TY - JOUR
T1 - Building cardiovascular disease competence in an urban poor Ghanaian community
T2 - A social psychology of participation approach
AU - de-Graft Aikins, Ama
AU - Kushitor, Mawuli
AU - Kushitor, Sandra Boatemaa
AU - Sanuade, Olutobi
AU - Asante, Paapa Yaw
AU - Sakyi, Lionel
AU - Agyei, Francis
AU - Koram, Kwadwo
AU - Ogedegbe, Gbenga
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - 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 stroke, their caregivers, health care providers, and GIS mapping of pluralistic health systems, food vending sites, bars, and physical activity spaces. Data analysis was informed by the diagnosis-psychosocial intervention-reflexivity framework proposed by Guareschi and Jovchelovitch. The community had a high prevalence of CVD and risk factors, and CVD knowledge was cognitive polyphasic. The environment was obesogenic, alcohol promoting, and medically pluralistic. These factors shaped CVD experiences and eclectic treatment seeking behaviours. Psychosocial interventions included establishing a self-help group and community screening and education. Applying the “AIDS-competent communities” model proposed by Campbell and colleagues, we outline the psychosocial features of CVD competence that are relatively easy to implement, albeit with funds and labour, and those that are difficult. We offer a reflexive analysis of four challenges that future activities will address: social protection, increasing men's participation, connecting national health policy to community needs, and sustaining the project.
AB - 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 stroke, their caregivers, health care providers, and GIS mapping of pluralistic health systems, food vending sites, bars, and physical activity spaces. Data analysis was informed by the diagnosis-psychosocial intervention-reflexivity framework proposed by Guareschi and Jovchelovitch. The community had a high prevalence of CVD and risk factors, and CVD knowledge was cognitive polyphasic. The environment was obesogenic, alcohol promoting, and medically pluralistic. These factors shaped CVD experiences and eclectic treatment seeking behaviours. Psychosocial interventions included establishing a self-help group and community screening and education. Applying the “AIDS-competent communities” model proposed by Campbell and colleagues, we outline the psychosocial features of CVD competence that are relatively easy to implement, albeit with funds and labour, and those that are difficult. We offer a reflexive analysis of four challenges that future activities will address: social protection, increasing men's participation, connecting national health policy to community needs, and sustaining the project.
KW - Ghana
KW - cardiovascular disease
KW - community health competence
KW - participation
KW - task shifting
KW - urban poverty
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077899003&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/casp.2447
DO - 10.1002/casp.2447
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85077899003
SN - 1052-9284
VL - 30
SP - 419
EP - 440
JO - Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology
IS - 4
ER -