Sandra Darfour-Oduro
Assistant Professor of Public Health Studies
Department: Public Health Studies
Email: sdarfouroduro@elon.edu
Phone number: (336) 278-5646
Brief Biography
Dr. Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro's research focuses on predictors of health outcomes. She uses mathematical models to predict health outcomes. Her interest is in Global Health, Immigrant Health, Maternal/child health and Adolescent health. She teaches Introduction to Epidemiology, Global Health, Introduction to Public Health and Contemporary Health.
She received her BSc from the University of Ghana and her MS and PhD degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA.
News & Notes
Education
PhD - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MS - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
BSc- University of Ghana
Courses Taught
PHS 3010 - Introduction to Epidemiology
PHS 2010 - Introduction to Public Health
PHS 3702 - Chronic Disease Epidemiology
PHS 3703 - Contemporary Health
PHS 3020 - Global Health
Current Projects
Grants Awarded
Publications
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Awenbil, Linda & Darfour-Oduro, Sandra A. Assessing the Behavioral Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases Among Adolescent Students in Accra, Ghana. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2025. Volume 76, Issue 3, S79 - S80 Darboe, S.M., Darfour-Oduro, S.A., Kpene, G.E. et al. Factors influencing healthcare workers’ perceived compliance with infection prevention and control standards, North Bank East region, The Gambia, a cross-sectional study. BMC Res Notes 18, 43 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-025-07101-w Kpene, G.E., Lokpo, S.Y. & Darfour-Oduro, S.A. Predictive models and determinants of mortality among T2DM patients in a tertiary hospital in Ghana, how do machine learning techniques perform?. BMC Endocr Disord 25, 9 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-025-01831-5 Darfour-Oduro, S.A., Grigsby-Toussaint, D.S. Impact of social environment on sexual behaviors of adolescent girls in 12 sub-Saharan African countries: a cross-sectional study. Reprod Health 19, 139 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01448-0 Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, Juan E. Andrade, Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint. Do Fruit and vegetable policies, socio-environmental factors and physical activity influence fruit and vegetable intake among adolescents? Journal of Adolescent Health. 2020. 66:(2):172- 180. Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, David M. Buchner, Juan E. Andrade, Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint. A comparative study of fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity among adolescents in 49 Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Scientific Reports| (2018) 8:1623 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-19956-0 Darfour-Oduro, S. A., Andrade, J. E. & Grigsby-Toussaint, D. Review of Policies to increase Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Physical Activity in 49 Low-and Middle-Income Countries. Journal of Public Health Journal of Public Health, (2018) pp. 1–11 doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdy039. Cajetan I. Ilo, Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, Jerome O. Okafor, Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint, Ignatius O. Nwimo and Chinagorom Onwunaka. Factors Associated with Parental Intent not to Circumcise Daughters in Enugu State of Nigeria: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. African Journal of Reproductive Health March 2018; 22 (1):29 Darfour-Oduro, S. A. & Grigsby-Toussaint, D (2015). Behavioral health policies: Do they influence behavioral practices and health outcomes among adolescent girls in low and middle income countries? Annals of Global Health, 81(1), 108-109. Darfour-Oduro Sandra Asantewaa and Kim Juhee. WIC Mothers' Social Environment and Postpartum Health on Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration. Breastfeeding Medicine. December 2014, 9(10): 524-529. doi:10.1089/bfm.2014.0067. P.F. Ayeh-Kumi, S.A. Nti et al. (2009) Intestinal Parasitosis among pregnant women in Accra. Ghana Journal of Allied Health Sciences 3 (1): 9 -14.
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Presentations
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Linda Awenbil & Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro. Assessing the behavioral risk factors for non-communicable diseases among Adolescent students in Accra, Ghana.SAHM 2025 Annual Meeting March 4-7, 2025 in Baltimore, MD. Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, Godsway E. Kpene, Alex M. Ansah. Predictors of birth outcome at a Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH). February 20-23, 2025. Atlanta, GA. Gertrude Pabi, Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, Francis Anto. Cardiovascular risk factors amongst clients of the wellness clinic at greater accra regional hospital. American Public Health Association (APHA)Annual meeting and Expo. October 27 - 30, 2024. Minneapolis, MN. Precious A. Effah & Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro. Factors associated with Patients’ delay in accessing care for breast cancer in Accra, Ghana. Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH). March 7-10, 2024. Los Angeles, CA. Godsway Edem Kpene, Sylvester Yao Lokpo, Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro. Predictors of mortality among type 2 diabetic patients at the HO teaching hospital, Ghana. American Public Health Association (APHA)Annual meeting and Expo. Poster Presentation. November 12 - November 15, 2023. Atlanta, GA. Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, & Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint, (2015). Impact of behavioral health policies on fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity behavior among adolescent girls in sub-Saharan Africa. American Public Health Association (APHA) 143rd Annual meeting and Expo. Poster Presentation. October 31 - November 04, 2015. Chicago, IL Olatoyosi Grace Akinrotimi & Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, Health Status and Needs of African Immigrant Women in the United States: A Systematic Review. American Public Health Association (APHA) 143rd Annual meeting and Expo. Poster Presentation. October 31 - November 04, 2015. Chicago, IL Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro & Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint, (2015). Behavioral health policies: Do they influence behavioral practices and health outcomes among adolescent girls in low and middle income countries? (Poster presentation) Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) 6th Annual Global Health Conference. Poster Presentation. March 25th – March 28th. Boston. MA Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro, & Diana S. Grigsby-Toussaint, (2015). The Impact of Health Policies on Lifestyle Behaviors among Adolescent Girls in Sub-Saharan Africa. Health in Africa and the Post-2015 Millennium Development Agenda. Presenter. Champaign, IL Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro & Juhee Kim. (2014) A study of WIC mothers social environment and postpartum health on breastfeeding initiation and duration. (Poster presentation) American Public Health Association (APHA) 142nd Annual meeting and Expo. Poster Presentation. Nov 15-19, 2014 New-Orleans, LA. Sandra A. Darfour-Oduro & Juhee Kim. (2011) Infant Feeding Practices and Oral Microbes (Presenter). Hoosier Area Food and Sustainability Symposium. Indiana University Bloomington. November 5th, 2011.
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Professional Activities
Member, Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Member, American Public Health Association
Service Reviewer, American Public Health Association.
Moderator, American Public Health Association.
Member, Ghana Association of Biomedical Laboratory Scientist
Service Activities
Awards
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Fall 2016 UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Spring 2016 UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Fall 2015* KCH nominee for the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching for teaching assistants, 2015 Fall 2015 Travel Award, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health 2014 Ludwig T. Stoyke Outstanding Graduate Student Award UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Summer 2014* UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Fall 2013 UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Summer 2013 UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Spring 2013 UIUC List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Fall 2012* Travel award. Hoosier Area Food and Sustainability Symposium Indiana University Bloomington. (*ratings were outstanding)
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