well-being. Support was not found for the nexus between marital status and age with psychological well-being. Recommendations are made for pregnant mothers to be supported and empowered to boost their self-esteem and make them proactive

Job Insecurity and Turnover Intentions among Banking Sector Employees: The Moderating Role of Organizational Support and Ethical Leadership

Purpose - Job insecurity exerts a significant impact on turnover intentions among employees. The association may be partly due to the influence of organizational support and the ethicality of leaders. However, there is a shortage of studies on the ameliorating role of organizational support and ethical leadership in the nexus between job insecurity and turnover intentions. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the nexus between job insecurity and turnover intentions among banking sector employees. The moderating role of organizational support and ethical leadership on the underlying relationship was assessed to achieve this. Design/methodology/approach – One hundred and sixty (160) banking sector employees were conveniently selected to participate in the study. The sample consisted of female (n = 92) and male (n = 68) employees, ranging from 23 to 49 years. Standardized measures were used in soliciting respondents' demographic characteristics, perceived job insecurity, ethical leadership, organizational support, and turnover intentions. Data were analyzed using regression analysis. Findings – Results revealed a significant positive correlation between perceived job insecurity and turnover intentions. Organizational support and ethical leadership also moderated the association between job insecurity and turnover intentions. The influence of job insecurity on turnover intentions minimizes when management provides the needed support and favorable climatic conditions. Originality/value – In general, the study highlights the importance of organizational support and ethical leadership in lessening the impact of job insecurity on turnover intentions

Tumor vessel normalization after aerobic exercise enhances chemotherapeutic efficacy.

Targeted therapies aimed at tumor vasculature are utilized in combination with chemotherapy to improve drug delivery and efficacy after tumor vascular normalization. Tumor vessels are highly disorganized with disrupted blood flow impeding drug delivery to cancer cells. Although pharmacologic anti-angiogenic therapy can remodel and normalize tumor vessels, there is a limited window of efficacy and these drugs are associated with severe side effects necessitating alternatives for vascular normalization. Recently, moderate aerobic exercise has been shown to induce vascular normalization in mouse models. Here, we provide a mechanistic explanation for the tumor vascular normalization induced by exercise. Shear stress, the mechanical stimuli exerted on endothelial cells by blood flow, modulates vascular integrity. Increasing vascular shear stress through aerobic exercise can alter and remodel blood vessels in normal tissues. Our data in mouse models indicate that activation of calcineurin-NFAT-TSP1 signaling in endothelial cells plays a critical role in exercise-induced shear stress mediated tumor vessel remodeling. We show that moderate aerobic exercise with chemotherapy caused a significantly greater decrease in tumor growth than chemotherapy alone through improved chemotherapy delivery after tumor vascular normalization. Our work suggests that the vascular normalizing effects of aerobic exercise can be an effective chemotherapy adjuvant

Cadmium, Cu, Hg, Sb, Se and Ti contamination in abandoned and active mining sites in Ghana shows concerns for soil and human health risks

The presence of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils of gold mining sites poses health concerns to residents in mining communities. A study was conducted to assess the potential hazards to human health associated with the presence of PTEs in active, abandoned, and profile gold mine sites. We collected 102 soil samples, determined their total element contents, and calculated their pollution load index (PLI), enrichment factor (EF), and contamination factor (CF). The risks to human health were calculated for adult males, adult females, and children who ingested contaminated soil particles orally using the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI). The soils' total Cd concentrations were above the global average of 0.2 mg/kg: abandoned (2.86 mg/kg), active (3.93 mg/kg), and profile (4.04 mg/kg). High Hg levels were found in active mine soil (0.92 mg/kg), profile (0.89 mg/kg), and abandoned mine soils (0.87 mg/kg). The active, abandoned, and profile soils had Ti concentrations of 14.18, 6.74, and 4.82 mg/kg, respectively, above the global average of 0.57 mg/kg. All sites were contaminated with Cd, Cu, Hg, Sb, Se and Ti, according to the PLI values (active = 6.03, abandoned = 4.61, and profile = 6.24). Cd, Hg, and Ti in mine spoils were related to Al, Fe, Mn, pH, TC, clay, and P in multivariate analysis (correlation and PCA). The presence of metals in the environment can be attributed to both natural processes and human activities. The HI values in children exceeded the critical value of 1.0, indicating a significant likelihood of non-carcinogenic hazards. The use of green space technology is crucial for the restoration of ecological integrity and the preservation of public health

Employee Retention in Institutions of Higher Learning: A Study of Some Selected University Colleges in Ghana

The study investigated the issue of employee retention across private tertiary institutions in Ghana with a focus on Senior Members of some selected university colleges in the Ashanti Region. The mixed-method approach was used in a descriptive survey design. In all, 111 respondents were selected from four university colleges using purposive and convenience sampling methods. Interview guide and questionnaire were relied upon in collecting data for the study, with frequencies, percentages, Kruskal-Wallis test and thematic analyses as analytical tools. The study observed that the expectations of Senior Members before accepting employment in the selected institutions include getting a high salary, better working conditions, more training opportunities, career development opportunities, a favourable working environment as well as obtaining some form of recognition and appreciation in the institutions. Again, several factors such as better remuneration, care and concern from employers, more training and development opportunities, better promotion system, conducive working environment, and increased employee engagement influenced retention of Senior Members in the institutions. However, no significant differences were observed in the views of Senior Members (academic and non-academic) of the selected institutions on the factors influencing employee retention. The study recommends that HR Units of the selected universities should effectively collaborate with the HRM experts of the universities to design fair and proper training and development programs to motivate employees to stay in the organizations. Keywords: Employee retention, tertiary institutions, human resource management, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/JEP/13-5-06 Publication date: February 28th 202

Biochar, compost and/or NPK fertilizer affect the uptake of potentially toxic elements and promote the yield of lettuce grown in an abandoned gold mine tailing

Background and study objectives: The low soil quality status and the high concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) found in gold mine tailings make them unfit for crop production. Assessing the possibility of mine tailings for crop production after mining is important since the presence of these PTEs harms food safety and human health. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of biochar, poultry litter compost, and inorganic fertilizer on the uptake of PTEs and the soil quality improvement of tailings from a decommissioned mine tailing in Ghana.Materials and methods: Rice husk biochar, poultry litter compost, and NPK were applied alone or in combination to the abandoned mine tailings at the rate of 5 t ha−1. After a 42-day pot experiment, we extracted the content of nutrients and PTEs in the soil and plant, and determined their uptake by the Lactuca sativa L.Results and discussion: Rice husk biochar, poultry litter compost and NPK applied alone or in combination significantly increased the soil pH, organic matter, available P as well as the CEC (Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+) but reduced the exchangeable acidity in the mine tailings. Additionally, tailings amended with NPK increased the N uptake by 42%. Also, tailings amended with 2.5 t ha−1 biochar + 2.5 t ha−1 NPK increased both P and K uptake by 128% and 101%, respectively. For PTE uptake (i.e., Pb, Hg, As, Cd, and Cr), biochar, poultry litter compost and their combinations reduced the Hg uptake (mg kg−1) in the pot by a maximum 49% as compared to the control. Plausible formation of metal-hydroxo complexes at high pH with its consequent strong adsorption of Hg and presence of exchangeable K which contributed to the ion binding strength of the amended mine tailings reduced mobility and uptake of Hg by the lettuce. However, biochar, compost, and/or inorganic fertilizer enhanced Cd, Cr, and Pb uptake, which may pose lettuce food chain contamination problems for the inhabitants.Conclusion: As a result, we conclude that the use of inorganic NPK fertilizer and rice husk biochar can be used to improve the soil quality of abandoned gold mine tailings for safe food production, minimize Hg uptake by lettuce, and lower the associated environmental risk

The Impact of Cooperative Membership on Fish Farm Households’ Income: The Case of Ghana

The emergence of agricultural cooperatives is extensively viewed as a necessary institutional arrangement that can help farmers in developing countries overcome the constraints that impede them from improving sustainable agricultural production and acquiring new marketing opportunities. Therefore, this study examines the determinants of cooperative membership and its impact on fish farm household income, using data collected from two regions in Ghana. An endogenous switching regression (ESR) model is utilized to address the potential sample selection bias issue. The results show that household heads’ decisions to join cooperatives are affected by their access to credit, off-farm work, education level, and peer influence. Cooperative membership can increase both household and farm income by 28.54% and 34.75%, respectively. Moreover, we show that different groups of households’ cooperative impacts on farm and household income are heterogeneous. Our findings highlight the importance of cooperative patronization and provide implications that can improve households’ welfare

The Impact of Cooperative Membership on Fish Farm Households’ Income: The Case of Ghana

The emergence of agricultural cooperatives is extensively viewed as a necessary institutional arrangement that can help farmers in developing countries overcome the constraints that impede them from improving sustainable agricultural production and acquiring new marketing opportunities. Therefore, this study examines the determinants of cooperative membership and its impact on fish farm household income, using data collected from two regions in Ghana. An endogenous switching regression (ESR) model is utilized to address the potential sample selection bias issue. The results show that household heads’ decisions to join cooperatives are affected by their access to credit, off-farm work, education level, and peer influence. Cooperative membership can increase both household and farm income by 28.54% and 34.75%, respectively. Moreover, we show that different groups of households’ cooperative impacts on farm and household income are heterogeneous. Our findings highlight the importance of cooperative patronization and provide implications that can improve households’ welfare