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- ItemThe Effect of Processing on Bioactive Compounds and Nutritional Qualities of Pulses in Meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 2(Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2021-05-21) Acquah, Caleb; Ohemeng-Boahen, Godfred; Power, Krista A.; Tosh, Susan M.Diversification of plant-based food sources is necessary to improve global food and nutritional security. Pulses have enormous nutritional and health benefits in preventing malnutrition and chronic diseases while contributing positively to reducing environmental footprint. Pulses are rich in diverse nutritional and non-nutritional constituents which can be classified as bioactive compounds due to their biological effect. These bioactive compounds include but are not limited to proteins, dietary fibres, resistant starch, polyphenols, saponins, lectins, phytic acids, and enzyme inhibitors. While these compounds are of importance in ensuring food and nutritional security, some of the bioactive constituents have ambivalent properties. These properties include having antioxidant, anti-hypertensive and prebiotic effects. Others have a deleterious effect of decreasing the digestibility and/or bioavailability of essential nutrients and are therefore termed antinutritional factors/compounds. Various processing techniques exist to reduce the content of antinutritional factors found in pulses. Traditional processing of pulses comprises soaking, dehulling, milling, germination, fermentation, and boiling, while examples of emerging processing techniques include microwaving, extrusion, and micronization. These processing techniques can be tailored to purpose and pulse type to achieve desired results. Herein, the nutritional qualities and properties of bioactive compounds found in pulses in meeting the sustainable development goals are presented. It also discusses the effect of processing techniques on the nutritional and non-nutritional constituents in pulses as well as the health and environmental benefits of pulse-diet consumption. Major challenges linked to pulses that could limit their potential of being ideal crops in meeting the sustainable development goal 2 agenda are highlighted.
- ItemEnglish for Engineering Education: A corpus study of Lexicogrammatical contents of Engineering Textbooks(The African Applied Researchers Association (AARA), 2024-12) Botchwey, E.; Owusu, E.; Abunya, L. N.; Addo, M. A.; Appiah, P.; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2016-4219Purpose: The need for English usage for Specific Purposes (ESP) in technical institutions has recently gained prominence. Specifically, the study identifies (1) the most frequently used vocabulary (with at least 100 hits) of electrical engineering texts and (2) their collocations in context. Design/Methodology/Approach: As a corpus-based English for Academic Purposes (EAP) enquiry, the AntConc corpus analytical tool was employed to analyse the data. The data include seven undergraduate Electrical Engineering textbooks easily accessible online with renowned authorship purposively sampled. Findings: The study's results reveal key vocabulary items in the Electrical Engineering textbooks, including current, electric, voltage, field, circuit, magnetic, and power in the order of frequency from the highest. These form beneficial syntagmatic relations with themselves and other content words; current collocates most frequently with voltage, typically in ‘voltage and current’ (59 hits) against ‘current and voltage’ (23 hits) structure. Research Limitations: These results have implications for existing scholarship on Electrical Engineering education and for further research in English for Academic Purposes. Practical Implication: This study has a practical implication for developing course contents and pedagogy for English Language or Communicative Skills for Electrical Engineering students and for the teachers in teaching some of these frequently used words to broaden the vocabulary scope of the Engineering students. Social Implication: The study will help inform policy-making in technical education to address the linguistic gap by providing a framework for including English for Specific Purposes in all curricula of technical universities. Originality: This study is based on the design of needs analysis in English for specific purposes: efficiently implementing impending competency-based training (CBT) for technical education in Ghana.
- ItemPredictors of hypertension among diabetic patients in the Ejisu municipality of Ghana [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review](F1000Research, 2024) Brenyah, Florence; Apprey, Charles; Agbenorhevi, Jacob K.; Mills-Robertson, Felix C.; 0000-0002-4071-5049Introduction The co-existence of hypertension with diabetes mellitus among diabetic patients is a setback to public health. About 40-75% of diabetic patients present with hypertension. The co-existence of hypertension and diabetes can accelerate complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction, nephropathy, and mortality. Available data indicate the devastating effects of hypertension and diabetes on individuals, families, and the economy as catastrophic. Therefore, knowing the predictors of hypertension among diabetic patients would inform the lifestyle and management of the two conditions. Objective The study focused on predictors of hypertension among diabetic patients in the Ejisu Municipality of Ghana. Methods The study employed a quantitative approach with a sample size of 120. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, family history, 24-hour dietary recall, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, total lipid profile, and anthropometrics. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Results Out of 120 respondents, 85% were females with 77.5% above 50 years of age. A majority (66.7%) had a family history of diabetes with 76.7% having hypertension as a comorbidity. Fasting blood glucose was found to be 8.519 times more likely to present with hypertension. Systolic blood pressure, carbohydrate, and sodium intakes were 6.1%, 2.9%, and 0.1% respectively. However, diabetic patients with high HbA1c were 97% less likely not to present with hypertension. Conclusion Hypertension was found to be the most common comorbidity among diabetic patients in Ghana. Glycaemic control, systolic blood pressure, and dietary factors specifically carbohydrate and sodium intake were significant predictors of hypertension among the study participants.
- ItemDietary diversity and nutrient adequacy among women in Bosomtwe District, Ghana(Maternal & Child Nutrition, 2024) Apprey, Charles; Addae, Hammond Yaw; Boateng, Grace; Aduku, Linda Esi; Annan, Reginald A.; 0000-0002-4071-5049The sustainable development goals seek to end all forms of malnutrition of women of reproductive age (WRA) by 2030. As such, recent data on nutrient adequacy are needed to aid in tracking progress. However, data on specific dietary nutrient intakes includes only iron, folate, vitamin A, and vitamin B12 in Ghana. Therefore, women's dietary diversity score (W‐DDS) is often used as a proxy measure of nutrient adequacy. It is hypothesised that there is no association between W‐DDS and Nutrient Adequacy among WRA in peri‐urban Ghana. Hence, this research evaluated the associations between W‐DDS and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) and assessed the determinants of mean nutrient adequacy ratio (MAR) in the Bosomtwe District of Ghana. A community‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted, and data collected on anthropometry, food insecurity, socio‐demographic characteristics and dietary intake using the 24‐hour recall from 407 WRA. In all, 21 nutrients were assessed. The mean age, W‐DDS, and MAR were 29.0 ± 6.7 years, 5.3 ± 1.9, and 0.65 ± 0.19 respectively. The NAR were generally high for the macronutrients as compared to micronutrients and the nutrients with low NAR included vitamin C (0.27 ± 0.19), vitamin A (0.15 ± 0.23), vitamin B12 (0.54 ± 0.32), calcium (0.28 ± 0.20), zinc (0.52 ± 0.23) and iron (0.57 ± 0.28) ‐ signifying the WRA may be consuming monotonous carbohydrate‐based diet. The hierarchical multivariable linear regression found a significant association between W‐DDS and MAR after controlling for confounders (β = 0.404, p < 0.001). The determinants of MAR were ethnicity (β = 0.110, p = 0.006) and body mass index (β = 0.189, p < 0.001). This study supports the use of W‐DDS as a proxy indicator of nutrient adequacy. Strategies meant to address nutrient inadequacies should be adaptable to different ethnic groups and overweight‐reducing strategies should be incorporated into broader nutrition initiatives.
- ItemAnemia Predicts Physical Fitness Among Adolescent Athletes in Ghana(Health Science Reports, 2024) Eli‐Cophie, Divine; Apprey, Charles; Annan, Reginald A.; 0000-0002-4071-5049Background: Anemia indicates low blood hemoglobin levels and has become a public health problem among adolescents in developing countries. The prevalence among adolescent athletes and its effect on physical fitness has not been studied in Ghana. The study aimed to assess the impact of anemia on physical fitness among adolescent athletes in Ghana. Methodology: The sample of 194 adolescent athletes was randomly recruited from competitive athletic groups, boxing, and football clubs in Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Volta regions of Ghana. Anthropometric parameters and Hemoglobin concentration were measured. Physical fitness was assessed using, right and left‐hand grip strength, reaction time, flexibility, and the Cooper‐12‐min run test, all following standard procedure. Results: The adolescent athletes of mean age (15.8 ± 2.5 yrs) and weight (54.0 ± 12.8 kg) were mostly of normal weight‐for‐age and height. The overall prevalence of anemia among the adolescent athletes was 14.3%. Anemia was however, more common among early adolescents (20.7%). The average hemoglobin level was lowest among the early adolescents (12.8 ± 1.1 g/dl), however, there was no association between anemia and the adolescent age group (X2 = 2.112 p = 0.348). Although the proportions of anemic males and females were similar (14.3%), the mean hemoglobin levels were significantly higher among males (13.6 ± 1.5 g/dl) than females (12.5 ± 1.2 g/dl). There was an association between hemoglobin and cardiorespiratory endurance (r = 0.324, p = 0.005), hand grip strength as well as relative handgrip strength (r = 0.379, p = 0.001). Hemoglobin significantly predicted 10.5% of the variation in cardiorespiratory endurance (R2 = 0.105, b = 0.623, p = 0.005) of the athletes. Conclusion: Hemoglobin levels could predict the cardiorespiratory endurance and muscular strength of adolescent athletes. Anemia is a public health problem among adolescent athletes and must be given the needed attention to make these athletes competitive and win laurels.