Conference Reports

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KNOWLEDGE ON EFFECT OF EXERCISE ON HIV INFECTED PERSONS’ HEALTH AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS IN KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Contributions of sports on health continue to expand due to ever ongoing research. Conclusive studies validate significant benefits of physical activity in many health conditions. Despite the recognition and knowledge of the beneficial effects of exercise on persons living with HIV and AIDS in the developed world, there are few published studies on knowledge of effect of exercise on HIV infected persons in developing countries. This study is designed to determine whether health science students in Kenya have basic knowledge on the effect of exercise on HIV infected persons. Simple random sampling was employed in selected institutions in Kenya that offer health science programmes. The study, a descriptive survey by design used a researcher designed questionnaire on knowledge of effects of exercise on HIV infected persons for data collection. The questionnaire was administered to student in all year groups in Nursing and Midwifery, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Human Nutrition and Dietetics. Results showed a positive response of medical students towards significance of exercise towards improved physiological and psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS management. It recommended exercise specific content in the curriculum of medical students to empower them in prescribing exercise as an alternative to the management of HIV/ AIDS conditions and need to design cost effective exercise programes to enable the low social economic status people access fitness.  Article visualizations

The Effect of teacher motivation and instructional methodologies on student outcomes in integrated science in the upper east region, Ghana

This study\u27s focus was to ascertain how teaching strategies and teacher motivation affected students\u27 performance in integrated science in Ghana\u27s Upper East. The researcher employed a survey design. Heads of senior high schools and teachers of integrated science constitute the study\u27s population. Purposeful and straightforward random samplings were utilised to choose the respondents. 84 respondents made up the sample, comprising 80 integrated science teachers and 4 school heads. A structured questionnaire served as the primary tool, and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyse the data (SPSS). The data analysis revealed that a large percentage of integrated science instructors (52.5%) thought that teacher motivation led them to perform in-depth study in order to teach effectively. Additionally, it was found that every integrated science instructor stated that skilled teachers employ effective teaching strategies to raise student achievement

Teacher Perspective on Integrating ICTs into Teaching of Art in the Colleges of Education in Ghana

This paper is one of the discourse that holistically evaluate the perspectives of tutors in integrating ICTs into their teaching. There is universal recognition of the need to use information and communication technology (ICT) in education as we are in the era of globalization where the free flow of information via satellite and the internet holds power in global information dissemination of knowledge. The study investigated the pedagogical underpinnings of ICTs in education in the colleges of education in Ghana against the 21st century teaching utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings indicated that majority of the respondents agreed that the colleges use variety of teaching methods and again few tutors of Arts employ technology to their advantage in making sure that students understand concepts they impart through the appropriate means. The study conjectures that currently, there is a slight mix in the colleges of education as many of the members of the colleges lack that technical support and know-how, impeding professional development on how to integrating ICTs into their teaching. Keywords: ICTs, ICT Tools, Technology, Tutor, Student-teachers, Perception, Education DOI: 10.7176/ADS/77-02 Publication date:October 31st 201

Pedagogical Strategies of Visual Art in Colleges of Education

This paper examines the implementation of the visual art curriculum at Wiawso College of Education (WATICO) in Ghana. The discussion touches on the pedagogical strategies and methods used in the teaching of the visual art programme at the WATICO and also to examine it implications on the trained teacher expected to teach Visual Art aspect of Basic Design and Technology (BDT) at the Basic Education level. Purposive sampling technique was used. Three main methods viz. interview, personal observations, and documentary review were employed. Teacher performance evaluation and Inductive analysis strategy were used as reference materials for the analysis. The study revealed that the art teachers at WATICO demonstrated high level of competency of knowledge in the subject matter. However, the teaching and learning of art component BDT at WATICO was more theoretical than practical and in spite of the tutors’ mastery in the preparation of lesson notes, the research revealed that the visual art at WATICO does not equip the teacher-trainee with teaching and learning skills in all the three areas of BDT (Visual Arts, Home Economics, and Technical Skills). The findings of the study cannot be generalized for colleges of education in Ghana since it was limited to only WATICO in the Western Region of Ghana. It was concluded that, the pedagogical strategies and methods adopted for the teaching and learning of visual art at WATICO were diverse, yet appropriate for the visual art. However, teaching and learning of visual art at the basic level were observed to be more theoretical than practical demonstration and application. It is recommended that the use of learner centred approach to teaching coupled with diverse teaching methods as practiced in WATICO should be consolidated. Keywords: pedagogy, art, education and implementation DOI: 10.7176/ADS/77-01 Publication date:October 31st 201

Assessing the Relationship between Short Birth-to-Pregnancy Interval and the Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes among Multiparous Women in Northern Ghana

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an optimal Birth-to-Pregnancy Interval (BPI) of 24-59 months, or a 33-month interval between two successive births, to reduce the risk of untoward maternal and newborn outcomes. Short Birth to Pregnancy Interval (SBPI) and unmet need for Family Planning (FP) are the major contributors to rapid population growth and increased maternal and newborn mortalities. The purpose of this study was to assess the adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes associated with SBPI among multiparous women in three municipalities of the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana. Materials and Methods: We employed a cross-sectional design conducted among 904 women aged 15-49 attending Antenatal Care (ANC) clinics in three municipalities in the UER who had at least two successive live births prior to data collection. A multistage cluster sampling technique was employed to recruit respondents for this study. This was conducted in four steps. Out of the 46 health facilities, we randomly selected 25 respondents using the systematic random selection method. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire, incorporated into the electronic data collection tool (Kobo collect), and administered by trained research assistants. Birth interval was categorized according to the WHO’s classification: <24 months as SBPI, 24-≥59 months as Optimal Birth to Pregnancy Interval (OBPI), and >59 months as Long Birth to Pregnancy Interval (LBPI). Results: Of the 904 respondents, the majority (56.2%) had an OBPI, while 36.9% had a SBPI. Factors that influenced SBPI were parity, mode of delivery, and the educational status of woman’s partner. Participants with a higher parity (≥5 children) had 0.67 times the potential of spacing their births (AOR 0.67; 95% CI 0.46-0.98; p = 0.040). Women who experienced a Caesarean Section (CS) delivery were 3.28 times more likely to have LBPI (AOR 3.28; 95% CI 1.02–10.62; p=0.047). Respondents whose partners had secondary education had a 1.87 chance (AOR 2.07; 95% CI 1.09–3.96; p=0.027) of spacing their births. The birth complications reported were retained products of conception (41.9%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (27.9%), postpartum hemorrhage (11.6%), obstructed labor (10.5%), sepsis (38.1%), neonatal jaundice (23.8%), low birth weight (19%), and preterm birth (14.3%). Conclusion: A significant proportion of the participants in this study reported having a short duration between the birth of one child and the conception of the next. This was associated with various adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, such as birth complications and mortalities. The study emphasizes the need for health professionals to address challenges in contraceptive uptake, especially among multiparous women, and promote optimal birth spacing to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes

Assessing the Relationship between Short Birth-to-Pregnancy Interval and the Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes among Multiparous Women in Northern Ghana

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an optimal Birth-to-Pregnancy Interval (BPI) of 24-59 months, or a 33-month interval between two successive births to reduce the risk of untoward maternal and newborn outcomes. Short Birth to Pregnancy Interval (SBPI), and unmet need for Family Planning (FP) are the major contributors to rapid population growth and increased maternal and newborn mortalities. The purpose of this study was to assess the adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes associated with SBPI among multiparous women in three municipalities of the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana.  Materials and Methods:The study employed the Cross-sectional Design conducted among 904 women aged 15-49 years attending Antenatal Care (ANC) clinics in three municipalities in the UER who had at least two successive live births prior to data collection. Data was collected using structured questionnaire, incorporated into the electronic data collection tool, Kobo collect and administered by trained research assistants. Birth interval was categorized according to the WHO’s classification, <24 months as SBPI, 24-≥59 months as Optimal Birth to Pregnancy Interval (OBPI) and >59 months as Long Birth to Pregnancy Interval (LBPI). Results: Of the 904 respondents, the majority (56.2%) had an OBPI, while 36.9% had a SBPI. Factors that influenced SBPI were parity, mode of delivery, and the educational status of women’s partner. Participants with a higher parity (≥5 children) had 0.67 times the potential of spacing their births (AOR 0.67; 95% CI 0.46-0.98; p = 0.040). Women who experienced a Caesarean Section (CS) delivery were 3.28 times more likely to have LBPI (AOR 3.28; 95% CI 1.02-10.62; p=0.047). Respondents whose partners had secondary education had a 1.87 chance (AOR 2.07; 95% CI 1.09-3.96; p=0.027) of spacing their births. The birth complications reported were retained products of conception (41.9%), pregnancy-induced hypertension (27.9%), postpartum hemorrhage (11.6%), obstructed labor (10.5%), sepsis (38.1%), neonatal jaundice (23.8%), low-birth-weight (19%), and preterm birth (14.3%). Conclusion and Global Health Implications: The study recommends health professionals in direct contact with maternal, reproductive, and child health to be proactive in FP counseling, and to support women decision making

IMPACTS DE L'EXPLOITATION DU GISEMENT DE CALCAIRES DE TABLIGBO AU SUD-EST TOGO SUR LA FLORE

International audienceThe exploitation of the apron limestone trade in the south-east is at the origin of the destruction of the plant cover and contributes to the loss of biodiversity. This study to achieve the purpose of the impact of limestone’s extraction on the flora of the study area. It relied on floristic inventories on exploited sites and non-exploited site. The collected data were processed by the Excel program and in the R environment. In total, a rich flora of 152 species has been recorded, including 114 species with 99 genera and 45 families on non-exploited site in contradiction of 82 species with 66 genera and 34 families in exploited sites. The Shannon diversity indices are respectively 3.24 and 3.37 on the exploited and non-exploited sites. The Pielou equitability index is 0.99 at all sites. The analysis of biologic spectra chow the domination of nanophanerophytes and microphanerophytes (41.5 %) on the non-exploited site in contradiction of the therophytes (39.29 %) on the exploited sites. The analysis of phytogeographic spectra indicates the dominance of afro-tropical species (43.40 % on non-exploited site and 41.18 % on exploited sites).These results show that the exploitation of the Tabligo’s limestone deposit had a negative impact on the flora.L’exploitation du gisement de calcaires de Tabligbo, au sud-est du Togo s’accompagne de la destruction du couvert végétal et peut contribuer à la perte de la biodiversité. Cette étude a pour objectif d’évaluer l’impact de l’extraction des calcaires sur la flore du secteur d’étude. Elle s’est appuyée sur des inventaires floristiques sur des sites exploités et non-exploité. Les données collectées ont été traitées par le programme Excel 2016 et dans l’environnement R. Au total 152 espèces ont été recensées dont 114 espèces appartenant à 99 genres et à 45 familles sur le site non-exploité contre 98 espèces appartenant à 82 genres et à 39 familles sur les sites exploités. Les indices de diversité de Shannon sont respectivement de 3,24 et 3,37 sur les sites exploités et non-exploité. L’indice d’équitabilité de Pielou est de 0,99 sur les deux sites. L’analyse du spectre biologique laisse voir la prédominance des nanophanérophytes et des microphanérophytes (41,5 %) sur le site de référence contre celle des thérophytes (39,29 %) sur les sites exploités. L’analyse du spectre phytogéographique indique la prédominance des espèces afro-tropicales (43,40 % sur le site de référence et 41,18 % sur les sites exploités). Ces résultats montrent ainsi que l’exploitation du gisement de calcaires de Tabligbo a eu un impact négatif sur la flore

IMPACTS SOCIO-ECONOMIQUES DE L'EXPLOITATION MINIERE SUR LES POPULATIONS RIVERAINES : CAS DE L’EXPLOITATION DU GISEMENT DE CALCAIRES DE TABLIGBO DANS LA PREFECTURE DE YOTO AU TOGO

International audienceThe exploitation of Tabligbo’s limestone deposit in southeastern Togo constitutes one of the most important mining activities in this country. Despite its economic importance, it is a source of many socio-economic and environmental problems. This article highlights the socio-economic impacts of this activity. This study was based on direct field observations and surveys. For example, 375 people from five of the 12 counties in Yoto Prefecture were interviewed. There were also 10 focus groups of 9 people on average and 17 interviews. The results show that exploitation has had positive impacts, including the creation of jobs, the training of young people, the achievement of socioeconomic works for the benefit of the population and the contribution of foreign currency to the State. The exploitation of Tabligbo’s limestone deposit also caused negative impacts, including the degradation of cultivable land, habitat destruction and noise and atmospheric pollution.L’exploitation du gisement de calcaires de Tabligbo, au sud-est du Togo constitue l’une des plus importantes activités minières de ce pays. Malgré son importance économique, elle est source de plusieurs problèmes socio-économiques et environnementaux. Cet article met en lumière les impacts socio-économiques de cette activité. Cette étude s’est appuyée sur des observations directes sur le terrain et des enquêtes. Ainsi, 375 personnes issues de 5 des 12 cantons que compte la préfecture de Yoto ont été interrogées. Il a été également réalisé 10 focus-groups de 9 personnes en moyenne et 17 entretiens. Les résultats obtenus montrent que l’exploitation a eu des impacts positifs dont la création d’emplois, la formation de jeunes, la réalisation d’ouvrages socioéconomiques au profit de la population et l’apport de devises à l’Etat. L’exploitation du gisement de calcaires de Tabligbo a également occasionné des impacts négatifs dont la dégradation de terres cultivables, la destruction d’habitat et les nuisances sonores etatmosphériques

Economics of bulk storage techniques: maize and cowpea storage in Ghana

High postharvest loss is one of the major challenges faced by farmers in many African countries in their efforts to achieve food and nutrition security. Several postharvest techniques have been developed and introduced to farmers aimed at reducing food losses. This study evaluated the economic viability of four such grain storage techniques using capital budgeting techniques. Two grain protectants were applied at recommended rates in three treatment combinations to jute sacks, PICS sacks, polytanks, and poly sacks at different treatment levels and at different discount rates. Under maize storage, the net present value of all treatments yielded positive net returns. The polytank technique proved to be the most economically viable storage technique, followed by PICS and then jute sacks. Under cowpea storage, polytank proved to be the most viable, followed by PICS. This is consistent under replacement chain method and equivalent annual annuity under the three different discount rates used. Cowpea is best stored in polytanks and PICS sacks. Polytank is recommended as the most economically viable storage technique for both maize and cowpea storage. PICS is also recommend for both maize and cowpea storage. However, jute sacks and poly sacks are not suitable for cowpea storage even under chemical treatment, especially under long-term storage (over 6 months). The choice of storage technique should consider the commodity under consideration