Strengthening the governance of food systems for nutrition in Africa: a political economy analysis of food policy in South Africa and Ghana.

Objective: To examine underlying political economy factors that enable or impede the integration of nutrition considerations into food system governance.

Design: Comparative political economy analysis of data collected through (1) value chain analyses of selected healthy and unhealthy commodities and (2) food system policy analyses, using a theoretical framework focused on power, politics, interests and ideas.

Setting: Ghana and South Africa.

Food acquisition and consumption by NOVA food classification and lived poverty index among rural and urban households in South Africa and Ghana.

Objective: This study aimed to determine differences in food consumption by the NOVA food categories in South Africa and Ghana and how they relate to poverty and food supply systems.

Design: This study used a cross-sectional design to assess household food acquisition and lived poverty index.

Setting: The study was conducted in Khayelitsha and Mount Frere, urban and rural communities in South Africa, respectively, and Ahodwo and Ejuratia, urban and rural communities in Ghana, respectively.

Impact of positive selection technology on seed yam productivity.

Positive Selection (PS) technique has been shown to reduce virus infection and increase yields, however there is insufficient empirical evidence on how this technology affects seed yam farm productivity. This study employed Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique to evaluate the impact of PS on seed yam yields of 368 farmers randomly selected from Ghana and Nigeria. The findings showed that educational attainment, distance from the farm to the nearest market, cropping patterns, and other factors influenced farmers' adoption of PS.

Compliance with cocoa quality management practices in Ghana; To what extent are cocoa farmers complying?

Despite the fact that adhering to cocoa quality management practices (QMPs) is crucial to satisfy consumer food safety standards and receive premium cocoa pricing, evidence of cocoa farmers' compliance with these recommended QMPs is scanty in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to assess the extent and antecedents of farmers' compliance with six QMPs including pest and disease, harvesting and pod storage, pod breaking and bean removal, fermentation, drying, and bagging and storage practices in Ghana. Data from 200 farmers was solicited and analyzed using a compliance index as well as a seemingly unrelated regression (SURE) model to account for cross-correlation effects among six recommended QMPs.

Linkage between working conditions and wellbeing: Insight from migrant and native farmhands on Ghana's cocoa farms.

Working conditions and wellbeing (quality of life) could be linked, and they in turn enhance social and economic development. Nevertheless, working conditions of farmhands have largely been ignored in policy and research. We explored working conditions of migrant and native farmhands on Ghana's cocoa farms, and implications on wellbeing, using primary data from 600 respondents.

Survey of experiences and barriers to dental care post-head and neck cancer in OraRad study participants.

Purpose: Dental care after head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment is crucial to maintaining oral health and preventing/treating oral complications. This survey investigated the experiences and barriers to dental care post-radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: Participants of the Clinical Registry of Dental Outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer (OraRad) were surveyed at approximately 4 years post-RT.

Modelling of vertical integration in commercial poultry production of Ghana: A count data model analysis.

Poultry production has significant potential to reduce protein deficiency, food insecurity and poverty in Ghana. However, limited vertical integration and high cost of production in the sector have stifled growth and exposed poultry farms in the country to many risks, leading to poor business performance. This study uses cross-sectional data from 102 commercial poultry farms to assess the determinants of vertical integration in the Ghanaian poultry industry by employing zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Zero-inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB) models.

Reduced bone mineral density in the first year after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT).

Background/objectives: The effect of total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with CP is unknown. We aimed to assess bone health in patients with CP after TPIAT.

Methods: We measured BMD, BMD Z-score, and bone mineral content (BMC) for total body, lumbar spine, right and left hip in 78 patients before and after TPIAT using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, n = 78 pre-TPIAT, n = 65 paired pre- and 12 months post-TPIAT, n = 33 paired 12 and 18 months post-TPIAT), and tested for association with clinical history including age, smoking status, and medications using paired and two-sample t-tests, linear regression, and Fisher's exact test.