Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor
Biographic Data
| ID | 6621201 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sandra Boatemaa Kushitor |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sandra Boatemaa |
| FAMILY NAME | Kushitor |
| SIGNATURE | KUSHITOR S B |
| AFFILIATIONS | Stellenbosch University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0638-6261 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 17 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 17 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Mapping the impact of food system initiatives on advancing Sustainable Development Goals
Non-technical summary This study explores how community-led initiatives known as ‘seeds’ are transforming Ghana’s food systems. These 80 diverse projects tackle challenges such as hunger, poor nutrition, climate change, and poverty. From promoting sustainable farming and fisheries to creating healthier diets and supporting local economies, the seeds show how local innovation can help achieve global goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals…
Promoting lifestyle medicine research in Ghana
The rapid rise in urbanization across many African countries is contributing to the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in both adults and children and presents a significant challenge to health services across the continent. In May 2023, a 2-day workshop was held in Ghana, coordinated by the Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behaviour (CLiMB) at Loughborough University and in collaboration with partners from three Ghanaian …
Perceptions and knowledge of diabetes in poor urban communities in Accra, Ghana
Diabetes is a major public health concern, leading to costly and life-threating complications while significantly impacting quality of life. However, limited evidence exists on how diabetes is understood in poor urban communities in Africa, including Ghana. Evidence suggests that community beliefs about disease can shape health outcomes and influence intervention strategies. This cross-sectional qualitative study assessed perceptions and knowledg…
Non-communicable diseases, psychosocial wellbeing, and quality of life in Ga Mashie, Accra, Ghana
Diabetes, hypertension and obesity were associated with reduced QoL in Ga Mashie, Ghana. Further studies are needed to understand factors that influence health-related QoL among adults with NCDs, how these change over time, and to identify potential coping mechanisms that may influence this association
Changes in food quality and habits in urban Ghana
Respondents reported a shift from home cooking and communal meals toward eating out-of-home meals. The current dietary habits reflect a hybrid of modern foods with traditional foods. Food insecurity is high, and their diets provide little protection against chronic non-communicable diseases. This limits opportunities to move towards healthy diets and improved health outcomes as envisioned in the Agenda 2030
Community perspectives on the built environment, community stress, and the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in Accra, Ghana
The growing burden of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases in Africa demands greater understanding of the contextual drivers of risk factors, including the built environment. Cognitive Mapping (CM) is a participatory research approach that allows community members to visualise their environmental context through drawing. The maps express in visual form the situated knowledge of the environment from local perceptions of daily experiences. …
The cascade of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in urban-poor communities in Accra, Ghana
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and poses a significant health challenge in low- and middle-income settings, including in sub-Saharan Africa. We set out to: (1) examine the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension, and their associated factors, and (2) determine the prevalence of pre-hypertension and its associated factors in an urban poor setting in G…
Sex differences in social connectedness, health, and quality of life
Our study underscores the importance of examining sex-specific patterns in the relationships between social connectedness, QoL and health outcomes. Social connections appear to have both beneficial and non-beneficial effects, especially among women, although the magnitude of these effects was often small. This may reflect complex social dynamics shaped by cultural and traditional roles that differ by sex. Further research is needed to better unde…
The contextual awareness, response and evaluation (Care) diabetes project
Diabetes is estimated to affect between 3.3% and 8.3% of adults in Ghana, and prevalence is expected to rise. The lack of cost-effective diabetes prevention programmes designed specifically for the Ghanaian population warrants urgent attention. The Contextual Awareness, Response and Evaluation (CARE): Diabetes Project in Ghana is a mixed methods study that aims to understand diabetes in the Ga Mashie area of Accra, identify opportunities for comm…
Prevalence and predictors of diarrhea among children under five in Ghana
To lessen the prevalence of diarrhea among children under five in Ghana, existing interventions must be evaluated in the context of the predictors identified. Based on observations deduced from this study, the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other health regulatory agencies should intensify monitoring and awareness in the various regions, particularly in the transition and savannah zones on the causes, risk factors, and methods of pr…
Changing childcare demands due to Covid-19 lockdown regulations and household food security in South Africa
This study examined the effect of increased childcare demands during the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal work and household food security in South Africa. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted with 1890 mothers using the National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) Wave 2. About seven out of ten mothers did not work (74.8%), and one-third (29%) had increased childcare demands, limiting their work oppor…
Exploring the development of change agents for sustainability
Purpose Among the various pro-sustainability strategies that universities adopt, Stellenbosch University’s 2030 Agenda further challenges universities to provide sustainability education that enables students to become change agents for sustainability. The Listen, Live and Learn (LLL) initiative is a co-curricular programme developed at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, that seeks to foster social cohesion and develop change agency among stu…
Leveraging the potential of wild food for healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food systems
Food insecurity and diet-related diseases do not only have detrimental effects to human health, but are also underpinned by food systems that are environmentally unsustainable and culturally disconnected. Ensuring access to a healthy, affordable, and sustainable diet is one of the greatest challenges facing many low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. These challenges in accessing a diverse diet often persist despite biocultural ri…
Analyzing the contributions of transdisciplinary research to the global sustainability agenda in African cities
It is almost 6 years since the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, and countries have less than 10 years to achieve the set targets. Unlike most of the world, sub-Saharan African countries have reported only minimal progress, one that the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately disrupted. Transdisciplinary research (TDR) has been conceptualized as important for achieving sustainability goals such as the SDGs. In this paper we (i) …
Pathways, contextual and cross-scale dynamics of science-policy-society interactions in transdisciplinary research in African cities
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are inherently complex. This paper contributes to the literature on co-production of knowledge at the interface of science, policy, and society in integrated, transdisciplinary research (TDR) projects. By analysing five projects of the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA) implemented in nine African cities, the paper identifies the pathways for science-policy-society…
Building cardiovascular disease competence in an urban poor Ghanaian community
This paper describes conceptual, methodological, and practical insights from a longitudinal social psychological project that aims to build cardiovascular disease (CVD) competence in a poor community in Accra, Ghana's capital. Informed by a social psychology of participation approach, mixed method data included qualitative interviews and household surveys from over 500 community members, including people living with diabetes, hypertension, and st…
Research on Aging in Ghana from the 1950s to 2016
Establishment of spermatogonia throughout the fetal and postnatal period is essential for production of spermatozoa and male fertility. Here, we established a protocol for in vitro reconstitution of human prospermatogonial specification whereby human primordial germ cell (PGC)-like cells (hPGCLCs) differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells were further induced into M-prospermatogonia-like cells (MLCs) and T1 prospermatogonia-like ce…
Pathways, contextual and cross-scale dynamics of science-policy-society interactions in transdisciplinary research in African cities
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are inherently complex. This paper contributes to the literature on co-production of knowledge at the interface of science, policy, and society in integrated, transdisciplinary research (TDR) projects. By analysing five projects of the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA) implemented in nine African cities, the paper identifies the pathways for science-policy-society…
Analyzing the contributions of transdisciplinary research to the global sustainability agenda in African cities
It is almost 6 years since the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, and countries have less than 10 years to achieve the set targets. Unlike most of the world, sub-Saharan African countries have reported only minimal progress, one that the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately disrupted. Transdisciplinary research (TDR) has been conceptualized as important for achieving sustainability goals such as the SDGs. In this paper we (i) …
Building cardiovascular disease competence in an urban poor Ghanaian community
This paper describes conceptual, methodological, and practical insights from a longitudinal social psychological project that aims to build cardiovascular disease (CVD) competence in a poor community in Accra, Ghana's capital. Informed by a social psychology of participation approach, mixed method data included qualitative interviews and household surveys from over 500 community members, including people living with diabetes, hypertension, and st…
Research on Aging in Ghana from the 1950s to 2016
Establishment of spermatogonia throughout the fetal and postnatal period is essential for production of spermatozoa and male fertility. Here, we established a protocol for in vitro reconstitution of human prospermatogonial specification whereby human primordial germ cell (PGC)-like cells (hPGCLCs) differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells were further induced into M-prospermatogonia-like cells (MLCs) and T1 prospermatogonia-like ce…
Building cardiovascular disease competence in an urban poor Ghanaian community
This paper describes conceptual, methodological, and practical insights from a longitudinal social psychological project that aims to build cardiovascular disease (CVD) competence in a poor community in Accra, Ghana's capital. Informed by a social psychology of participation approach, mixed method data included qualitative interviews and household surveys from over 500 community members, including people living with diabetes, hypertension, and st…
Analyzing the contributions of transdisciplinary research to the global sustainability agenda in African cities
It is almost 6 years since the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted, and countries have less than 10 years to achieve the set targets. Unlike most of the world, sub-Saharan African countries have reported only minimal progress, one that the COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately disrupted. Transdisciplinary research (TDR) has been conceptualized as important for achieving sustainability goals such as the SDGs. In this paper we (i) …
Pathways, contextual and cross-scale dynamics of science-policy-society interactions in transdisciplinary research in African cities
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are inherently complex. This paper contributes to the literature on co-production of knowledge at the interface of science, policy, and society in integrated, transdisciplinary research (TDR) projects. By analysing five projects of the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA) implemented in nine African cities, the paper identifies the pathways for science-policy-society…
Exploring the development of change agents for sustainability
Purpose Among the various pro-sustainability strategies that universities adopt, Stellenbosch University’s 2030 Agenda further challenges universities to provide sustainability education that enables students to become change agents for sustainability. The Listen, Live and Learn (LLL) initiative is a co-curricular programme developed at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, that seeks to foster social cohesion and develop change agency among stu…
Leveraging the potential of wild food for healthy, sustainable, and equitable local food systems
Food insecurity and diet-related diseases do not only have detrimental effects to human health, but are also underpinned by food systems that are environmentally unsustainable and culturally disconnected. Ensuring access to a healthy, affordable, and sustainable diet is one of the greatest challenges facing many low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. These challenges in accessing a diverse diet often persist despite biocultural ri…
Changing childcare demands due to Covid-19 lockdown regulations and household food security in South Africa
This study examined the effect of increased childcare demands during the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal work and household food security in South Africa. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were conducted with 1890 mothers using the National Income Dynamics Study – Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM) Wave 2. About seven out of ten mothers did not work (74.8%), and one-third (29%) had increased childcare demands, limiting their work oppor…
The contextual awareness, response and evaluation (Care) diabetes project
Diabetes is estimated to affect between 3.3% and 8.3% of adults in Ghana, and prevalence is expected to rise. The lack of cost-effective diabetes prevention programmes designed specifically for the Ghanaian population warrants urgent attention. The Contextual Awareness, Response and Evaluation (CARE): Diabetes Project in Ghana is a mixed methods study that aims to understand diabetes in the Ga Mashie area of Accra, identify opportunities for comm…
Prevalence and predictors of diarrhea among children under five in Ghana
To lessen the prevalence of diarrhea among children under five in Ghana, existing interventions must be evaluated in the context of the predictors identified. Based on observations deduced from this study, the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service and other health regulatory agencies should intensify monitoring and awareness in the various regions, particularly in the transition and savannah zones on the causes, risk factors, and methods of pr…
Promoting lifestyle medicine research in Ghana
The rapid rise in urbanization across many African countries is contributing to the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in both adults and children and presents a significant challenge to health services across the continent. In May 2023, a 2-day workshop was held in Ghana, coordinated by the Centre for Lifestyle Medicine and Behaviour (CLiMB) at Loughborough University and in collaboration with partners from three Ghanaian …
Perceptions and knowledge of diabetes in poor urban communities in Accra, Ghana
Diabetes is a major public health concern, leading to costly and life-threating complications while significantly impacting quality of life. However, limited evidence exists on how diabetes is understood in poor urban communities in Africa, including Ghana. Evidence suggests that community beliefs about disease can shape health outcomes and influence intervention strategies. This cross-sectional qualitative study assessed perceptions and knowledg…
Non-communicable diseases, psychosocial wellbeing, and quality of life in Ga Mashie, Accra, Ghana
Diabetes, hypertension and obesity were associated with reduced QoL in Ga Mashie, Ghana. Further studies are needed to understand factors that influence health-related QoL among adults with NCDs, how these change over time, and to identify potential coping mechanisms that may influence this association
Changes in food quality and habits in urban Ghana
Respondents reported a shift from home cooking and communal meals toward eating out-of-home meals. The current dietary habits reflect a hybrid of modern foods with traditional foods. Food insecurity is high, and their diets provide little protection against chronic non-communicable diseases. This limits opportunities to move towards healthy diets and improved health outcomes as envisioned in the Agenda 2030
Community perspectives on the built environment, community stress, and the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in Accra, Ghana
The growing burden of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases in Africa demands greater understanding of the contextual drivers of risk factors, including the built environment. Cognitive Mapping (CM) is a participatory research approach that allows community members to visualise their environmental context through drawing. The maps express in visual form the situated knowledge of the environment from local perceptions of daily experiences. …
The cascade of hypertension prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in urban-poor communities in Accra, Ghana
Hypertension is the leading modifiable risk factor for morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases and poses a significant health challenge in low- and middle-income settings, including in sub-Saharan Africa. We set out to: (1) examine the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension, and their associated factors, and (2) determine the prevalence of pre-hypertension and its associated factors in an urban poor setting in G…
Sex differences in social connectedness, health, and quality of life
Our study underscores the importance of examining sex-specific patterns in the relationships between social connectedness, QoL and health outcomes. Social connections appear to have both beneficial and non-beneficial effects, especially among women, although the magnitude of these effects was often small. This may reflect complex social dynamics shaped by cultural and traditional roles that differ by sex. Further research is needed to better unde…
Mapping the impact of food system initiatives on advancing Sustainable Development Goals
Non-technical summary This study explores how community-led initiatives known as ‘seeds’ are transforming Ghana’s food systems. These 80 diverse projects tackle challenges such as hunger, poor nutrition, climate change, and poverty. From promoting sustainable farming and fisheries to creating healthier diets and supporting local economies, the seeds show how local innovation can help achieve global goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals…
Medicine (8 works) · Public health (8 works) · Biostatistics (6 works) · Environmental health (6 works) · Geography (5 works) · Sociology (5 works) · Sustainability (5 works) · Diabetes mellitus (4 works) · Economic growth (4 works) · Epidemiology (4 works)