Development of standardised sizing system and size charts for the production of ready-to-wear clothing for Ghanaian children aged 6-11

Children experience rapid growth rate and often indulge in various physical and motion related activities in education and play spaces. Ill-fitting clothing such as very tight or unproportionally balanced clothes can cause movement restrictions, psychological challenges, and other undesirable health related issues. This makes appropriate clothing sizing crucial to address, as it gives children the right fit that allows room for movement and growth. Effectiveness of fit is based on a sizing system and size charts that have been developed using current and accurate body measurements of a specific population since differences exist among populations. Currently, established size charts and academic publications on sizing systems in Ghana have focused on women. No national database or anthropometric study has been developed exclusively for Ghanaian children. Practitioners either take measurements on ad-hoc basis for made-to-measure outfits; or use adapted versions of the British sizing system for manufacturing ready-to-wear garments such as uniforms. This research has therefore been undertaken to develop a standard clothing sizing system and size charts for Ghanaian children between the (school) ages of 6 and 11. This will sustain the general production of reliably sized garments for Ghanaian children whiles providing appropriate fit. It will further enhance mass production of ready-to-wear garments for the apparel market in Ghana. The study involved both secondary and primary data collection methods. An extensive review of literature was conducted focusing on relevant topics in anthropometry and anthropometric surveys for sizing creation, sizing systems, growth of children and garment fit. A comprehensive set of body measurements including height and weight of the sample population of school children were collected. A critical measurement procedural guide and two instructional videos in English and Twi (dominant Ghanaian language) were developed by the study taking into account efficacy, ethical and sustainable considerations for good practice. These were made available and guided parents/legal guardians and participants in the data collection process during fieldwork. The population consisted of primary school pupils in Ghana. A sample of 776 usable data was used for the analysis. With the IBM SPSS analytics software, appropriate statistical procedures such as means, t-test and analysis of variance tests (ANOVA) were conducted to ascertain the relationships among the variables and to obtain statistical data for the development of the sizing system. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis were also used to aid the development of the sizing system. Centred on the PCA technique, three key dimensions (height, chest, and waist girths) were selected based on the factor loading and practicality. The study found and established significant differences between the body measurements of Ghanaian children aged 6-11 along gender lines. Using the cluster analysis technique, the selected dimensions were used to categorize the study sample into homogenous subgroups according to upper and lower body separately for both males and females. Four or five sizes were created for each cluster group, and size charts were established based on percentile values. This study presents theoretical and empirical contributions to the body of knowledge in anthropometrics. It has modelled a guide that demonstrates the capability of remote and safe body measuring practices on children, which is particularly useful, economical, and reliable for clothing related practices that seek to employ consistent traditional manual measuring techniques. The study has created an original up-to-date anthropometric database for Ghanaian children between 6-11 years; and developed a comprehensive sizing system for wider clothing practices. In addition to providing a framework for procedures in creating children’s sizing system and size chart, it establishes new size charts for both males and females aged 6-11, based on the Ghanaian population. These developments stand to increase productivity, consistency, and economic efficiency for the Ghanaian apparel industry. The study makes recommendations for extending this work to other segments of the population

FACTORS AFFECTING EVALUATION OF CLOTHING FIT: A case study of Adolescents in Sekondi-Takoradi

Fit is an important factor for consumers wearing ready-made clothes. Problems related to apparel fit stem from a variety of factors. The aim of this study is to determine adolescents’ evaluation of clothing fit in terms of functional and aesthetic characteristics. It also assesses how female adolescents and male adolescents differ in the evaluation of the fit of their clothes. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. A total sample of 400 adolescents were selected using random sampling technique. Determination of sample size was based on Taro Yamane’s formula from a population of 12,000. Structured questionnaire with closed ended questions design based on the Likert scale was used as the instrument for eliciting the desired information. The data analysis was performed. The main statistical tools used were means and standard deviations while the Independence Sample T-test was run to verify if evaluation of clothes was independent of gender in terms of both the aesthetic and functional dimension. Findings have clearly shown that aesthetic and functional factors play vital roles in determining clothing fit. Also evaluation of clothing is based on some factors such as size, ease, fabric, brand name, comfortability, feeling good among others. Results further suggest that this consumer group probably does not have the expertise, knowledge and cognitive skills that can enable them, during the evaluation phase of the decision-making process, to realistically evaluate this very important dimension of the quality of clothes. Key words: Adolescents, clothing, fit, functional, aesthetic

Additional file 1: of The “Universal” in UHC and Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme: policy and implementation challenges and dilemmas of a lower middle income country

Data collection tools-The Universal in UHC. Primary data collection tools. Informed consent form. Focus Group Discussion and Key Informant interview guides. (DOCX 136 kb

Effects of COVID-19 disease on PAI-1 antigen and haematological parameters during disease management: A prospective cross-sectional study in a regional Hospital in Ghana.

BackgroundIndividuals with COVID-19 experience thrombotic events probably due to the associated hypofibrinolysis resulting from the upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) antigen. This study evaluated plasma PAI-1 antigen levels and haematological parameters before treatment and after recovery from severe COVID-19 in Ghana.Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at Sunyani Regional Hospital, and recruited 51 patients who had RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2. Participants' sociodemographic data and clinical characteristics were taken from the hospital records. Venous blood was taken before COVID-19 treatment commenced for FBC, PAI-1 and ferritin assays. FBC was assessed using an automated haematology analyzer, whilst plasma PAI-1 Ag and serum ferritin levels were assessed with sandwich ELISA. All the tests were repeated immediately after participants recovered from COVID-19.ResultsOf the 51 participants recruited into the study, 78.4% (40) had non-severe COVID-19 whiles 21.6% (11) experienced a severe form of the disease. Severe COVID-19 participants had significantly lower haemoglobin (g/dL): 8.1 (7.3-8.4) vs 11.8 (11.0-12.5), pConclusionPlasma PAI-1 Ag level was higher among severe COVID-19 participants. The COVID-19-associated inflammation could affect red blood cell parameters and platelets. Successful recovery from COVID-19, with reduced inflammatory response as observed in the decline of serum ferritin levels restores the haematological parameters. Plasma levels of PAI-1 should be assessed during the management of severe COVID-19 in Ghana. This will enhance the early detection of probable thrombotic events and prompts Physicians to provide interventions to prevent thrombotic complications associated with COVID-19