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Background: Human health and well-being are adversely affected by the effects of COVID-19. This study examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression during COVID-19 lockdown in Bangladesh, and their association with some less explored factors like perceived and relative health status, having elderly members in the family, fear for own and family future, and others from the Asian context. Methods: Using an online survey, data were collected from the population aged 18 years and above, on socio-demographic and economic attributes, and two separate standardized twelve-item scales were used to assess the level of anxiety and depression. Both descriptive and multivariate linear regression were used to analyze the factors associated with anxiety and depression scores. Results: The respondents had an average anxiety score of 21.74 (SD = 8.20) on a scale ranging from 12 to 60 and an average depression score of 24.39 (SD = 10.30) on the same scale. The study findings revealed that respondents' concern for future well-being, perceived physical health status compared to others in the same cohort, and perceived physical health status during the survey compared to prior COVID-19 were significantly associated with anxiety and depression scores during COVID-19 lockdown. In addition, the anxiety score was significantly higher (p = 0.046) for women respondents than men. Moreover, respondents aged 18–24 years had significantly higher (p < 0.001) depression than others. Conclusions: The increased level of anxiety and depression during COVID-19 of adult people in Bangladesh are associated with several factors of which their greater concern about the future of their own and family members and health-related attributes are important. These findings may lead to developing interventions to reduce the psychological crisis during the pandemic in Bangladesh.

This study aims to investigate the safety culture of tertiary-level students in Bangladesh and identify the factors that influence it. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1676 students from 16 universities and medical colleges in Bangladesh to gather data. The survey consisted of a paper-based structured questionnaire with three scales: a 17-item safety beliefs and values scale, a 10-item safety perception and awareness scale, and a 14-item safety attitudes scale. The results showed that tertiary-level students generally exhibit moderate levels of safety beliefs and values, safety perception and awareness, and safety attitudes. Female students had better safety perception and awareness [β = −0.083; 95%CI = −0.140, −0.025] and safety attitudes [β = −0.173; 95%CI = −0.230, −0.117], while male students had stronger safety beliefs and values [β = 0.047; 95%CI = 0.005, 0.089]. Students with physical disabilities and those who had experienced accidents had significantly higher levels of safety perception and awareness, as well as safety attitudes, compared to their peers. Additionally, students in private institutions had lower levels of safety perception and awareness [β = −0.130; 95%CI = −0.189, −0.070] as well as safety attitudes [β = −0.058; 95%CI = −0.116, −0.001], than public institution students. Age, gender, and type of institute were significantly associated with all three components of safety culture. Accident experience was also significantly linked to safety perception and awareness [β = 0.054; 95%CI = 0.002, 0.105], and safety attitudes [β = −0.093; 95%CI = −0.143, 0.043]. Based on these findings, it is recommended that tertiary educational institutions in Bangladesh develop intervention strategies that consider the age, gender, and physical disability of students to enhance their safety culture.

Background: Nurses are the most prominent healthcare professional group that receives disaster victims and provides regular healthcare support to them at the forefront of disasters and emergencies. As a result, assessing their disaster response self-efficacy (DRSE) level is critical. Objectives: This quantitative study assessed the level of registered nurses' disaster response self-efficacy in Bangladesh and determined the factors influencing DRSE. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, five hundred sixty registered nurses' data were collected from 12 public and private hospitals in four districts of Bangladesh between August and September of 2023. The data was gathered using a self-administered questionnaire that included the modified Disaster Response Self-Efficacy Scale. To analyze the data, we utilized IBM SPSS 26 and Jamovi 2.3.21. Results: The study found a high level of disaster response self-efficacy (M = 3.96, SD = 0.58) among the registered nurses, while their disaster knowledge, skill, and preparedness levels were moderate. Low to moderate correlations were found between self-efficacy in disaster response and disaster-related knowledge (r = 0.349, p

As a primary healthcare first respondent during disasters, Bangladeshi registered nurses (RNs) play a critical role in disaster management. This study assessed their knowledge, skills, and preparedness (KSP) for disaster management and examined the factors influencing their disaster KSP. Employing a cross-sectional design with a self-administered structure questionnaire containing the Disaster Preparedness Evaluation Tool (DPET), data were collected from 573 registered nurses in four metropolitan cities in Bangladesh. Results showed that RNs had moderate levels of knowledge (M = 4.00, SD = 0.76), skills (M = 4.27, SD = 0.75), and preparedness (M = 4.56, SD = 0.69) for disaster management. Statistically significant correlations existed between disaster preparedness and skills (r = 0.718) and between disaster knowledge and skills (r = 0.653). RNs whose curriculum has disaster management courses had statistically significantly higher disaster KSP than those who did not. Besides, RNs with BSc in Nursing (Post Basic) degrees had significantly higher disaster knowledge and skills than the RNs who completed four years of BSc in nursing degree. In addition, RNs working in the emergency unit had significantly higher disaster knowledge and skills than those without work experience in the emergency unit. Moreover, respondents who participated in disaster management training had significantly higher disaster skills than their counterparts. However, the senior RNs (≤ 40 years) had statistically significantly higher disaster preparedness than the young RNs (21–25 years). No significant association was found regarding RNs' gender, marital status, hospital types, and disaster experience with their disaster KSP. Along with disaster education, adequate disaster management training and drills are highly recommended to enhance RNs' disaster management capacity in Bangladesh.

Every year thousands of people are being displaced in coastal areas of Bangladesh due to natural calamities associated with climate change, known as Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). Climate change adaptation measures play a significant role in coping with the alteration of climatic components, while various forms of barriers hinder the sustainability of adaptation. This research was conducted to understand the perception of IDPs on climate change impact on health in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, including the adaptation practices and barriers to the coping strategies. To fulfill the objective, 420 individual surveys were conducted randomly in two Sub-districts of Khulna district in Bangladesh. The findings reveal that the riverbank erosion and cyclones were the primary reasons for displacement, and the social relationships were hampered in the new places of living. Also, the temperature in summer and winter, and the rainfall intensity increased, whereas rainfall slightly decreased over the last ten years. Differences of opinion were identified about the effects of the changing climatic variables on the respondents' health between the previous and present locations. Despite practicing different adaptive strategies, the weak financial condition and a lack of access to health care information are mostly hindering the sustainability of adaptation. This research may help policymakers in taking proper initiatives to ensure sustainable adaptation practices in the coastal areas.

It has, nowadays, become indispensable to get multi-functional properties from a single piece of fabric or garment in the sector of textile and fashion. Cotton fabric is now extremely being utilized in garments all over the world. At the raw stage, cotton fabric has less reflectance, high ignition tendency, moreover the proclivity to be attracted by microorganisms. The strength of the fabric might be deteriorated because of frequent processing. In this study, a single jersey raw (grey) cotton fabric of 150 GSM was processed with a pertinent chemical treatment to convert the reflectance to about 100 % and impart flame resistance property together with the other functional properties. Due to the attainment of high reflectance and flame resistance traits, the heat-absorbing tendency of the fabric became low which improved the comfortability of the fabric. The strength of the processed fabric was increased by 4 %. Crease recovery angle was increased by 57 % in the course way and by 82 % in wales way direction that attributed crease-resistance and more stability to the modified fabric. Moreover, the processed fabric was also able to exhibit antimicrobial properties. Strength improvement, attainment of crease-resistance, and antimicrobial property could enhance the longevity of the fabric. The attainment of multifunctional properties together with the strength improvement simultaneously provided a unique feature to the modified cotton fabric. It was a permanent chemical treatment, and it modified the surface of the fabric, which ultimately enhanced the proclivity of cotton fabric to be more compact or crystalline and more stable. The addition of the new quality of the cotton fabric could endure even after washing. The modified cotton fabric with newly added characteristics could be a good choice to prepare garments with felicitous longevity to protect from heat, fire flame sensitivity. It really could create an opportunity in multi-functional fabric processing as well as modern textiles.

Bangladesh – one of the most densely populated countries of the world— has plentiful water sources, but these sources are being polluted continuously. Both surface water and groundwater sources are contaminated with different contaminants like toxic trace metals, coliforms as well as other organic and inorganic pollutants. As most of the population uses these water sources, especially groundwater sources which contain an elevated amount of arsenic throughout the country; health risk regarding consuming water is very high. Death due to water-borne diseases is widespread in Bangladesh, particularly among children. Anthropogenic sources such as untreated industrial effluents, improper disposal of domestic waste, agricultural runoffs are the main contributors regarding water pollution. A total water pollution status of this country, as well as the sources of this severe condition, is crucial to evaluate public health risk. For this purpose, we reviewed hundreds of well recognized international and national journals, conference proceedings and other related documents to draw a complete picture of recent water pollution status and its impact on public health; also the sources of water pollution are identified.