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There is increasing evidence of the post-COVID-19 suffering and decreased quality of life in the COVID-19 patients. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and associated factors of COVID-19 patients at one month after discharge from the hospital. This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted at the post-covid clinic of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) where RT–PCR-confirmed adult COVID-19 recovered patients were enrolled one month after discharge from the same hospital. They were consecutively selected from January 01 to May 30. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used for the data collection for clinical variables. The generic multi-attributable utility instrument EQ-5D-5L was used for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A total of 563 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients had a mean age with standard deviation (±SD) of 51.18 (±13.49) years and 55.95% were male. The mean (SD) EQ-5D-5L index score and EQ-VAS scores were 0.78 (±0.19) and 70.26 (±11.13), respectively. Overall, 45.77%, 50.99%, 52.79%, 55.14% and 62.16% had problems (slight to extreme) in the mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression dimensions, respectively. Patients aged ≥60 years had significant problem in mobility (odds ratio [OR] 3.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07–9.77). Female participants were 5.50 times (95% CI: 2.22–13.62) more likely to have problems in their usual activities. In comparison to urban area, living in a peri-urban setting was significantly associated with problems in mobility (OR 1.89, 95% CI: 1.13–3.20), pain/discomfort (OR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.04–3.12) and anxiety/depression (OR 2.16, 95% CI: 1.22–3.84). Comorbid patients were 1.75 times (95% CI: 1.07–2.85) more likely to report problems in the pain/discomfort dimension. Presence of symptom(s) was associated with problems in self-care (OR 3.27, 95%CI: 1.31–8.18), usual-activity (OR 3.08, 95%CI: 1.21–7.87), pain/discomfort dimensions (OR 2.75, 95%CI: 1.09–6.96) and anxiety/depression (OR 3.35, 95%CI: 1.35–8.30). Specific management strategies should be planned to address the factors associated with low health-related quality of life in post-acute care of COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, child labor and maltreatment are considered serious public health concerns. Many child laborers in the informal sector are subjected to psychological abuse and neglect that is often akin to slavery. Our study examined the prevalence of these two forms of maltreatment among child laborers in rural Bangladesh, as well as the associated risk factors. Based on the snowball sampling technique, this study surveyed 100 child laborers employed in agricultural and domestic work in rural areas of the Sunamganj district, Bangladesh. The structured questionnaire utilizes the ICAST-CH instrument. To analyze the data, both simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using two statistical software packages, SPSS and STATA. The study concluded that more than half of the child laborers have experienced psychological maltreatment "sometimes" in the form of being screamed at and insulted over the past year. In the past year, over 40% of respondents indicated they were "sometimes" deprived of food and drink and were not well cared for when they became ill. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that parents of psychologically maltreated child laborers had low educational backgrounds. A higher risk of neglect was observed among child laborers who worked for extended hours for their employers and whose families possessed limited land. In spite of the high prevalence of psychological maltreatment and neglect of child laborers in Bangladesh, the issue appears to be ignored. More comprehensive and rigorous scientific studies are required to bring about policy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The number of social media users is growing with each passing day at full tilt, keeping pace with digitalization and technological advances. Despite several advantages, there are also certain negative aspects to using social networking sites (SNS) for communication, amusement, self‐expression, impression management, and other purposes. This study sought to investigate the association between mental health status and flaunting behaviors in social media among the general population in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted this nationwide cross‐sectional online survey among 465 people aged between 18 and 60 between October 15, 2021 and January 15, 2022. Following electronic consent, we collected the socio‐demographic profiles and psychometric parameters of the respondents. Additionally, we assessed the diverse perspectives on SNS usage and its relationship to the self‐reported symptoms of depression and loneliness. Results: The estimated prevalence of loneliness and depressive symptoms were 65.16% (mild: 39.57%, moderate: 16.56%, severe: 9.03%) and 55.49% (mild: 26.67%, moderate: 22.15%, severe: 6.67%), respectively. Key factors associated with flaunting on social media were mental health issues such as depression and loneliness. Several social factors were also considered, such as being young, of the male sex, unmarried, illiterate, a student, urban dwelling, average economic status, nuclear family structure, types of SNSs, checking social media first in the morning, and the use of SNS for gaining popularity. Conclusion: A significant portion of SNS users reported symptoms of mental illness. Current study findings urge for longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes to have a nearly equal distribution of users from each social media platform for in‐depth exploration of how user attitudes about SNSs and site usage patterns impact the general public's mental health. We suggest that regulating SNS usage patterns and treatment approaches would improve the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue is an endemic RNA viral infection in Bangladesh. It can affect different organ systems, acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of them. The study aimed to detect the prevalence and predictors of dengue-associated acute kidney injury (DAKI) and in-hospital outcome. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from July to September 2023 at the peak of dengue outbreak in the Department of Medicine in Shaheed Monsur Ali Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 203 confirmed cases of dengue aged > 12 years were finally included in the study. Results: The prevalence of DAKI was 7.9%. The mean age of DAKI cases was higher than the non-AKI cases (p-value 0.008). AKI was significantly associated with DHF (43.8% vs 17.6%), higher HCT, higher neutrophil count and lower lymphocytes. In multivariate analyses age more than 60 years, dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) were the independent predictors of DAKI. AKI itself was the independent predictor of hospital stay for more than three days (OR 4.67; 95% CI 1.29-16.92). There was no mortality in the study participants. All were discharged home with resolved AKI. Conclusion: Age more than 60 years, DHF and MODS are the independent risk factors of DAKI. Future studies are required to find out the risk factors for early diagnosis and prompt management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that causes thousands of deaths in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the 30 high TB burden countries. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge, practices, and attitude toward TB, and to determine the factors associated with them among people who have internet access in Bangladesh. Design, Setting, and Participant: A web-based anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 20 to August 10, 2021, among people (age> = 18 years) who have internet access in Bangladesh. A comprehensive consent statement was included at the beginning of the survey and informed consent was taken. Outcome measures: This study's outcomes of interest were respondents' adequate knowledge, good practices, and positive attitudes toward TB and were coded binarily. The association between respondents' socio-demographic factors and knowledge, attitude, and practices toward TB was inspected using the Chi-square test and Multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Among 1,180 respondents, 58.64% were males, and 62.37% were married. The majority of the participants (78.28%) were aged between 18 to 44 years. Overall adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices about TB were found respectively in 47.8%, 44.75%, and 31.19% of the people with internet access in Bangladesh. Almost the same sets of associated factors were found to influence adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices toward TB among social media users in Bangladesh. Males, young, unmarried, social media users with higher education, and urban social media users were more likely to have adequate knowledge, favorable attitudes, and good practices toward TB. Conclusion: Policymakers need to design programs and interventions to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward TB in Bangladesh with a particular focus on females, young and older people, people who live in rural areas, and illiterate/less educated people. Social media can be a powerful medium for disseminating scientific facts on TB and other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance use is a major public health concern and its consequences can destroy someone's life. This study aimed to explore the legal and social consequences of substance use in Bangladesh. We conducted a nationwide descriptive cross-sectional study among relapse cases of substance use from January to December 2018. We visited 138 drug rehabilitation centers countrywide and were able to recruit 939 relapse cases, from where 28 cases were excluded due to incomplete data. Finally, data from 911 cases were analyzed. The majority (89.3%) of the study participants were 19-45 years old. Most commonly used drugs were amphetamine (76.1%), cannabis (75.0%), alcohol (54.3%), cough sirup (54.2%), heroin (47.0%) and sleeping pills (21.6%). Almost half (49.5%) of the substance users were arrested for drug use and among arrested cases, 52.1% were sent to jail. About 75% of the substance users experienced a lack of family interaction, 70% experienced destroyed family relationships, and 71.4% faced social stigma. Our study also found 60% of the participants were bullied, 50% were deprived or unwilling to have social interactions. Moreover, 13.8% of the participants left home, while 8% got divorced. Our data represented the significant impact of substance use on the legal aspect and social life of individuals. However, with a multi-dimensional treatment, rehabilitation, and social intervention approach, it is not impossible to overcome. Therefore, we believe it is imperative to focus on social awareness and to create a robust platform for health promotion and improve quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescence is a critical period characterized by significant physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes, including the monthly occurrence of menstruation of adolescent girls. Despite being an inevitable natural event, most societies consider menstruation and menstrual blood as taboos and impure. Such consideration prevents many adolescent girls from proper health education and information related to menstrual health, which forces them to develop their ways of managing the event. This study attempted to explore the pattern, the urban-rural differences, and the determinants of menstrual hygiene management practices (MHMP) among adolescent girls in the Rajshahi division, Bangladesh.Methodology: Using a cross-sectional study design with multistage random sampling, we collected data from 586 adolescent girls (aged 14-19 years) from the Rajshahi division of Bangladesh. The MHMP was measured using eight binary items, where the value from zero to five as 'bad,' six as 'fair,' and seven-eight as 'good' practices. Finally, we employed bivariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analysis.Findings: Only 37.7% continuously used sanitary pads. Among the cloth users, nearly three-fourths reused cloths, and about 57% used water and soap to wash them. About 49% changed menstrual absorbent, and 44% washed their genitalia three times daily. About 41% used water only to wash genitalia, and 55% buried sanitary materials under the soil. Around 36.9% of the girls practiced bad, 33.4% fair, and 29.7% good menstrual management. We found significant differences in MHMP among adolescent girls between urban and rural areas (32.3% vs. 27.7% good users, p ≤ 0.05). Multinomial logistic regression found that place of residence, age, family size, parental education, and age at first menstruation were the significant determinants of MHMP.Conclusion: Although there are some cases of sanitary pad use, still menstrual hygiene management is unhealthy in most cases. The continuous supply of sanitary pads at affordable cost, change in existing social norms about menstruation, proper education, information, and services are essential for achieving health-related SDG goals in both rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mucormycosis, a severe fungal infection, is an emerging public health concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the perception of mucormycosis among Bangladeshi healthcare workers. Results: An exploratory cross-sectional study was carried out among the Bangladeshi healthcare workers from May 25, 2021, to June 5, 2021. The study found 422 responses from the healthcare workers of Bangladesh. Among the respondents, nearly half of them (45.26%) were doctors (n = 191). This study explored that the healthcare workers' mucormycosis perception scores were significantly associated with their age, gender, profession, monthly income, marital status, job type, and death of friends and family members due to COVID-19. Conclusions: This study emphasized the healthcare workers' mucormycosis perception along with other associated factors. The findings could help policymakers to mitigate mucormycosis and related infectious diseases emergencies in the post-COVID-19 situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social networking sites (SNS) are popular among people of all levels. Here we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the use of SNS and the mental health of the young generation in Bangladesh. We conducted this cross‐sectional study among 791 subjects aged between 15 and 40 years. Self‐reported questionnaires were used to collect demographics and SNS usage patterns of the respondents. We have measured the levels of loneliness, depression, generalized anxiety, and sleep disturbance using the recommended mental health assessment scales. The estimations of loneliness, depression, generalized anxiety, and sleep disturbance among the respondents were 64%, 38%, 63%, and 75%, respectively. Young adults, female sex, unmarried individuals, students, and urban residents reported higher psychological issues regarding the SNS use. Reported mental health issues were associated with time spent in SNS, the number of friends and groups connected with, personal beliefs, and feeling about SNS. A notable association between the use of SNS and the mental health issues of users has been ascertained. The present study findings might have significant implications in the field of clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Therefore, we recommend more comprehensive clinical interventions to find the tangible impact of SNS on the mental health of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thalassaemia is a potentially life-threatening yet preventable inherited hemoglobin disorder. Understanding local socio-cultural context and level of public awareness about thalassaemia is pivotal for selecting effective prevention strategies. This study attempted to assess knowledge and perceptions about thalassaemia among college students in Bangladesh.Methods: A supervised cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1578 college students using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The survey took place from 15 February 2018 to 17 March 2018 in the Jamalpur district in Bangladesh. Besides the attitude-related questions, the study asked a total of 12 knowledge-related questions, which were scored on a scale of 0-12 points.Results: Over two-thirds (67%) of the college students had never heard of thalassaemia. The urban-rural dichotomy was observed among those familiar with the term; (46.4% from urban vs. 25.8% from rural colleges). A similar pattern was observed for knowledge score; 5.07 ± 1.87 for students from the urban colleges compared to 3.69 ± 2.23 for rural colleges. Students from the science background had the highest knowledge score (5.03 ± 1.85), while those from arts and humanities background scored lowest (3.66 ± 2.3). Nearly 40% of the students were not sure or did not want to be a friend of a thalassaemia patient. Whereas 39% either declined or remained hesitant about helping thalassaemia patients by donating blood. However, most of the respondents (88%) showed a positive attitude towards 'premarital' screening to prevent thalassaemia.Conclusions: This study has identified critical knowledge gaps and societal misperceptions about thalassaemia. A better understanding of these aspects will be pivotal for disseminating thalassaemia related information. As the first study of this kind in Bangladesh, findings from this study has generated baseline data that would contribute to developing effective intervention strategies in Bangladesh and other countries with a comparable socio-cultural setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Dengue has emerged globally as the most relevant viral infection transmitted by a mosquito bite and represents a major threat to public health. Dengue-related renal manifestations such as proteinuria, hematuria, acute kidney injury (AKI), and rhabdomyolysis are not uncommon, and acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious complication of dengue fever. There is relatively few data on the renal manifestations of dengue fever in children. Hence, this study was conducted to evaluate the incidence, characteristics, and clinical outcome of dengue fever with renal manifestations. Method. This prospective cross sectional study was conducted in Dr. M R Khan Children Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Dhaka, over a period of 1 year from January 2018 to December 2018. The study was approved by the ethical committee of the institute. A total number of 316 patients were admitted with the diagnosis of dengue fever either NS1 positive or antibody IgM positive or both IgM and IgG positive. Data were collected in a structured questionnaire form and were analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. The disease severity was classified according to the World Health Organization criteria. Renal manifestations were divided into AKI groups using pRIFLE criteria. Proteinuria was defined as urinary protein >1+ (30 mg/dL) by dipstick test. Hematuria was defined as red blood cell (RBC) >5/μL in a fresh uncentrifuged urine specimen. Result. Among 316 dengue patients, thirty-one patients (9.8%) had renal involvement. Most of the patients (54.83%) with renal manifestations were aged between 1 and 5 years. A total of 14 patients were found to have proteinuria (4.4%). Nephrotic-range proteinuria was seen in only one patient (0.3%). AKI was defined by pRIFLE criteria and was seen in 13 patients (4.1%); among AKI 6 (46.15%) had risk, three patients (23.07%) had injury and 4 (30.7%) had failure and needed peritoneal dialysis. Death occurred in 3 patients (9.6%) in dengue with AKI who had failure. The incidence of renal manifestations (proteinuria, hematuria, and AKI) is as high as 9.8% among patients with dengue, and those with AKI had significant morbidity and mortality. Conclusion. Renal involvement in children with dengue is not uncommon. Dengue associated with AKI had significant mortality and morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: School children in the developing countries are susceptible to nutrition related health problems due to demographic and socio-economic factors, as well as limited access to food. Since BMI is a common proxy measure used to evaluate nutritional status, the aim of this study was to investigate the BMI categories in school-aged children in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A cross sectional study of 155 children, aged 6-12 years was conducted at Jahangirnagar University School in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The data collection was performed by in-person interviews and semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, χ²test, Fisher's exact test, and One-Way ANOVA test were performed to compare the variables based on BMI percentiles. Data were analyzed using the Microsoft Excel program (version 2010). Results: Mean BMI of the students was 17.27 (SD=3.16). The prevalence of underweight and overweight/obesity was 11.0% and 25.8%, respectively. Categories of BMI percentiles were associated with birth order (p=0.026), personal hygiene practices (washing hands after coming home from outside (p<0.001) and before meal (p=0.045)), brushing teeth (p<0.001), the number of food items consumed daily (p<0.001), and mothers' occupation (p=0.006). In context of basic hygiene practice, 61.3 % of respondents washed hands after coming home from outside, and 93.5 % reported washing hands before the meals. Conclusions: This study revealed that more than one third of the students had abnormal BMI. BMI screening in rural schools needs to be recommended in early grades for all children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report the prevalence of recommended physical activity levels (RPALs) and examine the correlates of achieving RPALs in rural South Asian children and analyse its association with anthropometric outcomes.Methods: This analysis on rural South Asian children aged 5-14 years (n = 564) is a part of the Chronic Disease Risk Factor study conducted at three sites in India (Chennai n = 146; Goa n = 218) and Bangladesh (Matlab; n = 200). Data on socio-demographic and lifestyle factors (physical activity (PA); diet) were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaires, along with objective anthropometric measurements. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine whether RPALs (active travel to school (yes/no); leisure-time PA ≥ 1 h/day; sedentary-activity ≤ 2 h/day) were associated with socio-demographic factors, diet and other forms of PA. Multivariate linear regression models were used to investigate associations between RPALs and anthropometrics (BMI- and waist z-scores).Results: The majority of children (71.8 %) belonged to households where a parent had at least a secondary education. Two-thirds (66.7 %) actively travelled to school; 74.6 % reported ≥1 h/day of leisure-time PA and 55.7 % had ≤2 h/day of sedentary-activity; 25.2 % of children reported RPALs in all three dimensions. Older (10-14 years, OR = 2.0; 95 % CI: 1.3, 3.0) and female (OR = 1.7; 95 % CI: 1.1, 2.5) children were more likely to travel actively to school. Leisure-time PA ≥ 1 h/day was more common among boys (OR = 2.5; 95 % CI: 1.5, 4.0), children in Matlab, Bangladesh (OR = 3.0; 95 % CI: 1.6, 5.5), and those with higher processed-food consumption (OR = 2.3; 95 % CI: 1.2, 4.1). Sedentary activity ≤ 2 h/day was associated with younger children (5-9 years, OR = 1.6; 95 % CI: 1.1, 2.4), children of Goa (OR = 3.5; 95 % CI: 2.1, 6.1) and Chennai (OR = 2.5; 95 % CI: 1.5, 4.3) and low household education (OR = 2.1; 95 % CI: 1.1, 4.1). In multivariate analyses, sedentary activity ≤ 2 h/day was associated with lower BMI-z-scores (β = -0.3; 95 % CI: -0.5, -0.08) and lower waist-z-scores (β = -1.1; 95 % CI: -2.2, -0.07).Conclusion: Only one quarter of children in these rural areas achieved RPAL in active travel, leisure and sedentary activity. Improved understanding of RPAL in rural South Asian children is important due to rapid socio-economic transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and its adverse social and health consequences, the rate of help seeking for IPV is generally low. Although the level of IPV is much higher in urban slums of Bangladesh, the level and nature of help seeking of the victims are unknown. This paper aims to address this gap in the literature.Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey conducted between August 2011-February 2012, we explored disclosure of violence, help seeking behavior, and their correlates among randomly selected currently married women aged 15-29 in Dhaka slums (n = 2604).Results: About 60 % of the currently married women reported past year spousal physical violence, but only 21 % disclosed and 19 % sought any help. High acceptance of violence was the main reason for not seeking help. Help was most commonly sought from informal sources (89 %). Any education, frequent and severe physical abuse, and presence of children increased the likelihood of disclosure and help seeking. Most survivors from slum who disclosed also sought help.Conclusions: Despite widespread physical abuse, many survivors never sought help. Wide acceptance of violence hampering help seeking needs to be challenged. Increasing disclosure would also enhance help seeking. Awareness rising regarding rights of women to live a violence free life is essential. Although many services are available in the urban area, information about these services needs to be available to women. Promoting education is important in increasing both disclosure and service uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the Ganges Delta, chronic arsenic poisoning is a health concern affecting millions of people who rely on groundwater as their potable water source. The prevalence of anemia is also high in this region, particularly among women. Moreover, arsenic is known to affect heme synthesis and erythrocytes and the risk of arsenic-induced skin lesions appears to differ by sex.Methods: We conducted a case-control study in 147 arsenic-exposed Bangladeshi women to assess the association between anemia and arsenic-induced skin lesions.Results: We observed that the odds of arsenic-related skin lesions were approximately three times higher among women who were anemic (hemoglobin < 120 g/L) compared to women with normal hemoglobin levels [Odds Ratio (OR) = 3.32, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.29, 8.52] after adjusting for arsenic levels in drinking water and other covariates. Furthermore, 75% of the women with anemia had adequate iron stores (serum ferritin ≥ 12 μg/L), suggesting that the majority of anemia detected in this population was unrelated to iron depletion.Conclusions: Considering the magnitude of arsenic exposure and prevalence of anemia in Bangladeshi women, additional research is warranted that identifies the causes of anemia so that effective interventions can be implemented while arsenic remediation efforts continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertension is an increasing problem in Southeast Asia, particularly in Bangladesh. Although some epidemiological studies on hypertension have been conducted in Bangladesh, the factors associated with hypertension in this nation remain unclear. We aimed to determine the factors associated with hypertension among the adults in Bangladesh.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the nationally representative 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). A total of 7,839 (3,964 women and 3,875 men) adults aged 35 years and older who participated in the survey was included. Hypertension was defined by a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg and/or, receipt of an anti-hypertensive medication at time of the survey. The degree of association between the risk factors and the outcome was assessed by the odd ratio (OR) obtained from the bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models.Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension was 26.4 %, and the prevalence was higher in women (32.4%) than men (20.3%). Study participants with the age group of 60-69 years had higher odds of having hypertension (AOR: 3.77, 95% CI: 3.01-4.72) than the age group 35-39 years. Moreover, individuals who had higher educational attainment (AOR: 1.63, 95% C.I: 1.25-2.14) and higher wealth status (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.54-2.38) had higher odds of having hypertension than the individuals with no education and lower social status, respectively. The analysis also showed that high BMI (AOR: 2.19, 95% C.I: 1.87-2.57) and having diabetes (AOR: 1.54, 95% C.I: 1.31-1.83) were associated with the increasing risk of hypertension.Conclusions: Our study shows that the risk of hypertension was significantly associated with older age, sex, education, place of residence, working status, wealth index, BMI, and diabetes. Moreover, hypertension is largely untreated, especially in rural settings. The health system needs to develop appropriate strategies including early diagnosis, awareness via mass media, and health education programs for changing lifestyles should be initiated for older age, wealthy, and/or higher educated individuals in Bangladesh. Moreover, area-specific longitudinal research is necessary to find out the underlying causes of regional variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of the 'see and treat' protocol for the management of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) at a colposcopy clinic in Bangladesh. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study was carried out between two periods on 358 colposcopy-diagnosed high-grade CIN at the colposcopy clinic of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). During the first period (January 2005 to June 2008), 181 colposcopy-diagnosed high-grade CIN patients had cervical biopsy by punch biopsy forceps and histology-confirmed high-grade CIN were treated by loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). During the second period (July 2008 to December 2009), 177 colposcopy-diagnosed high-grade CIN were treated by LEEP at their first visit. Results: During the first and second periods, 48 of 87 and 55 of 73 histology-proven high-grade CIN cases, respectively, received treatment. Among the study population, 37.3% women who had normal or CIN-I in histology were treated unnecessarily in the second period. The compliance of treatment improved by 20% and failure to receive treatment fell by 20%; these changes were statistically significant ( P = 0.006). Conclusion: 'See and treat' protocol is a well-accepted, feasible and useful option for management of high-grade CIN in Bangladesh. It reduces the number of visits to the clinic and failure to receive treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to find out the extent of high‑risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) type 16/18 infection in the cervical tissue of women with epithelial cell abnormality in Pap smear and to establish an association between hrHPV type 16/18 infection and cytohistomorphology. Materials and Methods: A cross‑sectional descriptive study was carried out in 1699 patients who went through Pap smear examination. Prevalence of epithelial cell abnormality was calculated. Forty eight of these women underwent routine histopathology and 47 were evaluated for human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16/18 by polymerase chain reaction assay. Results: Total 139 women revealed epithelial cell abnormality. Histopathology showed simple inflammation to malignancy. HPV type 16/18 infection was detected in 40.42% (19/47) of the patients. Individually type 16 and 18 were positive in 7 (14.9%) cases each and dual infection with type 16 and 18 were seen in 5 (10.6%) cases. While cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN 1) and

This paper examines the net effect of women's autonomy on their pregnancy intention status among currently pregnant Bangladeshi women. This study is based on data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 2007 (BDHS). A subset of interviews from currently pregnant women (718) were extracted from 10,146 married women of reproductive age. The BDHS 2007 used a pre-tested, structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic, women's empowerment, and pregnancy information. Associations between unintended pregnancy and explanatory variables were assessed using bivariate analysis. Logistic regression was used to assess the net effect of women's autonomy on current pregnancy intention status after controlling for other variables. Results indicate that women's autonomy is a significant predictor of unintended pregnancy after adjusting for other factors. A unit increase in the autonomy scale decreases the odds of unintended pregnancy by 16%. Besides autonomy, our results also indicate that current age, number of children ever born, age at marriage, religion, media access, and contraceptive use exert strong influences over unintended pregnancy. Women who have ever used contraceptives are 82% more likely to classify their current pregnancies as unintended compared with women who are non-users of contraceptives. Improvement in women's autonomy and effective and efficient use of contraceptives may reduce unintended pregnancies as well as improve reproductive health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]