Neighbourhood Effects, Environmental Disasters (Floods) and Psychosocial Wellbeing among Residents of Accra, Ghana
During the June 3 flood that hit Accra in 2015, at least 225 people were killed with many injured, displaced, and properties worth millions of dollars destroyed. Annual floods in Accra continue to result in death(s), injuries, and destruction of infrastructure, livelihoods, and displacement of large communities. Severe flood events have been linked to a variety of public health issues, including psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatization and post-traumatic stress disorder. Low-middle income countries are significantly less equipped to tackle the various challenges of environmental disasters (floods) and mental wellbeing within the context of rapid urbanisation. The World Health Organization in 2020 estimated that 650,000 people in Ghana suffer from a severe mental disorder, and another 2,000,000 suffer from a moderate to mild mental disorder, with a 98% treatment gap. The primary objective of my research project is to investigate the mechanisms through which structural and social neighbourhood effects mediate environmental disasters (floods) and impact psychosocial wellbeing in Accra, Ghana. Previous research has established the significance of neighbourhood characteristics (mostly on socioeconomic status) with health outcomes in flood prone communities. However, much of the neighbourhood effects research is situated in the global north. As a result, applying existing research in global south contexts is inadequate. Urban areas in African countries are among the most rapidly expanding in the world with Accra being one of the fastest growing cities on the continent. It is, therefore, crucial to understand the relationship between neighbourhood effects, environmental disasters (floods), and psychosocial wellbeing among Accra residents.
Student Lead: Lily (Ziyue) Zhang
Professional links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ziyue-zhang/
Urban neighbourhood environments and chronic disease outcomes in Ghana
Epidemiological evidence shows low- and middle-income countries are rapidly transitioning from the predominance of nutritional, maternal, and neonatal health outcomes to a period increasingly dominated by chronic health outcomes. Chronic health has consequently become a topical issue and a subject of intense debate. There is an understanding that human behaviors cannot be isolated from the living environment and the spaces where they perform daily activities, yet arguments about the causes of and suggested solutions as well as ongoing policy programs to curb the burgeoning burden of chronic health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries have largely focused on behavioral risk factors including tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Irenius’ ongoing doctoral research seeks to understand the connections between chronic/non-communicable disease and urban environments of low- and middle-income countries using Ghana as a case study. The overall goal of this research is not to discredit behavioral risk factors but to argue for recognition of the environment and the integration of environmental policy programs in the fight against non-communicable disease in Ghana and other low and middle-income countries.
Student Lead: Irenius Konkor
Professional links
Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Q-fW724AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Research gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irenius-Konkor
Embracing (or Bracing for?) Diversity: Integrating Immigrants through Inclusive Local Decision-Making Processes
Shervin’s PhD research“ explores the intersection of immigrant integration and community engagement. This research builds upon his professional experience in the field of migration in the NGO sector and his master’s research on public participation in urban planning practice. The urgency of this line of inquiry is readily apparent when considering the context of the Greater Toronto Area, which is one of the fastest growing regions in North America and which will be attribute more than 75% of its population expansion over the next 20 years to international migration. In Toronto, the urban and regional planners responsible for accommodating migrant populations have a choice before them: to identify immigrant communities as yet another population to simply manage and whose arrival to ‘brace’ for, or to seize the opportunity to ‘embrace’ them as partners in local decision-making processes that can lead to more effective and just outcomes. For his doctoral dissertation, Shervin is investigating how planners in selected municipalities within the Greater Toronto Area are working with diverse populations in the planning process, with the goal of identifying best practices in approaches to local-level public deliberation and the engagement of immigrant communities.
Student Lead: Shervin Ghaem-Maghami
Professional links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shervingm
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shervinghaemmaghami/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FRR26H4AAAAJ
Traditional medicine dynamics among older persons in a resource poor setting
Irrespective of the dominance of western medicine (WM) in health delivery systems across the world, millions of people in several low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Ghana, continue to rely on traditional medicine (TM) for treating illnesses. Understanding the use of TM in Ghana is a complex topic due to the various intertwining factors such as cost, availability, access, socioeconomic status, and sociocultural factors, which influence the use of TM. Herein, the objective of Sanewal’s thesis were twofold: (1) to further the understanding of factors that drive the use of TM among elderly individuals in Ghana, and (2) to investigate whether a shift in prevalence of TM use exists. Using Rosenstock’s Health Belief Model as a theoretical framework, and seventeen in-depth interviews, Sanewal’s thesis examined the perceptions and motivations surrounding the use of TM among elderly residents located in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Thematic analysis of the interviews indicated that the use of TM is still pervasive despite the increasing availability of WM. The findings suggest that factors including availability of TM as a sociocultural commodity, health perceptions and health-seeking behaviours, and other modifying factors are all influential in driving the continued use of TM. Contrary to previous literature, the dependency on TM as the sole form of medication may no longer be prominent, rather an increase in WM use may be inevitable.
Student Lead: Sanewal Singh
Diabetes health care service utilization among South Asians in GTA
Minal’s thesis research project focused on Type 2 diabetes in South Asians living in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario and their utilization of diabetes-related health services in the Canadian healthcare system. Type 2 diabetes accounts for majority of the diabetes cases around the world, and certain ethnicities have a higher risk of developing this chronic condition, including South Asians (i.e., individuals originating from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka). This risk is especially higher in migrant South Asians living in Western countries, as evidenced by existing literature. Thus, the first main objective of this thesis was to synthesize the latest literature on factors that predispose South Asians to be at high-risk for type 2 diabetes and the healthcare utilization patterns of ethnic minorities in Canada, which was fulfilled through a scoping review analysis. The second objective was to investigate perceptions and experiences of South Asians living with type 2 diabetes in Ontario and their utilization of diabetes related healthcare services and community resources within the healthcare system. This objective was addressed through qualitative 20 in-depth interviews with South Asian participants who were diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and living in the GTA, Ontario. The interview data was analyzed through NVivo 12 and findings were contextualized through a conceptual framework involving Anderson’s Behaviour Model of health services utilization and the relational perspective of place.
Student Lead: Minal Waqar
Professional links
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/minal-waqar