peter ndaa

University of Ghana, Department of Occupational therapy, Faculty Member

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Perspectives of caregivers of children with disabilities on inclusive education implementation in the Shai-Osudoku district of Ghana

Inclusive Education, 2026

Background Inclusive education is an essential paradigm shift aimed at ensuring equitable acces... more Background
Inclusive education is an essential paradigm shift aimed at ensuring
equitable access to quality education for all children, including those with disabilities, particularly in Ghana, where challenges and opportunities exist in rural-urban settings. However, the effectiveness of inclusive education policies, particularly from caregivers’ perspectives, remains understudied.
Methodology
This qualitative study utilised a community-based participatory
research approach through the application of Intersectionality Theory, conducting semi-structured interviews with 11 caregivers in Dodowa, Ghana. Participants included caregivers of children with varying disabilities, recruited through purposive sampling.
Findings
Analysis revealed five key themes: Knowledge of Inclusive Education
Policies, Teacher Qualification Perspectives, Implementation Processes, Implementation
Challenges, and Implementation Successes. Findings indicated variable awareness among caregivers of inclusive education policies, concerns about teacher preparedness, and significant barriers, including inadequate infrastructure and resource allocation. Despite these challenges, caregivers noted positive trends, such as increased community support and improved awareness of inclusive education.
Conclusion
The study emphasizes the critical role of caregivers in the implementation
of inclusive education policies in Ghana. Insights gained from their experiences can inform policymakers and educators to enhance the effectiveness of inclusive education initiatives

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“I’m Not Asking for Special Treatment, I’m Asking for Access”: Experiences of University Students with Disabilities in Ghana, Ethiopia and South Africa

Disabilities

It is often challenging for youth with disabilities to access university education in Africa, and... more It is often challenging for youth with disabilities to access university education in Africa, and for those who manage to make it to university, while there, their experiences are still not barrier-free. The purpose of this study was to uncover the experiences of the barriers and facilitators to inclusion for youth with disabilities in universities in South Africa, Ghana and Ethiopia. This qualitative project applied a critical, participatory research approach to exploring youth experiences. Youth with disabilities and their colleagues conducted seven focus group discussions, with an average of five students in each focus group, and we used a qualitative descriptive method to analyze data. The findings uncovered similarities and differences in the barriers and facilitators to inclusive education among students with disabilities across all sites. Participants noted limited financial support and university services, and how inaccessible spaces and harmful attitudes are all barriers th...

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Beading as a therapeutic activity in Ghana

World Federation of Occupational Therapists Bulletin

ABSTRACT Africa’s fascinating bead history pre-dates the African Trade Bead era by over 82,000 ye... more ABSTRACT Africa’s fascinating bead history pre-dates the African Trade Bead era by over 82,000 years. Beads, thought to be over 12,000 years old have been found within Libya, Sudan and Kenya where the Turkana people once recognised beads for their value as currency. Cowrie shell beads and bone beads are thought to be among the first types of beads until glass beads were introduced from Western Europe. The Krobo land is among notable bead manufacturing and beading areas in Ghana today. The article discusses the cultural importance of beading in Ghana and how the occupation is used therapeutically in a regional mental health hospital, based on the argument that activities of making intrinsic to traditional, user-centred design practices might impact well-being. In addition to well-being and their connection to making, the concepts of recycling and income generation are explored in relation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Kufanya Kazi Pamoja: Tuning Into African Practitioners’ Perspectives on What Makes a Global Partnership Effective and Sustainable

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy

Date Presented 04/02/2022 This research elicited experiences of practitioners in multiple African... more Date Presented 04/02/2022 This research elicited experiences of practitioners in multiple African countries to elucidate critical factors they believed were conducive to creating a culturally responsive, effective, and sustainable global partnership. Results elucidate common challenges when developing these partnerships and identify recommended preparatory activities that may help create stronger partnerships. Results can assist OTs from the global north when establishing partnerships with practitioners from Africa. Primary Author and Speaker: Jackson Johnson Additional Authors and Speakers: Peter O. Ndaa, Delaney Batik, Jaime P. Muñoz, Anne Marie Hansen

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Appraising the Knowledge, Perception, Attitude and Practice of Occupational Health and Safety among Physiotherapists in an Under-Staffed Healthcare Settings

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a concept designed to prevent work-related hazards. The l... more Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a concept designed to prevent work-related hazards. The leeway for widespread practice of OHS among healthcare professionals underscores its appraisal on profession-specific basis, particularly in under-staffed settings. Aim: We determined the knowledge, perceptions, attitude and practice of OHS among physiotherapists at selected hospitals in the southern sector of Ghana. Methods: The Practicing physiotherapists within the sector were purposively sampled to participate in the cross-sectional survey. Their e-mail and WhatsApp addresses were obtained from the registry of the Ghana Physiotherapy Association. Google software link was created for the completion of a validated questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, perception and practice of OHS. Percentages and proportions were used to summarize demographic profiles. Associations of their knowledge and perceptions with socio-demographics, were performed using Pearson Chi-square test at p<0.05. Re...

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Exploring Students’ Experiences in Occupational Therapy Education: A Phenomenological Study of Professional Identity Development

The Qualitative Report, 2022

The existing literature on professional identity enactment and development, subscribes to student... more The existing literature on professional identity enactment and development, subscribes to students’ socializing in a learning environment, where they regularly encounter practicing professionals throughout their education period. However, in most countries with less resourced occupational therapists like Ghana, education in occupational therapy is fraught with inadequate number of same professionals to mentor undergraduate occupational therapy students. The students are thus faced with serious dilemma regarding their professional identity which tends to elicit a bleak perception of their chosen career. The present study was therefore envisaged to interpret and analyse the students’ lived experiences, with the view to capture the process of constructing and developing professional identity. The study focused on purposively sampled group of nine undergraduate occupational therapy students during their practice placement education, and their learning styles on didactic lectures. A herm...

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Knowledge Level of final-year health professional Students on occupational therapy

Workstation Ergonomic Risk Factors and its associations with Common Musculoskeletal Complaints among Academic Staff of a Ghanaian Higher Institution: A survey

Background: Despite the exposure of academic staff to the ergonomic risk factors associated with ... more Background: Despite the exposure of academic staff to the ergonomic risk factors associated with workstation seat, the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs) is under-reported in higher institutions of learning in Ghana. We therefore evaluated the workstation seat in relation to the academics’ body dimensions and the associations of the outcome with MSCs. Materials and Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional study were academic staff of a foremost health training institution in Ghana. They were enrolled into the study using convenience sampling method. We evaluated the body-chair dimension of the participants individually at each workstation using non-elastic 3-meter long tape measure. Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and ergonomics assessment checklist were used to determine the prevalence and ergonomic risk factors of MSC. Data analysis involved mean, frequency and standard deviation. We analyzed the association between body-chair dimensions and self-reported MS...

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A phenomenological study exploring the professional identity development of the first cohort of occupational therapists trained in Ghana

Aim: This thesis explores the lived experiences of the first cohort of occupational therapy (OT) ... more Aim: This thesis explores the lived experiences of the first cohort of occupational therapy (OT) students from Ghana regarding their professional identity development as they progressed through their pre-registration programme. The aims of the study were to: i) capture students' experiences as they developed their understandings of themselves as occupational therapists in a country with few practicing therapists, ii) examine how students experienced their course programme and transition into becoming occupational therapists, and iii) understand the influence of the learning environment on the students' professional identity development. Method: A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used with a purposively sampled group of nine undergraduate OT students recruited from a maiden cohort of eighteen students. Participants were followed through their four-year course programme. One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted each year from 2013 to 2016 to explore students' lived experiences. The transcribed interview data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings: Three overarching master themes emerged from cross-case analysis of the interviews. Firstly, ‗Knowing self, course programme and aligning with profession'. This master-theme was generated from a set of themes mainly identified at the end of the students first year of study. The second master-theme, ‗Aligning with professional knowledge to redefine professional understanding', emerged from two major sub-themes identified as ‗Feelings of uncertainty with team members' attitude and, being overwhelmed with caseload', and ‗Feeling respected and valued by clients and team members over OT values'. Lastly, is the master-theme ‗Reidentifying with the occupational therapy profession and self'. This was formulated during students' final year of study and entry into practice. Discussion: The discussion captures students' progressive development via three constructs, 1) Personal knowing-involving students re-identifying the self through the demonstration of innate attitudes, 2) Professional knowing where students acquired propositional knowledge through different teaching models and, 3) Experiential knowingthrough students' clinical and practice-based education, alongside their management of disruption, adversity and uncertainty. The three constructs were identified as threshold concepts. These thresholds had trajectory characteristics which students needed to master to move them from their novice to graduate professional state. The discussion portrays how students navigated the series of threshold concepts by engaging with specific processes involving their innate characteristics as well as experiences in their learning environment at different stages in their education. Conclusion: This thesis articulates students' experiences of their course programme and their professional identity development from their initial entry onto the programme to their exit point as graduate professionals via three different constructs that emerged as threshold concepts. The students' I would like to offer many thanks to my supervisory team for the encouragement, guidance and support they provided. The team included Dr. Katherine Wimpenny (Director of Study), Dr Simon Goodman and Dr. Rebecca Khanna. I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Louise Conneeley who started with me as the Director of Study but proceeded on retirement before I completed this thesis.

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Prevalence of positive mental health and functioning among adults with sickle cell disease in Ghana

Ghana Medical Journal, 2020

Objectives: With increasing survival rates of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) reaching ad... more Objectives: With increasing survival rates of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) reaching adulthood, there has been a growing interest in the quality of life and mental health functioning of affected individuals. Positive mental health is recognised as a significant dimension of human health that plays an important role in advancing well-being. This study explored the prevalence of positive mental health and functioning among a sample of Ghanaian adults with SCD. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was implemented for data-gathering. A random sample of 62 adult SCD patients (21 to 56 years; mean age of 29 years) receiving treatment at the Sickle Cell Clinic of the Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital completed the Mental Health Continuum–Short Form (MHC-SF). Descriptive statistics and reliability indices were estimated for the MHC-SF. We implemented Keyes’s criteria for the assessment and categorisation of levels of mental hea...

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Uncovering Silent Voices: African Indigenous Practitioners’ Priorities for Culturally Responsive Global Partnerships

American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2019

Date Presented 04/05/19 Creating sustainable health initiatives in diverse, resource-scarce commu... more Date Presented 04/05/19 Creating sustainable health initiatives in diverse, resource-scarce communities requires a commitment to mutuality, yet African OTs often face barriers when collaborating with Western colleagues. We describe how global partnerships can be established from the perspectives of indigenous African OTs. Primary Author and Speaker: Anne Marie Hansen Additional Authors and Speakers: Jaime Muñoz, Katherine Gammer, Peter Ndaa Contributing Authors: Alex Piori, Sara Weigand

“Tougher than ever”: An exploration of relapse prevention strategies among patients recovering from poly-substance use disorders in Ghana

Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 2017

Objective: Drug dependency has been typified as a persistent relapsing disorder. Overall, 65% of ... more Objective: Drug dependency has been typified as a persistent relapsing disorder. Overall, 65% of people with substance use disorders relapse within one year after treatment. Recent interventions have focussed on contextually relevant relapse prevention strategies. This study explored relapse prevention strategies utilised by patients recovering from polysubstance use disorders one year after treatment at a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit in Ghana. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive phenomenology design and was conducted at the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Unit of the Regional Hospital, Sunyani, Ghana. A purposive sample of 15 patients recovering from poly-substance use disorders were recruited. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with a semistructured guide and analysed using the content analysis procedures. Results: Five key themes emerged from the analysis of the data that described participants' relapse prevention strategies. These include clinical strategies, selfinitiated tactics, spirituality and religious engagements, communalism and social support network. Conclusions: The evidence from this study supports a multilevel treatment strategy for patients with poly-substance disorders. We found that a combination of clinical, individual and contextual factors significantly contribute to relapse prevention efforts in the Ghanaian context. Clinicians and treatment services should explore, evaluate, strengthen and incorporate these emerging themes into their relapse prevention interventions protocols.

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Awareness and Knowledge of Final Year Health Science Students on Occupational Therapy in a Public University in Ghana

Third Edition of the HSI Journal: Volume 2 Issue 1, 2021 Publication., 2021

Background: Occupational therapists play a major role in the healthcare team in the provision of ... more Background: Occupational therapists play a major role in the healthcare team in the provision of holistic care to patients. Successful healthcare depends on collaboration and understanding among health professionals and recognition of each health professional’s role in a team. Objective: The study aimed to determine the awareness and knowledge of final-year health sciences students of the University of Ghana on occupational therapy(OT). Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed by means of a questionnaire with final year students in the Medicine, Nursing and Allied Health Professional programmes (physiotherapy, dietetics, radiography, and medical laboratory sciences) of the University of Ghana. Participants were randomly selected and requested to complete a questionnaire. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 23.0. Results: The results showed anoverall OT awareness of 94.66% (n = 195/206). About 35.0% (n = 69/206)of participant learned about OT as a health profess...

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