Is Bangladesh Going through an Epidemiological and Nutritional Transition?

Bangladesh is going through an epidemiological transition with large reductions in mortality due to acute, infectious, and parasitic diseases and increases in non-communicable, degenerative, and chronic diseases over the last 20 years. There is also evidence of an adult nutritional transition with increases in pre-obesity and obesity particularly in urban areas. However a high percentage of the population of Bangladesh remain undernourished and economically poor and ultra-poor development programmes indicate that improving their nutritional status might not be achievable as a bi-product of the development programme. Bangladesh like many developing countries has many burdens of under and over-nutrition, high levels of infectious diseases as well as growing levels of non-communicable diseases

Relationship between some indicators of reproductive history, body fatness and the menopausal transition in Hungarian women

a nők reprodukciós története, testszerkezete és a menopauzakor közötti összefüggések elemzése magyar nők körébe

Prof. Derek Frank Bruce Roberts

Derek Frank Bruce Roberts was born in London, UK in July 1925 and after army service during World War 2 received a degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge. While at Cambridge he developed an interest in the biology of human variation. From 1949 to 1963 he worked in the Department of Anatomy, University of Oxford with Wilfred Le Gros Clark, undertaking anthropological field surveys in Sudan and forming an informal group of Oxford based workers interested in genetics. In 1960 he spent a year with James Neel at Ann Arbor, Michigan before moving to the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. In 1963 he joined Alan Stevenson’s Medical Research Council unit in Oxford and in 1965 was appointed to develop Human Genetics at Newcastle University. Among other activities there he continued with population studies, notably of the evacuated Tristan da Cunha population, while laying the foundations for medical genetics, including a cytogenetics laboratory and clinical genetics services. Derek has been credited with the use of the term ‘anthropological genetics’ referring to research on small populations in the context of human variation and evolution. Derek’s service to the profession of Biological Anthropology has been very substantial. For example, he was one of the founding fathers of the study of Human Biology in the UK and was instrumental in setting up the European Anthropological Association. He was an honorary member of the Society for the Study of Human Biology and the Biosocial Society. He edited the Journal of Biosocial for over 10 years, was an active Trustee of the Parkes Foundation from its i Derek Frank Bruce Roberts was born in London, UK in July 1925 and after army service during World War 2 received a degree in Geography from the University of Cambridge. While at Cambridge he developed an interest in the biology of human variation. From 1949 to 1963 he worked in the Department of Anatomy, University of Oxford with Wilfred Le Gros Clark, undertaking anthropological field surveys in Sudan and forming an informal group of Oxford based workers interested in genetics. In 1960 he spent a year with James Neel at Ann Arbor, Michigan before moving to the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. In 1963 he joined Alan Stevenson’s Medical Research Council unit in Oxford and in 1965 was appointed to develop Human Genetics at Newcastle University. Among other activities there he continued with population studies, notably of the evacuated Tristan da Cunha population, while laying the foundations for medical genetics, including a cytogenetics laboratory and clinical genetics services. Derek has been credited with the use of the term ‘anthropological genetics’ referring to research on small populations in the context of human variation and evolution. Derek’s service to the profession of Biological Anthropology has been very substantial. For example, he was one of the founding fathers of the study of Human Biology in the UK and was instrumental in setting up the European Anthropological Association. He was an honorary member of the Society for the Study of Human Biology and the Biosocial Society. He edited the Journal of Biosocial for over 10 years, was an active Trustee of the Parkes Foundation from its inception for nearly 30 years and was Secretary-General of the International Association of Human Biologists for 12 years. He was the recipient of many awards and honours including the higher degree of Doctor of Science (ScD) from the University of Cambridge, made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) in 1985 and he received the Franz Boas Distinguished Award from the Human Biology Association in 2001. Derek died in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK on 19 December 2016 at the age of 91 years. Derek was always courteous and kind and had a quiet and genial manner. He was an excellent mentor and as an editor was always very encouraging and fair. With his passing we have lost an extremely distinguished scientist and a very dear friend and colleague. Prof. C G Nicholas Mascie-Taylo

Gender and locality differences in tobacco prevalence among adult Bangladeshis

This paper is freely available online under the BMJ Journals unlocked scheme, se

Double Burden of Malnutrition (DBM) and Anaemia under the Same Roof: A Bangladesh Perspective.

The double burden of malnutrition (DBM) and anaemia is a growing concern in developing countries. Using the cross-sectional Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 2011, 5763 mother⁻child pairs were examined. In households where the mother was overweight, 24.5% of children were stunted, 19.8% underweight, 9.3% wasted, and 51.7% anaemic. Significant regional differences were found in DBM and anaemia as well as drinking water source, while DBM alone was more common in more well-off households (based on wealth index) and where the father was employed in skilled or service occupations. More policy and awareness programmes are needed to address the coexistence of child undernutrition and maternal overweight/obesity and anaemia in the same household.This research was supported through the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), UK

Regional variation in maternal and childhood undernutrition in Bangladesh: evidence from demographic and health surveys.

BACKGROUND: Undernutrition among mothers and children is currently a major public health and development concern in Bangladesh. In literature relating to nutritional determinants, of particular interest is the geography, as regions with poor nutrition tend to pull down the overall nutritional status of the country. As such, reducing the regional gap can alone reduce overall undernutrition significantly, especially when regional gaps are high. The aim of this study is, therefore, to assess the magnitude of inequalities in undernutrition in children aged under 5 years in Bangladesh and their mothers, and relate this to the administrative divisions of the country. METHODS: The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (1996-1997, 1999-2000, 2004 and 2007) were the sources of data, and a total of 16 278 mother-child pairs whose records were complete for the required individual and household-level variables were included in the analysis. Maternal nutritional status was measured by the body mass index (BMI). Weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height z-scores were calculated by use of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards to assess the nutritional status of children aged under 5 years. General linear model, sequential linear and multinomial logistic regression analyses were done to assess the inequalities in maternal and child nutritional status among the six administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Socioeconomic variables that were controlled for were residency, education and occupation of the mothers and their husbands, house type and possession score in the household. RESULTS: Maternal BMI and prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting in children aged under 5 years were found to vary significantly according to administrative division. Of the six divisions, Sylhet was found to have highest prevalence of undernourished mothers and children. The trends from 1996 to 2007 also established Sylhet as the poorest-performing region overall. CONCLUSION: The Sylhet administrative division needs specially focused attention from policy-makers if the overall performance of the health, nutrition and population sector is to reach the targets set by the country

Betel quid chewing and its risk factors in Bangladeshi adults

Background: Despite its ill effects, betel quid chewing is a common practice in the South-East Asia Region. However, so far no large-scale study had been conducted, hence, this study was aimed at estimating the extent of betel quid chewing and its association with socio-demographic factors in Bangladeshi adults. Methods: The data of a cross-sectional sample survey, involving 15 155 and 15 719 adults from rural and urban areas of Bangladesh respectively, were analyzed. Data were collected on betel quid chewing and socio-demographic characteristics by interview method using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were done following standard protocols. Results: Overall 31% of the study samples chewed betel quid regularly. Prevalence was two times higher in rural (43.2%) compared to the urban areas (19.1%). Betel quid use was more common among Hindus (41.4%), farmers (55.3%), and people in the 40-year or more (63.9%) age group; and the habit was less common in unmarried (1.6%) and educated persons (19.6%). Ex-smokers (73.8%) and current smokers (37.3%) were more likely to use betel quid than never smokers (25.6%). The frequency of betel quid chewing was 5.15 times a day which varied significantly with age, locality, religion and occupation. Three-fourths of the betel quid users chewed tobacco with it which was not influenced by socio-economic variables. On average, 2.29 Takas (USD 0.03) was spent a day on betel quid chewing. Conclusions: Betel quid chewing was found to be a common habit in Bangladesh. Mature adults (40+years) of low socio-economic status, i.e., rural residents, farmers and the illiterate are more likely to chew betel quid

Impact of a cash-for-work programme on food consumption and nutrition among women and children facing food insecurity in rural Bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a cash-for-work programme during the annual food insecurity period in Bangladesh improved nutritional status in poor rural women and children. METHODS: The panel study involved a random sample of 895 households from over 50,000 enrolled in a cash-for-work programme between September and December 2007 and 921 similar control households. The height, weight and mid-upper arm circumference of one woman and child aged less than 5 years from each household were measured at baseline and at the end of the study (mean time: 10 weeks). Women reported 7-day household food expenditure and consumption on both occasions. Changes in parameters were compared between the two groups. FINDINGS: At baseline, no significant difference existed between the groups. By the study end, the difference in mean mid-upper arm circumference between women in the intervention and control groups had widened by 2.29 mm and the difference in mean weight, by 0.88 kg. Among children, the difference in means between the two groups had also widened in favour of the intervention group for: height (0.08 cm; P<0.05), weight (0.22 kg; P<0.001), mid-upper arm circumference (1.41 mm; P<0.001) and z-scores for height-for-age (0.02; P<0.001), weight-for-age (0.17; P<0.001), weight-for-height (0.23; P<0.001) and mid-upper arm circumference (0.12; P<0.001). Intervention households spent more on food and consumed more protein-rich food at the end of the study. CONCLUSION: The cash-for-work programme led to greater household food expenditure and consumption and women's and children's nutritional status improved

Effect of daily versus weekly home fortification with multiple micronutrient powder on haemoglobin concentration of young children in a rural area, Lao People's Democratic Republic: A randomised trial

Abstract Background Multiple micronutrient deficiencies, in particular iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a severe public health problem in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Because of the practical difficulties encountered in improving the nutritional adequacy of traditional complementary foods and the limitations associated with the use of liquid iron supplementation for the treatment and prevention of IDA in infants and young children, recently, home-fortification with multivitamins and minerals sprinkles was recommended. This study aims to compare the effect of twice weekly versus daily supplementation with multivitamins and minerals powder (MMP) on anaemia prevalence, haemoglobin concentration, and growth in infants and young children in a rural community in Lao PDR. Methods A randomized trial was conducted in six rural communities. Children aged 6 to 52 months (n = 336) were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 110) or to one of two intervention groups receiving either two sachets per week (n = 115) or a daily sachet (n = 111) of MMP for 24 weeks; 331 children completed the study. A finger prick of blood was taken at baseline, at week 12, and again at week 24 to determine haemoglobin concentration. Anthropometric measurements were taken every 4 weeks. The McNemar test was used to assess within group differences at three time points in the study subjects with anaemia and one-way ANOVA was used to assess changes in mean haemoglobin concentration in the treatment groups. Results MMP supplementation resulted in significant improvements in haemoglobin concentration and in the reduction of anaemia prevalence in the two treatment groups compared with the control group (p <0.001). The severely to moderately anaemic children (Hb <100 g/L) on daily supplementation recovered faster than those on twice weekly supplementation. MMP was well accepted and compliance was high in both treatment groups. Overall, the improvement in the weight for age Z-score was very small and not statistically significant across the three study groups. Conclusions MMP supplementation had positive effects in reduction of anaemia prevalence and in improving haemoglobin concentration. For severely to moderately anaemic children, daily MMP supplementation was more effective in improving haemoglobin concentration and reducing anaemia prevalence. A longer intervention period is probably needed to have a positive effect on growth.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are