5 research outputs found
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Climate variability and change, smallholder farmer decision making, and food security in north-west Ghana
This thesis investigates smallholder farmers’ cropping decisions under climate variability and change using the villages of Doggoh and Tie of North Ghana as a case study. With rainfall projected to decrease and temperatures expected to rise, it is essential to understand the impacts of farmers’ cropping decisions under climate variability and change on the availability and utilisation of culturally preferred foods. To that end, this study had three objectives: (i) to examine farmers’ perception of climate variability and change and see how farmer perceptions match and mismatch analysis of meteorological data; understand how farmer’ perception of CVC are socially differentiated; and understand how cultural values shape farmers’ perception of CVC, (ii) to characterise farmers’ responses to CVC and understand why farmers are adapting or not adapting to CVC via crop selection, and (iii) to understand the social uses of food and the impact of farmers’ adaptation to CVC on the availability and utilisation of culturally preferred foods. The study draws on the Theory of Drought Perception, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Social Identity Theory as theoretical lenses to guide the presentation of results. Situating the fieldwork in North-west Ghana, the data collection for this study lasted for ten months (spanning from January to October 2016). To that end, mixed methods involving key informant interviews, semi-structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, and household case studies were used for the data collection. This involved 150 households for the semi-structured questionnaire (75 for each research village) and 34 household case studies (19 in the village of Doggoh and 15 in the village of Tie).
The results revealed that farmers’ perceptions are not supported by the climatic data. Farmers observed a shift in the onset and cessation of rainfall from March to June and from November to October respectively. Farmers’ identified cultural factors as essential in explaining changes in their local climate. Having perceived changes in
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their local climate farmers have adapted by cultivating crops and crop varieties that are better suited to the prevailing changing climate. The only exception is that a few male-headed households continue to cultivate traditional varieties of groundnuts for cultural reasons even though such varieties produce less yield. Farmers reported changing diet patterns of culturally preferred foods as a result of the non-availability and less availability of culturally preferred food crops due to responses to climate variability and change. This study highlights the critical need for policymakers to be sensitive to the cultural foods of local people in the design of adaptation measures
Pattern of intracranial tumours in a tertiary hospital in Ghana
Objective: This study seeks to describe the pattern of intracranial tumours in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) based on patient demographics, clinical presentation, spatial distribution of tumour and histological findings.Method: The study design is retrospective and descriptive. Data was obtained from the clinical records of patients with intracranial tumours treated in our neurosurgery unit between January 2010 to December 2015, and histology reports obtained from the histopathology unit. Patients with intracranial tumours without definitive histological diagnosis were excluded.Results: Of the 102 histologically diagnosed brain tumours, out of 335 brain tumour cases seen in the period under review, 58 (56.9%) were females and 44 (43.1%) were males (p = 0.031). Gliomas were the commonest intracranial tumours - 39(38.2%) followed by Meningiomas 37(36.2%) and Pituitary Adenoma – 9(8.8%). Astrocytoma was the commonest type of Glioma comprising 30(77%) of the 39 cases. Meningotheliomatous meningioma was the commonest type of meningioma with 11 (29.7%) of 37 cases. Of the 39 Gliomas 17(43.6%) were males and 22(56.4%) were females, while for the Meningioma 17(46%) were males and 20(54%) were females. The commonest symptomwas headache (64%) and the commonest tumour location was supratentorial (77.5%). The crude incidence rate of intracranial tumours in this study was 1.34 per 100,000 populations per year.Conclusion: Gliomas are the commonest intracranial tumours seen in our series. Overall, females were more commonly affected than males in most brain tumours in this series, including both gliomas and meningiomas.Funding: Not declaredKeywords: Intracranial tumours, glioma , tumour pattern, Incidence
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No tuozaafi no food among the Dagaaba of Ghana: understanding the cultural aspects of the uses of food
This paper examines cultural dimensions of food among Dagaaba of north-west Ghana. Using mixed methods, the study participants comprised 8 individual key informant interviews, 150 semi-structured questionnaires, 6 focus 10 group discussions, and 34 in-depth interviews. The findings of this study indicate that, tuozaafi, the main staple is a tool that is used to welcome guests by host households and the latter are expected to prepare tuozaafi for visitors even after they have prepared a different meal for the consumption of household members. Also, this study revealed social differentiation in terms of norms and customs around food consumption with men, particularly heads of households and children being served first in food sharing. Furthermore, the study showed that men eat with men, children with children and women with women. In sum, in this examination, it is argued that, the consumption of food goes beyond meeting nutritional and biological needs to nurturing social relations and meeting ritual significance. This therefore implies that, individuals, and households’ decisions on food consumption, and the cultural significance of food particularly tuozaafi in the Dagaaba cultural milieu are potential pathways for understanding future outcomes of interventions that seek to enhance the nutritional value of local foods
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Smallholder farmers’ cropping decisions in rural North‑west Ghana under climate variability and change
This study examines smallholder farmers’ cropping decisions in North-west Ghana under climate variability and change
(CVC). It aims to understand the matches and mismatches between farmers’ perceptions and climatic data, characterise
farmers’ crop choice by identifying diferences between current and past practices, and understand why smallholder farmers respond or not to CVC via crop selection. The study uses a parallel mixed methods approach, with 150 households interviewed, and employs theories of Drought Perception, Planned Behaviour, and Social Identity. Results show that farmers’ perceptions of CVC mismatch climatic data. Farmers’ attitudes largely shape their decisions to respond to CVC via crop choice. Negative attitudes, such as perceived poor yield and difculty in cultivation, have led to the displacement of traditional varieties, while positive attitudes, such as perceived yield benefts, have led to cultivation of improved varieties of crops. The study highlights the need to support smallholder farmers in adapting to CVC and ensuring the availability and utilisation of culturally appropriate foods. Future research should explore the impact of climate change adaptation on the availability and utilisation of culturally appropriate foods
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We used to 'chase the rains' away in the past: the role of cultural values and beliefs in shaping farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change in North-west Ghana
This paper explores how cultural values and beliefs influence farmers' perceptions of climate variability and change (CVC). Using Doggoh and Tie in North-west Ghana, the study reveals four narratives linked to cultural values and beliefs explaining climate change: a decline in ritual sacrifices, young people having sex outside homes, traders holding on to rains for business, and indiscriminate murder without necessary sacrifices. The study suggests that more qualitative studies on the role of cultural worldviews in shaping farmers' interpretations of climate changes are needed, as different cultural contexts may have different worldviews about climate change causes. This will contribute to our holistic understanding of the subject matter of the causes of CVC