Browsing by Author "Kokuro, Mercy"

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    Conceptual analysis and exploration of self-management in the teaching and learning context of nursing students in Ghana
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-12) Kokuro, Mercy; Crowley, Talitha; Van der Merwe, Anita S.; Young, Cornelle; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.
    Introduction and rationale: As students enter tertiary education, they move away from parental control and the support of the secondary school system, taking responsibility for themselves and their academic performance. In nursing colleges, students face the challenge of integrating the theoretical class-based and their clinical knowledge and skills to successfully complete their studies. Mastering self-management skills in the teaching and learning context is considered an important task for nursing students. While many studies have examined concepts like academic self-efficacy, self-directed learning, and academic self-regulation, research has yet to conceptualise self-management specifically within nursing education and develop theoretical statements to support it. Aim: To analyse the concept of self-management and explore its realisation in the teaching and learning context amongst Ghanaian General Nursing diploma students, in order to contribute to the development of self-management theory in the context of nursing education. Methods: A multi-method approach was employed, conducted in four phases: a concept analysis was conducted that analysed self-management in 33 scientific articles (12 on teaching and learning and 21 on healthcare). Phases two and three used interpretive phenomenology to explore the perspectives of 17 nursing students and eight nurse educators on self-management in four nursing colleges in Ghana's Ashanti region. In the fourth phase, theoretical statements were inferred from the concept analysis and the in-context realisation of self-management to contribute to theory building and validated using Fawcett’s (2005) criteria. The study was approved by the Health Research Ethics Committee, Stellenbosch University (S20/08/210(PhD)) and the Committee on Human Research and Publication Ethics (CHRPE), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Permissions from the principals of the four selected nursing training colleges were also sought. Findings: Phase one identified nine defining attributes, six antecedents and three consequences of self-management, organised into short-term, long-term, and negative outcomes. In phases two and three, four main themes emerged regarding self-management in the Ghanaian educational context. Three antecedents and three consequences were identified. Positive self-management led to academic growth, achievement, and recognition, while negative behaviours resulted in poor academic performance. The final phase integrated these findings into ten interrelated attributes, categorised as attitudinal and behavioural. Two personal and three environmental antecedents were identified. Consequences were grouped into positive and negative categories. These findings were used to generate definitions and develop five theoretical statements to contribute to theory building and serve as a guide for future self-management in teaching and learning initiatives for nursing students in Ghana, including the stakeholders who manage the institutions. Conclusion: The study provided evidence-based statements indicating that effective self-management in teaching and learning leads to academic success among nursing students, while poor self-management results in subpar performance. This study clarifies the concept of self-management, contributing to the development of a theory in the context of nursing education. The theoretical statements generated can guide curriculum developers, planners, and policymakers in structuring nursing programs to foster self-management skills.
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    Factors affecting the utilisation of cervical cancer screening among women attending health services in the kumasi metropolis of Ghana
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Kokuro, Mercy; Smuts, Estelle; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Cervical cancer is the second-most frequently diagnosed and the fourth commonest cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Almost 70% of the global burden occurs in areas of lower development. Incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer among women in Ghana are of the highest in the world. According to the Ghana Health Service,16% of cancer mortality is attributed to cervical cancer. It has also been predicted by the World Health Organization that by the year 2025, 5 000 new cases of cervical cancer and 3 361 cervical cancer deaths will occur annually in Ghana. Purpose: This study aimed to determine factors affecting the utilisation of cervical cancer screening among women attending health services in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. Methods: A correlational cross-sectional quantitative study design was used. The target population was women of 18 years and above seeking reproductive health services in the Kumasi metropolis during the study period. A total of 369 participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Initially, two of the four hospitals were randomly selected. Subsequently, a systematic sampling technique was used in selecting participants to participate in the study. Data was collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire consisting of 38 closed-ended and open-ended questions. The questionnaire was printed in English and in the Twi language. A pilot study was conducted using 20% of the daily average attendance (200) in the four hospitals in the Kumasi metropolis. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Health Research Ethical Committee at Stellenbosch University, as well as consent from the institutions under study. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 23.0 and findings are presented using descriptive and inferential statistics with 0.05 as the significance threshold. Results: Of the 369 participants, 58% were between the ages of 18 and 30 years, 46.1% were single, and 27.9% and 27.1% had primary and tertiary levels as their highest levels of education respectively. Of the participants, 67.5% were employed, 29.3% had only one child followed by 24.1% who had two children. Of the participants, 75.1% had adequate knowledge on cervical cancer with a mean knowledge score of 7.70±2.13 with range, 2–11 and about 88% had a good perception of cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening. The majority (n=300; 81.3%) had never been screened while 69 (18.7%) had been screened before. Of the 69 (18.7%), 17.3% had been screened only once and 1.4% had been screened twice. The majority of participants were not sure whether cervical screening was painful (46.6%) or expensive (32%), and 41.2% strongly agreed that their partners would not want them to have cervical cancer screening. The study found a significant relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge, perception and the utilisation of cervical cancer screening respectively. Age significantly affected knowledge level (p=0.022). Marital status significantly affected knowledge (p<0.001) and cervical cancer screening utilisation (p=0.040). Education significantly affected participants’ knowledge levels on cervical cancer and cervical screening (p=0.001) and cervical cancer screening utilisation (p=0.003). Work status significantly affected the utilisation of cervical cancer screening by participants (p=0.006). Conclusion: Even though participants had adequate knowledge and positive perception, cervical cancer screening services were not utilised by the participating women. Fear of the screening procedure being painful and expensive may have been part of the reason for the low utilisation of cervical cancer screening. Therefore, all-inclusive health education on the benefits of cervical cancer screening for both women and men should be a priority for stakeholders and all health organisations.
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    Utilisation and perceptions of cervical cancer screening services
    (Unisa Press, 2020) Kokuro, Mercy; Diji, Abigail Kusi-Amponsah
    Cervical cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed and the fourth commonest cause of cancer death among women worldwide. Even though cervical cancer is preventable, its screening rate has been reported to be low in Ghana. To the best of our knowledge, no study has focused on the utilisation and perceptions of cervical cancer among women in their reproductive age in Ghana. The present study aimed at assessing the utilisation and perceptions of cervical cancer screening services among women who seek reproductive healthcare services. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among women aged 18 years and above. Using a two-stage sampling technique, 369 participants were selected from 2 out of 4 eligible study sites. Data on the perceptions and utilisation of cervical cancer screening services were collected following ethical approval. The data were collected using both English and Twi versions of the questionnaire. The data were descriptively and inferentially analysed. A few of the participants had been previously screened for cervical cancer (n = 69; 18.7%), while a greater proportion of the participants appropriately perceived the screening benefits (> 70%), and an equally greater percentage of them harboured negative perceptions which prevented them from engaging in such endeavours (> 80%). Significant differences in perception were, however, observed in two-fifths of the studied areas (6/14) among the screened and unscreened participants. Cervical cancer screening services were not utilised by the majority of the participating women. Screening was associated with socio-demographic characteristics such as marital status, parity, education, and employment status. Inappropriate perceptions on cervical cancer screening may account for the low utilisation of cervical cancer screening. Therefore, all-inclusive health education on the benefits of cervical cancer screening for both women and men should be a priority for stakeholders and all health organisations.