Rooftop gardening to improve food security in Dhaka city: A review of the present practices

In recent years, the trend of growing vegetables on green roofs has gained momentum as a way of promoting agricultural sustainability in Dhaka City. Rooftop gardens become an important part of urban agriculture's recent rejuvenation and offer alternative spaces for urban markets to grow vegetable products. Green roofs create spaces for vegetable crop production, thereby creating opportunities for agricultural incorporation into urban communities. At present, however, vegetable production activities on rooftops are limited due to multiple challenges that need to be addressed before widespread implementation takes place. Rooftop agriculture can improve various ecosystem services, enhance the biodiversity of urban areas and reduce food insecurity. Food production from green roofs will help support and sustain food for urban communities and provide a rare opportunity to grow food efficiently in typically unused spaces. As human populations become more urbanized and urban consumers become more interested in local food for their families, the use of alternative agricultural production systems, such as green roof technologies, will increase in importance. While cultivating food on buildings is a key component of making cities more sustainable and habitable, green roofs are not the total solution for providing cities with food security. They should be viewed more as a supplement to other sources of food production in urban areas

How is parental education associated with infant and young child feeding in Bangladesh? a systematic literature review

Abstract Background Education is expected to bring about positive behavioral changes which could lead to improved health behaviors. Parental education is a primary determinant of child health and development. However, some evidence showed inverse associations between high parental education and recommended infant and young child feeding (IYCF) in Bangladesh. How the association of parental education differs with specific IYCF components has not been reviewed. Therefore, the role of parental education on optimal IYCF practices in Bangladesh appears to be inconclusive. The objective of this review is to summarize how parental education is associated with IYCF practices in Bangladesh. Method This review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar. Record searching, study selection, and data extraction was performed using Endnote online and Covidence tool, respectively. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used for quality assessment of the included studies. Results Out of 414 initial hits, 34 studies were included for this review. Of the included studies, 32 were cross-sectional, one was a randomized controlled trial, and one was a retrospective cohort. Most of the studies (n = 24) were nationally representative whereas 10 studies had populations from district and sub-district level. Included studies considered different IYCF-related indicators, including breastfeeding (n = 22), complementary feeding (n = 8), both breastfeeding and complementary feeding (n = 2), both breastfeeding and bottle feeding (n = 1), and pre-lacteal feeding (n = 1). Parental education was found to be positively associated with complementary feeding practices. However, the role of parental education on breastfeeding, in general, was ambiguous. High parental education was associated with bottle-feeding practices and no initiation of colostrum. Conclusion Public health interventions need to focus not only on non- and/or low-educated parents regarding complementary feeding but also on educated mothers for initiation of colostrum and proper breastfeeding practices. Trial registration This systematic review is registered to PROSPERO ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ ) with registration ID: CRD42022355465

Self‐reported urinary tract infection and bacterial vaginosis symptoms among indigenous adolescents during seasonal periods of water scarcity: A cross‐sectional study in Bandarban Hill District of Bangladesh

Abstract Background and Aims Water scarcity and poor water quality could lead to suboptimum menstrual hygiene practices, and subsequently urinary tract infection (UTI) and bacterial vaginosis (BV). In this study, we estimate the prevalence of self‐reported UTI and BV among indigenous adolescent girls during the water scarcity period in the Bandarban Hill Districts in south‐eastern Bangladesh. Methods Using a cross‐sectional design, a total of 242 indigenous adolescent girls were selected and interviewed during the seasonal water scarcity period (from February to May 2022) in Bandarban. The difference in prevalence of any self‐reported UTI or BV symptoms by respondents' characteristics was assessed by χ2 test. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to observe the associated factors. Results The prevalence of self‐reported UTI, BV, and any symptoms of UTI or BV among the respondents were 35.54%, 28.93%, and 43.80%, respectively. Ethnicity, studentship status, source of water used for menstrual hygiene, and perceived water quality were significantly associated with the prevalence of any self‐reported UTI or BV symptoms. Conclusion Findings recommend further research to cross‐check the validity of self‐reported prevalence and investigate if the episodes of UTI or BV could be attributable to water scarcity and poor water quality in study areas during dry period