Knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with the COVID-19 among slum dwellers resided in Dhaka City: A Bangladeshi interview-based survey

Background: The emergent COVID-19 has impacted unprecedentedly to all classes of people. Slum-dwellers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) toward COVID-19 are currently poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate the KAP toward COVID-19 among slum dwellers resided in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional offline survey was carried out enrolling 406 slum dwellers (53.2% male; mean age = 44.9 years [SD = 12.1]; age range = 18–85 years) between August and September, 2020. The face to face interview was conducted to collect data from six selected slum areas in Dhaka City using convenience sampling. The questionnaire consisted of informed consent along with questions concerning observational checklists, socio-demographics and KAP. Results: A sizeable minority were observed without wearing face masks during the survey periods (18.2%) and a vast portion (97.5%) without any hand protection. The mean scores of KAP were 6.1 ± 2.6 (out of 17), 12.3 ± 1.7 (out of 14) and 9.8 ± 1.6 (out of 12), respectively. Moreover, the KAP were strongly and positively correlated with each other. Conclusions: The findings revealed that the majority of slum dwellers in Bangladesh have limited knowledge of COVID-19. Poor practices (i.e. face mask and hand protection) were directly observed during the survey. The findings suggest the immediate implementation of health education programs and adequate interventions

Financial and Mental Health Concerns of Impoverished Urban-dwelling Bangladeshi People During COVID-19

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical, mental and financial health of many individuals. Individuals living in impoverished crowded settings may be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19-related stressors. How substantially marginalized groups like impoverished urban-dwelling individuals have been impacted during this pandemic is poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate the associated factors of financial concerns and symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic among impoverished urban-dwelling individuals residing in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and September 2020 using face-to-face interviews in six disadvantaged neighborhoods (“slums”) in Dhaka. Individuals were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of questions assessing socio-demographics, lifestyle, financial well-being relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, depression, and PTSD. Results: Four-hundred-and-thirty-five individuals (male = 54.7%; mean age = 45.0 ± 12.0 years; age range = 18–85 years) participated. Most (96.3%) reported that their household income decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors associated with decreased household incomes included female gender, primary education, joblessness, food scarcity and depression. Depression symptoms were linked to female gender, joblessness, divorce, living in a joint family, excessive sleep and smoking. Low incomes, excessive sleep, joblessness and food scarcity were positively associated with PTSD symptoms. In contrast, less sleep appeared protective against PTSD. Conclusions: Public health initiatives, in particular mental health services that target stress and biocentric approaches that consider how humans interact with multiple facets of nature, should be introduced to mitigate against potential financial and psychological effects of the pandemic on impoverished urban-dwelling individuals in Bangladesh

Correlates of Financial Concerns and Symptoms of Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Impoverished Urban-dwelling Individuals in Bangladesh During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Face-to-face Interview Findings

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the physical, mental and financial health of many individuals. How substantially marginalized groups like impoverished urban-dwelling individuals are specifically impacted amid this pandemic is poorly understood. The present study aimed to investigate correlates of financial concerns and symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during the COVID-19 pandemic among impoverished urban-dwelling individuals residing in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and September 2020 using face-to-face interviews in six disadvantaged neighborhoods (“slums”) in Dhaka. Individuals were interviewed using a structured questionnaire consisting of questions assessing socio-demographics, lifestyle, financial well-being relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, depression, and PTSD. Results: A total of 435 individuals (male=54.7%; mean age=45.0±12.0 years; age range=18-85 years) participated. Most (96.3%) reported that their household income decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Associated factors included female gender, primary education, jobless, food scarcity, and depression. Depression symptoms were linked to female gender, being jobless, being divorced, living in a joint family, excessive sleep, and smoking. Low incomes, excessive sleep, joblessness, and food scarcity were positively associated with PTSD symptoms. In contrast, less sleep appeared protective against PTSD. Limitations: Potential limitations included cross-sectional study design and limited sample size. Conclusions: Public health initiatives, in particular mental health services, should be introduced to mitigate against psychological and financial effects of the pandemic on impoverished urban-dwelling individuals in Bangladesh