Diabetes leads to premature death, poor health, and lowered quality of life (QoL). Understanding factors affecting the QoL of diabetic patients is crucial for effective disease management. A facility-based cross-sectional survey of 253 diabetic patients in the Wa Municipality was conducted in April 2023, guided by the Wilson and Cleary Health-Related QoL (HRQoL) framework. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and quantile regression to explore factors associated with QoL. We found that the QoL of diabetic patients was not optimal across all six domains, with the environment, physical, and psychological domains associated with relatively low QoL scores while the spiritual and social domains had relatively high QoL scores. Being female was significantly associated with lower QoL across various quantiles. QoL also reduced with age, notably at the 75th percentile. Urban residents experienced significantly better QoL at the 25th percentile, though this effect lessened at higher percentiles. To enhance QoL, we recommend public education on making buildings more accessible to people with diabetes and engaging clinical psychologists at facility levels to improve psychological wellbeing. Additionally, the Ghana Health Service should strengthen diabetes education in non-urban areas, among women, and encourage early healthcare seeking for diabetes.
The impacts of climate change on agro-based rural smallholder households in Ghana’s Savanna ecological zone continue to threaten livelihoods and food security. Community-based organizations (CBOs) and women’s groups are essential for building climate resilience in vulnerable agrarian communities in developing countries, yet they remain under-explored. This study explored whether membership in community-based organizations improves climate resilience in rural farming communities. It investigated whether membership in CBOs significantly predicts households’ self-assessed ability to cope with climate shocks and stresses. It is anchored in the perspective of social and cooperative associational networks as facilitators of resilience building. The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and drew on perceptions from 2,107 household heads across purposively selected districts in the Upper West and Savannah Regions. The study confirmed a strong positive link between membership in CBOs and perceived climate change resilience-building capabilities. However, structural barriers related to land tenure, access to and ownership of assets, and voice significantly reduce the resilience-building capacity of female-headed households compared to male-headed households. The study concludes that climate change adaptation policies targeting rural households must leverage social networks and address structural barriers hindering women’s adaptive capacities. It reinforces the importance of CBOs as social networks as crucial tools for fostering community resilience and development.
Sanitation infrastructure provision in Senior High Schools, including Tamale Senior High School (SHS) without a blend with educational intervention is hampering the sustainability of environmental sanitation practices. As such, there is the need to assess the impacts of a school-based sanitation programme on environmental sanitation and changes in environmental hygiene practices by students. The main objective of the study is to assess the impacts of a school-based sanitation education programme in the Tamale SHS. A quasiexperimental pre-test and post-test design was employed, targeting SHS 1 to SHS 3 students across programmes. The study is guided by the social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behaviour. A sample size of 373 students was selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected through questionnaire administration and observation. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were resorted to for quantitative data analysis. The study revealed significant improvements in environmental sanitation and hygienic practices after programme implementation. The study concludes that environmental sanitation and student hygiene behaviours in the Tamale SHS are positively influenced by structured sanitation education coupled with infrastructure support. The study recommends for integration of participatory Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) education into school educational programmes by stakeholders.
The growing global concerns about the environment have to do with sustainability issues. Where the activities of the individual, community, national or international, being it economic, social, political, or cultural, do not post any damage to the environment that will call forcompromise for future generations to look for their means of survival in terms of thequalityand quantity of the environment. However, environmental degradation, pollution, andclimatechange challenges persist locally and globally. Hence, green media content may increasetheaudience's ecological consciousness. Indeed, several authors have highlighted the central role of both print and audio-visual media in bringing environmental issues to public and political attention. This paper aims to compile the insights of various environmental narratives andrepresentations that showcase human-environment relationships over time. As a desk study, the keywords were also the search words for the appropriate literature. It takes theoretical andphilosophical roots from ecocritism. The study reveals that these environmental narratives andrepresentation strategies will go a long way to facilitate public connections, enhance ecologicalsensibility, and facilitate behavioural change.
Globally, social movements are significant in advocating political, social, economic and environmental policy and programmes, thereby shaping societies. These movements havehistorically employed various methods ranging from peaceful protest to digital activism,including legal reforms. This desk study examines social movements and their operational processes. Specifically, the study interrogates the types of social movements, their characteristics, key challenges and their coping strategies. The findings established that though social movement’s methods may change over time, technology is the pivot for the movements’ effectiveness, organisation, public support and conformability. The study concludes that social movements' successes depend on attainable goals, established objectives and coping strategies. It is recommended that civil society cultivate decentralised mobilization, engagelocal communities, utilise digital media effectively, and enhance collaboration with various groups to bolster impact and legitimacy. Accomplishing these objectives is vital and can be realisedthrough effective collaboration and inclusivity.
