Gifty Apiung Aninanya

• PhD (Public Health)
• Lecturer at University for Development Studies

Introduction Patient satisfaction is crucial in mental healthcare and its impact on treatment outcomes. Despite the global burden of mental disorders, there are limited research on client satisfaction, especially in Ghana. This study aimed to investigate factors influencing patient satisfaction with mental health care in the Tamale Metropolis. Met...

Introduction Ghana faced acute COVID-19 vaccine uptake rejection after the rollout of the initial dose, thus, posing a risk of not reaching herd immunity as necessary to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease. Objective In this study, we analysed the impact of perceptions of the COVID-19 infection on COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthc...

The study investigated the prevalence and determinants of family planning services uptake among women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) in the Yendi municipality in the northern region of Ghana. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 396 reproductive-aged women, sampled from 6 randomly selected health facilities in the...

Globally, teenage pregnancies, unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections are on the increase among young people. However, their knowledge and uptake of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services are low. This study evaluated young people’s knowledge, attitude and utilization of youth-friendly health services in the Tamale Met...

Globally, there is a significant challenge in the acceptability and utilization of mental health services. This issue is particularly pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study, grounded in the socioecological model, explores the recommendations and perspectives of family caregivers and service providers on improving mental...

Background Strictly following antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential in managing HIV and AIDS and attaining viral suppression. However, adherence to ART remains a complex challenge among persons living with HIV (PLHIV) and it is influenced by various individual and socio-cultural factors. Also, there is limited data as far as the studies on dete...

Background The incidence of chronic diseases, which are significant contributors to maternal deaths and adverse new-born outcomes, is increasing among women of reproductive age in northern Ghana. This emerging health issue raises serious concerns about the potential exacerbation of adverse birth outcomes in this setting, given that it is one of the...

Background: Adolescent pregnancies continue to be a global issue that affects more high-income, middle-income, and then low-income countries, with the latter experiencing the majority of cases. Aim: The current study looked into the prevalence and variables predicting adolescent childbearing in Ghana. Methodology: Data from the Ghana Multiple Indic...

Background Caregivers’ responsibilities for caring for individuals living with mental illness have grown in the last three decades, owing mostly to the transition of mental health treatment from institutions to community-based psychiatric services. Due to the burden that ensues with caring for individuals living with mental illness, many caregivers...

The study investigated the determinants of family planning services uptake among women of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) in the Yendi municipality in the northern region of Ghana. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 396 reproductive-aged women, sampled from 6 randomly selected health facilities in the Yendi municipa...

Caring for the mentally ill involves numerous challenges, including financial difficulties, stigma, and psychosocial issues, among others. Unpaid family caregivers must endure these challenges as they continue their care for their relatives with mental illness. Despite these burdens and their concomitant effects on both the patients and their careg...

Background Mental health service utilization remains a challenge in developing countries, with numerous barriers affecting access to care. Albeit data suggest poor utilization of mental health services in the Bolgatanga Municipality in Ghana, no studies have explored the barriers to the utilization of mental health services. Therefore, this study e...

Background In July 2008, Ghana introduced a ‘free’ maternal health care policy (FMHCP) through the national health insurance scheme (NHIS) to provide comprehensive antenatal, delivery and post-natal care services to pregnant women. In this study, we evaluated the ‘free’ policy impact on antenatal care uptake and facility-level delivery utilization...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused over 171,657 confirmed cases and 1,462 deaths in Ghana, particularly among frontline health-workers involved in pandemic response. Prevention measures in Ghana include AstraZeneca ‘Covishield’ vaccination of health-workers, but research on factors affecting uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Ghana were initially limited...

Family caregivers' role in sending their mentally ill relatives to the mental health service (MHS) has been vital in the era of community mental healthcare. They are the determinants of where mentally ill relatives are sent for care. There is currently no evidence about the motivators of MHS use among these major stakeholders in the Bolgatanga muni...

Introduction: Menstruation is crucial in the reproductive lives of all women. The advent of menses in most settings is accompanied by physical and psychological health, religious, social, and cultural implications. The research intends to identify determinants of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices among adolescent girls in Junior High Sc...

Background Premarital sexual activities among the youth have been on the rise globally in recent years. However, the awareness level and patronage of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health service centres are low. The purpose of this study was to evaluate young people's knowledge level, their attitude, access and the utilization of youth-fri...

Abstract Introduction: menstrual hygiene (MH) is important for all women, yet it is still a neglected issue in many parts of the world. In most traditional African contexts, including Ghana, menstruation is largely treated as a taboo and humiliating topic that is rarely discussed openly. The main aim of this study is to assess perceived factors inf...

Introduction: menstrual hygiene (MH) is important for all women, yet it is still a neglected issue in many parts of the world. In most traditional African contexts, including Ghana, menstruation is largely treated as a taboo and humiliating topic that is rarely discussed openly. The main aim of this study is to assess perceived factors influencing...

In the Ghanaian health system, low job satisfaction has been shown to affect service delivery. It is indicated that poor remuneration, non-conducive working environments and poorly resourced healthcare facilities influence job satisfaction and affect quality healthcare delivery. In this study, the relationship between socio-demographic variables an...

In Ghana, nursing documentation practice by nurses is sub-optimal. This analytical cross-sectional study assessed socio-demographic determinants of nursing documentation practice among 278 nurses at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Data was gathered using a questionnaire and both descriptive and inferential analyses were done to determine factor...

Blood transfusion is considered a life-saver in health care settings, but could potentially pose as a risk factor for transmission of life-threatening viral infections, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBsAg), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Syphilis infections. This study was carried out to assess the prevalence and tre...