Exploring the relationship of Domestic violence on Health Seeking behavior and Empowerment of Women in Pakistan

Background: Violence against women is considered as a global problem and the trend for abusing domestically is very much up. This not only violates the human rights and it has got major implications on physical, mental, social and sexual health of a woman. Worldwide there is little research work on how domestic violence has affected women’s health and their decision-making power. This study aimed to explore the relationship between domestic violence on empowerment of women and their health seeking behavior in Pakistan. Methods: This research has used secondary data from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey data 2012-13. About 3687 ever-married women were selected and interviewed for domestic violence from 248 urban and 252 rural areas of Pakistan. Results: Both chi-square and binary logistic regression analyses were performed. The results show that women with no education have suffered more (43%) from domestic violence. Almost 68% women reported that who have seen their parents beating their mothers have also experiences domestic violence. Logistic regression shown that women from rural areas are highly likely to be victims of domestic violence (OR=1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.52, p-value<. 001). ANC visit is also found statistically significant with those who suffered violence at home. Conclusion: Policy makers and other stakeholders should take measures to control and stop violence against women and help them to live equally like a ma

Smoking behaviour among Tuberculosis relapse cases attended at tertiary level hospitals in Dhaka city of Bangladesh

This case-control study was conducted in two tertiary level hospitals in Dhaka City to determine the association between smoking habit and relapse tuberculosis (TB). The study population was registered adult patients who got complete treatment within 2-5 years. Relapse and non-relapse TB cases are listed serially in hospital record books. The relapse cases were selected randomly as case group and age-matched (± 2years) cured patients with the respondent of case group were included as control groups. A total of 170 respondents in each case and control groups were selected with 80% power and assuming 14% differences between cases and controls. The selected respondents who visited the respective hospitals on the scheduled day were interviewed face to face for data collection. Mean age of the participants was 39.7±11.56 years. Significantly (χ2=20.767; p=0.000) a lower proportion of the relapse cases were found to get complete TB treatment 3 years before in comparison to that of control group. Family size more than five, education of secondary level, two earning members in the family, past smoker, smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day and exposure to second hand smoking were found to be significantly associated with higher proportion of relapse cases. Regression analysis revealed that exposure to second-hand smoking and past smokers were 2.4 and 2.0 times more likely to develop relapse TB respectively. Tuberculosis relapse case was more likely to develop within three years of the complete TB treatment. Past smoking habit and exposure to second-hand smoking had the strongest likelihood of developing more TB relapse cases

Prevalence and risk factors of childhood anemia in Nepal: A multilevel analysis

Introduction Anemia is a common problem in children particularly in developing countries and taking steps to tackle it is one of the major public health challenges for Nepal. The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of individual, household and community level determinants of childhood anemia in Nepal. Methods Data was taken from a nationally representative sample of 1,942 Nepalese children aged from 6–59 months. The Chi-square test was used to determine the bivariate relationship between the selected variables and childhood anemia and a multilevel logistic regression model with a random intercept at household and community level was used to identify important determinants of this kind of anemia. Results The results showed that 52.6% (95% CI: 49.8%-55.4%) of the children were anemic while 26.6% (95% CI: 24.0%-29.3%) of them were moderate to severe. The prevalence of overall anemia was higher among children aged less than 11 months as well as in underweight children, children of underweight, anemic and uneducated mothers and those in the terrain ecological regions. Multivariable analysis showed that children aged less than 11 months, who were underweight and had anemic mothers were more likely to have moderate or severe anemia. Children in the hilly ecological region were less likely to have it compared to mountain and terrain ecological regions. Children in middle-class families and children of mothers who completed secondary education were more likely to have anemia. Conclusion Nepal is facing a serious public health problem due to the high prevalence of childhood anemia. This adverse situation occurs due to socio-demographic and geographical factors such as age, malnutrition status, mother’s anemia status, socio-economic status and regional variations. Prevention of childhood anemia should be given top priority in Nepal and should be considered as a major public health intervention

Exploring the relationship of Domestic violence on Health Seeking behavior and Empowerment of Women in Pakistan

Background: Violence against women is considered as a global problem and the trend for abusing domestically is very much up. This not only violates the human rights but it has got major implications on physical, mental, social and sexual health of a woman. Worldwide little is known on how domestic violence can women’s health and their decision-making power. The present study aimed to explore the relationship between domestic violence on empowerment of women and their health seeking behavior in Pakistan. Methods: This research used secondary data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey data 2012-13. About 3687 ever-married women were selected and interviewed for domestic violence from 248 urban and 252 rural areas of Pakistan. Results: Both chi-square and logistic regression analyses were performed. The results show that women with no education have suffered at lot as a result of domestic violence. Almost 68% women reported that those who have seen their parents beating their mothers have also experiences domestic violence. Logistic regression reveals that women from rural areas are highly likely to be victims of domestic violence (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.07-1.52, p<. 001). ANC visit is also found to be statistically significant for those who suffered from domestic violence in Pakistan. Conclusion: Policy makers and other stakeholders should take measures to control and stop violence against women and help them to live dignified human being

Challenges Encountered by Healthcare Professionals as Frontline Fighters during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study

Throughout the pandemic, healthcare professionals (HCPs) around the world encountered numerous challenges. This study was conducted in the middle of the pandemic, from June to November 2021, and explored the multiple issues that HCPs faced in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thirty doctors and nurses, covering a wide range of workplaces and experiences, were interviewed. A qualitative investigation was performed to assess the influence that diverse organizational, familial, social, and religious factors had on their commitment to fulfil their professional duties. Thematic content analysis was performed on the findings. The results emphasize the physical and mental health problems of HCPs, the vital role of organizations in addressing the wellbeing of HCPs, and the necessity of providing training for them, along with workloads and PPE-related problems. It also explores the roles of families, the influence of society, and the impact of religious beliefs on their commitment during the pandemic

Predictors of parental knowledge of tobacco effects on health and parental perceptions on tobacco control measures at household level in selected urban residential areas of Dhaka city, Bangladesh

The study aimed to investigate parental knowledge of tobacco effects on health and parental perceptions on tobacco control measures at households in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Out of 1436 tobacco-using parents, a total of 400 participants were selected for the cross-sectional survey using a multi-stage probability sampling. Overall knowledge and perceptions of parents were scored. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were performed. There were 19.8% of parents who had good knowledge about health effects of tobacco and 40.8% had positive perception on home initiatives of tobacco control measures respectively. The study revealed that knowledge of overall tobacco effects on health (AOR = 20.92, 95% CI = 2.60-167.83), asthma (AOR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.17-0.49), infertility (AOR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.24-0.77) and pre-eclampsia (AOR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.14-0.90) were significantly increased the odds of parents good knowledge. Whereas, parental perceptions indicate that living in the joint family was positively associated with controlling tobacco use (AOR =3.10, 95% CI = 1.88-5.13). It suggests that health education programs need to be developed to improve parental awareness on the adverse health effects of tobacco-use at households

Urban-rural differences in the associated factors of severe under-5 child undernutrition based on the composite index of severe anthropometric failure (CISAF) in Bangladesh

Introduction Severe undernutrition among under-5 children is usually assessed using single or conventional indicators (i.e., severe stunting, severe wasting, and/or severe underweight). But these conventional indicators partly overlap, thus not providing a comprehensive estimate of the proportion of malnourished children in the population. Incorporating all these conventional nutritional indicators, the Composite Index of Severe Anthropometric Failure (CSIAF) provides six different undernutrition measurements and estimates the overall burden of severe undernutrition with a more comprehensive view. This study applied the CISAF indicators to investigate the prevalence of severe under-5 child undernutrition in Bangladesh and its associated socioeconomic factors in the rural-urban context. Methods This study extracted the children dataset from the 2017–18 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS), and the data of 7661 children aged under-5 were used for further analyses. CISAF was used to define severe undernutrition by aggregating conventional nutritional indicators. Bivariate analysis was applied to examine the proportional differences of variables between non-severe undernutrition and severe undernutrition group. The potential associated socioeconomic factors for severe undernutrition were identified using the adjusted model of logistic regression analysis. Results The overall prevalence of severe undernutrition measured by CISAF among the children under-5 was 11.0% in Bangladesh (rural 11.5% vs urban 9.6%). The significant associated socioeconomic factors of severe undernutrition in rural areas were children born with small birth weight (AOR: 2.84), children from poorest households (AOR: 2.44), and children aged < 36 months, and children of uneducated mothers (AOR: 2.15). Similarly, in urban areas, factors like- children with small birth weight (AOR: 3.99), children of uneducated parents (AOR: 2.34), poorest households (APR: 2.40), underweight mothers (AOR: 1.58), mothers without postnatal care (AOR: 2.13), and children’s birth order ≥4 (AOR: 1.75), showed positive and significant association with severe under-5 undernutrition. Conclusion Severe undernutrition among the under-5 children dominates in Bangladesh, especially in rural areas and the poorest urban families. More research should be conducted using such composite indices (like- CISAF) to depict the comprehensive scenario of severe undernutrition among the under-5 children and to address multi-sectoral intervening programs for eradicating severe child undernutrition

Familial and socio-cultural barriers in maintaining tobacco-free homes in Bangladesh: a comparative cross-sectional study

Objectives: Children, pregnant women and the elderly at a global level are all being dangerously exposed to tobacco use in the household (HH). However, there is no understanding of the familial and socio-cultural factors that provide barriers to ensuring tobacco-free homes in Bangladesh either in urban or rural areas (U&RAs). This study therefore investigates those barriers to help enable a move towards tobacco free homes in Bangladesh. Design: Comparative cross-sectional study. Settings: Data were collected from both urban and rural settings in Bangladesh. Participants: A probability proportional sampling procedure was used to select 808 participants in U&RAs out of a total of 3,715 tobacco users. Results: The prevalence of tobacco use at home was 25.7% in urban areas and 47.6% in rural areas. In urban areas: marital status (AOR=3.23, 95%CI=1.37-6.61), education (AOR=2.14, 95%CI=1.15-3.99), the smoking habits of elderly family members (AOR=1.81, 95%CI=0.91-2.89), offering tobacco as a traditional form of leisure activity at home (AOR=1.85, 95%CI=.94-2.95), and lack of religious practices (AOR=2.39, 95%CI=1.27-4.54) were identified as significant socio-cultural predictors associated with tobacco use at home. In rural areas: age (AOR=5.11, 95%CI=2.03-12.83), extended family (AOR=3.08, 95%CI=1.28-7.38), lack of religious practices (AOR=4.23, 95%CI=2.32-7.72), using children to buy or carry tobacco (AOR=3.33, 95%CI=1.11-9.99), lack of family guidance (AOR=4.27, 95%CI=2.45-41 7.42), and offering tobacco as a traditional form of leisure activity at home (AOR=3.81, 95%CI=2.23-6.47) were identified as significant determinants for tobacco use at home. Conclusion: This study concludes that socio-cultural traditions and familial norms in Bangladesh provide significant barriers for enabling tobacco-free homes. The identification of these barriers can aid policy makers and programme planners in Bangladesh in devising appropriate measures to mitigate the deadly consequences of tobacco use in the home. The consequences also include the dangers involved in family members being exposed to second48 hand smoke

Search for leptophobic Z ' bosons decaying into four-lepton final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Search for black holes and other new phenomena in high-multiplicity final states in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

Peer reviewe