Adoption and Usage of Web-based Library Resources and Services: an Investigation of icddr,b Library in Bangladesh

Purpose – The core purpose of this study is to explore the web-based library services available in icddr,b Library. In addition, this research aims to investigate the adoption and utilisation of subscribed, registered and open access e-resources by the scientists and researchers at icddr,b Library. The existing facilities that influenced smooth usage of web-based information services of icddr,b library have been assessed. The study involved scientists and researchers of icddr,b. Design/methodology/approach – The study used a mixed-method research design using case study approach. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. An online survey was conducted in June 2017 to ascertain the present status of web-based library facilities and services of icddr,b library. The online survey questionnaire link was distributed through “Google Forms” directed to the most potential researchers (557) of icddr,b. Findings – The findings revealed that participants were moderately aware of the library subscribed and registered e-resources. The study also explored key challenges hindering effective usage of the databases in the library. It discovered that lack of awareness of the databases, low speed internet connectivity, inadequate online databases and lack of skills in searching the databases. Suggestions were also made on the way forward in combating these challenges. The study also indicated that e-resources are very useful to researchers, PubMed and Hinari are the most used databases. Furthermore, it was strongly recommended that the library should market and explore more online resources to attract more users and to do more effective research at icddr,b. Study Limitations: The present study is confined to the current status and trend of using e-resources used by the researchers of icddr,b. The study highlights on the types of web-based resources and services available in icddr,b Library and a small number of samples (213) are covered in this study. Practical implications: Many years later, the icddr,b library will receive a greater impact than present in terms of facilities and services. Other libraries in Bangladesh will also be motivated to develop Intranet site and provide library services through Intranet in respective organization. Ultimately, new system of libraries will be developed and users will be benefited using this new system. Social implications: Library community and others society of Bangladesh will be benefited in reading and using this article. Originality/value – Many papers have been written on electronic resources, but this study specifically focused on subscribed, open access and registered online resources, and it is the first time that an investigation has been made on the use of electronic resources by library users in icddr,b library. The results of the study could be useful for icddr,b Library and other medical libraries in Bangladesh in ensuring that there is a high use of web-based library facilities and services. So that other libraries in Bangladesh will be inspired and encouraged to introduce digital tool facilities and services in libraries of Bangladesh

Birth Spacing, Child Survival and Fertility Decisions: Analysis of Causal Mechanismsa

Abstract: We jointly analyze infant mortality, birth spacing, and total fertility of children in a rural area in Bangladesh, using longitudinal data from the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Matlab. To distinguish causal mechanisms from unobserved heterogeneity and reverse causality, we use dynamic panel data techniques. We compare the results in a treatment area with extensive health services and a comparison area with standard health services. Simulations using the estimated models show how fertility and mortality can be reduced by, for example, breaking the causal link that leads to a short interval after a child has died. Eliminating this effect would reduce fertility and increase birth intervals, resulting in a fall in mortality by 0.14 and 2.45 per 1000 live births in treatment and comparison area, respectively. The effects of the numbers of (surviving) boys and girls on birth spacing provide evidence of son preference: having more boys has a stronger effect on the birth interval than having more girls, though both effects are significantly positive. A simulation suggests that if families would behave as if their all children were sons, fertility levels would be reduced by 3.5% and 5.7% in the ICDDR,B and comparison areas, respectively.child mortality;birth spacing;fertility;dynamic panel data models;Bangladesh

Infant Mortality in Rural Bangladesh: State Dependence vs. Unobserved Heterogeneity

Using longitudinal data of the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Matlab, Bangladesh, covering the time period 1982 – 2005, and exploiting dynamic panel data models, we analyze siblings’ death at infancy, controlling for unobserved heterogeneity and a causal effect of death of one child on survival chances of the next child. Matlab is a rural area split into two: a “treatment” area where along with standard government services extensive maternal and child health interventions are available, and a “comparison” area where only the standard government services are available. The observed infant mortality rates are 50 per 1,000 live births in the treatment area and 67.4/1,000 in the comparison area. We use separate models for the two areas and analyze the differences in infant mortality between the two areas using several decompositions. Our model predicts that in the comparison area, the likelihood of infant death is about 30% larger if the previous sibling died at infancy than if it did not, and the estimates suggest that, in the absence of this “scarring” effect, the infant mortality rate among the second and higher order births would fall by 6.2%. There is no evidence of such a scarring effect in the treatment area, perhaps because learning effects play a larger role with the available extensive health interventions. We find that distance to the nearest health clinic can explain a substantial part of the gap in infant mortality between the two areas.childhood mortality;millennium goals;death clustering;dynamic panel data models

Econometric models of child mortality dynamics in rural Bangladesh

The studies distinguish the differences in child mortality dynamics in rural Bangladesh between two areas ICDDR,B and comparison with and without extensive health services.

Household costs of healthcare during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period : a case study from Matlab, Bangladesh

A household survey was undertaken in Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh, to estimate the costs incurred during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period for women delivering at home and in a health facility. Those interviewed included 121 women who delivered at home, 120 who delivered in an ICDDR,B basic obstetric care (BEOC) facility, 27 who delivered in a public comprehensive obstetric care (CEOC) hospital, and 58 who delivered in private hospitals. There was no significant difference in total costs incurred by those delivering at home and those delivering in a BEOC facility. Costs for those delivering in CEOC facilities were over nine times greater than for those delivering in BEOC facilities. Costs of care during delivery were predominant. Antenatal and postnatal care added between 7% and 30% to the total cost. Services were more equitable at home and in a BEOC facility compared to services provided at CEOC facilities. The study highlights the regressive nature of the financing of CEOC services and the need for a financing strategy that covers both the costs of referral and BEOC care for those in need.This research was funded under the Cooperative Agreement No. 388-A-00-97-00032-00 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (ICDDR,B Grant No. GR-00089). ICDDR,B acknowledges with gratitude the commitment of USAID to the Centre’s research efforts. Carine Ronsmans and Jo Borghi are funded by the Department for International Development, UK

Risk factors associated with overweight and obesity among urban school children and adolescents in Bangladesh: a case–control study

Background Childhood obesity has become an emerging urban health problem in urban cities in Bangladesh, particularly in affluent families. Risk factors for obesity in this context have not been explored yet. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with overweight and obesity among school children and adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods From October through November 2007, we conducted a case–control study among children aged 10–15 years in seven schools in Dhaka. We assessed body mass index (weight in kg/height in sq. meter) to identify the cases (overweight/obese) and controls (healthy/normal weight) following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention age and sex specific growth chart. We used a structured questionnaire to collect demographic information and respondent’s exposure to several risk factors such as daily physical activity at home and in school, hours spent on computer games and television watching, maternal education level and parents’ weight and height. Results We enrolled 198 children: 99 cases, 99 controls. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that having at least one overweight parent (OR = 2.8, p = 0.001) and engaging in sedentary activities for >4 hours a day (OR = 2.0, p = 0.02) were independent risk factors for childhood overweight and/or obesity while exercising ≥ 30 minutes a day at home was a protective factor (OR = 0.4, p = 0.02). There were no significant associations between childhood overweight and sex, maternal education or physical activity at school. Conclusion Having overweight parents along with limited exercise and high levels of sedentary activities lead to obesity among school children in urban cities in Bangladesh. Public health programs are needed to increase awareness on risk factors for overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in order to reduce the future burden of obesity-associated chronic diseases.</p

Family planning success stories in Bangladesh and India

The Matlab Project in Bangladesh and the Kundam Project in India have demonstrated that a significant rise in contraceptive prevalence can occur in socioeconomic environments that are generally conducive to high fertility and mortality. The author describes the inputs and outputs of these two projects and tries to identify the factors underlying their success. Both projects are experimental in the sense that in each anintervention area is provided with special inputs that are not provided to a contiguous control area. The special inputs were different for the two projects. In the intervention area in Matlab, the project took responsibility for providing family planning and some rudimentary maternal and child health services that were considerably different from those provided in the national program. In Kundam, the project did not take responsibility for providing services in the intervention area, but rather tried to mobilize the community through various clubs and committees to take the most advantage of the government's family planning and other development programs. The success of the Matlab Project can be attributed to various aspects of the organizational system developed for delivering consumer-friendly services. The success of the Kundam Project can be attributed to various aspects of the system developed for community members'active participation in the program. The projects are not fully replicable because of inadequate human and financial resources, but the lessons learned from them should be useful in improving national programs. The Kundam Project is more realistic in the sense that it focuses on activities that supplement local activities of the national program rather than substitute for them (as in the Matlab Project). Thus the Kundam Project is more likely to be replicable than the Matlab Project.Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Adolescent Health,Reproductive Health,Early Child and Children's Health,ICT Policy and Strategies

Occurrence and characterization of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw meat, raw milk, and street vended juices in Bangladesh

The major objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Shiga toxin (Stx)–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in different types of food samples and to compare their genetic relatedness with STEC strains previously isolated from animal sources in Bangladesh. We investigated a total of 213 food samples, including 90 raw meat samples collected from retail butcher shops, 20 raw milk samples from domestic cattle, and 103 fresh juice samples from street vendors in Dhaka city. We found that more than 68% (n=62) of the raw meat samples were positive for the stx gene(s); 34% (n=21) of buffalo meats and 66% (n=41) of beef. Approximately 10% (n=2) of the raw milk and 8% (n=8) of the fresh juice samples were positive for stx. We isolated STEC O157 from seven meat samples (7.8%), of which two were from buffalo meats and five from beef; and no other STEC serotypes could be isolated. We could not isolate STEC from any of the stx-positive raw milk and juice samples. The STEC O157 isolates from raw meats were positive for the stx2, eae, katP, etpD, and enterohemorrhagic E. coli hly virulence genes, and they belonged to three different phage types: 8 (14.3%), 31 (42.8%), and 32 (42.8%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing revealed six distinct patterns among seven isolates of STEC O157, suggesting a heterogeneous clonal diversity. Of the six PFGE patterns, one was identical and the other two were =90% related to PFGE patterns of STEC O157 strains previously isolated from animal feces, indicating that raw meats are readily contaminated with fecal materials. This study represents the first survey of STEC in the food chain in Bangladesh

Does Family Planning Reduce Infant Mortality? Evidence from Surveillance Data in Matlab, Bangladesh

Abstract: Analyzing the effect of family planning on child survival remains an important issue but is not straightforward because of several mechanisms linking family planning, birth intervals, total fertility, and child survival. This study uses a dynamic model jointly explaining infant mortality, whether contraceptives are used after each birth, and birth intervals. Infant mortality is determined by the preceding birth interval and other covariates (such as socio-economic status). The decisions about using contraceptives after each birth are driven by similar covariates, survival status of the previous child, and the family’s gender composition. Birth spacing is driven by contraceptive use and other factors. We find favourable effects of contraceptive use, reducing infant deaths in second and higher order births. Because the mortality risks for first-borns is higher than for later births and contraceptive use reduces the number of higher order births, the net effect on the total infant mortality rate is small.child mortality;family planning;contraceptive use;demography;dynamic panel data models;Bangladesh