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Article History

Received: 28 November 2025

Accepted: 17 February 2026

First Online: 26 February 2026

Declarations

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: Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Research Ethics Committee College of Humanities and Social Science, Institutional Review Board (KNUST, IRB), which reviewed and approved all study protocols. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the KNUST -IRB and with the relevant national guidelines and regulations governing research involving human participants in Ghana. Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their participation in the study. Participants were fully informed about the research objectives, procedures for data collection, potential risks and benefits, measures taken to ensure confidentiality, and the voluntary nature of their involvement, including their right to decline participation or withdraw at any time without penalty. The consent process emphasized participant understanding and provided opportunities for questions and clarification before and during the study. Given varying literacy levels among participants, informed consent was obtained orally in accordance with procedures approved by the KNUST Institutional Review Board (IRB). This approach ensured ethical inclusivity while maintaining compliance with institutional and international research ethics standards. For participants under 16 years of age, informed consent was obtained from parents or legally authorized guardians, and no minor participated without such authorization.

: Informed consent to publish was also obtained from all participants. Individuals were made aware that anonymized data, narratives, and, where applicable, images could be included in scholarly publications. No real names or directly identifying information appear in the manuscript. Where photographs or contextual details had the potential to reveal identity, explicit informed consent for publication in an open-access academic outlet was secured from the participants or their legal guardians.

: The authors declare no competing interests.