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BackgroundThousands of Rohingya refugee mothers at the world’s largest refugee camp located in Bangladesh are at risk of poor mental health. Accordingly, their children are also vulnerable to delayed cognitive and physical development. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated care package in reducing the prevalence of developmental delays among children aged 1 year and improving their mothers’ mental health status. MethodsThis is a parallel, two-arm, single-blind, cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT). A total of 704 mother-child dyads residing at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, will be recruited from 22 clusters with 32 mother-child dyads per cluster. In the intervention arm, an integrated early childhood development and maternal mental health package will be delivered every quarter to mothers of newborns by trained community health workers until the child is 1 year old. Our primary outcome is a reduction in the prevalence of two or more childhood developmental delays of infants aged 1 year compared to the usual treatment. The secondary outcomes include reduced stunting among children and the prevalence of maternal depression. We will also assess the cost-effectiveness of the integrated intervention, and will further explore the intervention’s acceptability and feasibility. ResultsAt the time of submission, the study was at the stage of endpoint assessment. The data analysis started in December 2020, and the results are expected to be published after the first quarter of 2021. ConclusionsThis study will address the burden of childhood developmental delays and poor maternal mental health in a low-resource setting. If proven effective, the delivery of the intervention through community health workers will ensure the proposed intervention’s sustainability. Trial RegistrationISRCTN Registry ISRCTN10892553; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10892553 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/25047

Background: Menstrual disorders, influenced by dietary habits like high fat intake and low fruit and vegetable consumption, are a global public health issue. This study assessed the prevalence of dysmenorrhea, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and irregular menstrual cycle (IMC) among female university students in Bangladesh, focusing on food cravings and low vitamin A intake as risk factors. Methods: In this comprehensive study, data from randomly selected female university students were collected using a structured questionnaire. The associations were analyzed through chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression, reported as adjusted odds ratios (AOR). Results: The most prevalent menstrual disorder was dysmenorrhea (68.3%) followed by PMS (33.8%), and IMC (24.3%). Food cravers for high-fat and sweet foods were likely to experience dysmenorrhea (AOR: 2.4, 95% CI: 1.5–3.9, P<0.001), suffer from PMS (AOR: 3.9, 95% CI: 2.3–6.6, P<0.001), and have IMC (AOR: 3.0, 95% CI: 1.6–5.3, P<0.001) vs. subjects who didn't. Subjects consuming vitamin A-rich plant foods had 40% (AOR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4–0.9, P < 0.01) and 60% (AOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2–0.6, P<0.001) less likely suffering from dysmenorrhea and IMC vs. who didn't. Both underweight and overweight/obese subjects experienced more than 2-fold dysmenorrhea vs. normal-weight peers. The chance of IMC was nearly 3-fold among overweight/obese subjects. However, lower physical activity was associated with PMS and IMC whereas family history was associated with dysmenorrhea and PMS. Among the socio-demographic factors, maternal education, place of residence, and earlier menarche (≤12 years) were associated with dysmenorrhea while marital status was associated with IMC. Conclusion: This study indicates that increasing the intake of vitamin A-rich plant foods and reducing high-fat, sweet foods can lower the risk of dysmenorrhea and IMC. Additionally, it highlights the need for regular exercise to mitigate the increased risk of PMS and IMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of migration on the access and utilisation of sexual and reproductive health services by women living in an informal settlement in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 16 in-depth interviews were conducted in March and April of 2019 with women (18–49 years old) who had migrated from rural areas to Dhaka. They reported continued economic insecurity while receiving minimal support from the state. All women reported financial and infrastructural barriers to accessing formal sexual and reproductive health services and tended to seek resources and support through social networks within the slum and from informal health services. Compared with more recent migrants, women who had migrated and resided in the slums for longer found it easier to utilise social networks and resources for sexual and reproductive health. Women had more agency in experimenting with contraceptives but had less power in making decisions during pregnancy and when seeking health care. Menstrual health was a neglected aspect of public health. The study indicates that public health policy targeting the urban poor needs to address the unique challenges faced by migrant women in informal settlements to rectify inequities in health services that leave significant portions of the urban poor population behind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Bangladesh, okra is an important popular summer vegetable. However, traditional farming practices often lead to suboptimal yields. Thus, the study was designed to determine the ideal GA3 and NAA doses for accelerating okra growth, yield, and quality characteristics. A three-replication, randomized complete block design was adopted. Foliar sprays with three concentrations of GA3 (0 ppm, 150 ppm, and 250 ppm) and NAA (0 ppm, 150 ppm, and 250 ppm) were applied in 2022 and 2023. In comparison to the control, the combined application of GA3 @ 150 ppm and NAA @ 150 ppm improved plant height, leaf number, leaf area, branch number, internode length, bud number, pod number, pod length, pod diameter, and 1000 seed weight average over the two years. Furthermore, GA3 @ 150 ppm with NAA 150 ppm increased yield by 35.08% and 27.01% in 2022 and 2023 respectively, above the control. Combining NAA @ 150 ppm with GA3 resulted in higher levels of vitamin C, TSS, magnesium, and zinc by 19.31%, 81.2%, 22.73% and 21.43% in 2022 and 22.83%, 50.57%, 18.07%, 33.33% in 2023 respectively, compared to the control. In contrast, GA3 and NAA decreased potassium and calcium in both year when compared to the control. Overall, the results of this experiment indicated that using GA3 @ 150 ppm with NAA @ 150 ppm could enhance okra growth, yield, and quality. These findings provide insightful information for improving okra cultivation techniques and improving Bangladesh's productivity in agriculture and food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]