https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1067 Sat, 09 May 2026 06:49:03 GMT 2026-05-09T06:49:03Z https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1188 Editorial: Adolescent sexual and reproductive health challenges in low-income settings Alam, Nazmul Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1188 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1187 Covariates of Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Burdens among the Caregivers of Hypertensive Patients Alam, Nazmul Caregivers of hypertensive patients play a signifcant role in ensuring adequate patient care and lowering the risk of hypertension- relatedcomplications. Caregivers are ideal study subjects for identifying gaps in hypertension management. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of hypertensive patients’ caregivers, to identify their extent of involvement in patients’ care, and to assess their care-related attributes. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021 in the eight largest tertiary care medical college hospitals and all eight divisions of Bangladesh, with 949 caregivers enrolled. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire through snowball sampling and analyzed using a one-way ANOVA, independent-sample T-test, and chi-square test. Among the 949 interviewed caregivers, 541 (57.0%) were female, and 479 (50.5%) were aged 18 to 25 years. Te percentage scores regarding overall knowledge, attitude, and practice of the caregivers were 54.83 ± 17.95, 47.95 ± 24.05, and 61.26 ± 17.50, respectively. Caregivers’ education, history of hypertension, residence, age, relationship with the patient, occupation, and caregiving duration were signifcantly associated with the KAP scores. In addition, factors such as relationship with the patient, age, educational status, occupation, residence, and caregiving duration/day had signifcant correlations with all types of burden. Findings of this study suggest the necessity for awareness programs for the caregivers of hypertensive patients to diminish the gap in their KAP and improve their mental and physical health. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1187 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1186 Prevalence and determinants of adolescent childbearing: comparative analysis of 2017–18 and 2014 Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey Alam, Nazmul Objectives: Bangladesh has one of the highest adolescent childbearing rates in South Asia, which prevent women from realizing their full potential in life. This study aimed to compare the prevalence and determinants of adolescent childbearing in Bangladesh using data from the 2014 and 2017–18 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). Methods: Nationally representative surveys of respondents were selected using a two-stage sampling process. The study recruited 2,023 and 1,951 ever-married women aged 15–19 from 2014 and 2017–18 BDHS surveys, respectively, from rural and urban settings from all eight geographic divisions of Bangladesh. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fit to determine the factors associated with adolescent childbearing. Result: The adolescent childbearing prevalence rate was 30.8% in 2014 BDHS and 27.6% in 2017–18 BDHS. Marriage at age 13 years or less also reduced significantly in 2017–18 compared to 2014 (12.7% vs. 17.4%, respectively). Significantly higher odds of adolescent childbearing were found in 2014 among women in the Sylhet Division (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.0; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6–6.1) and the Chittagong Division (AOR = 1.8; 95% CI: 1.8–2.7) compared to the Barisal Region; however, in 2017, there were no significant differences was found across the geographic Divisions. Compared to women in the lowest wealth quintile, women in all other quintiles had lower odds of adolescent childbearing, with the lowest odds found among women in the wealthiest quintile (AOR = 0.3; 95% CI: 0.2–0.6). Women who married at age 14–17 had 60% lower odds of adolescent childbearing compared to the women who married at age 10–13. Conclusion: Nearly one-third of married adolescents in Bangladesh were pregnant or had at least one child in 2014, and it was reduced only marginally in 2017–18. Marriage at an early age and income inequalities among families were significant predictors of adolescent childbearing in Bangladesh. This study highlighted change in the magnitude and determinants of adolescent childbearing in Bangladesh taken data from two nationally representative surveys conducted 4 years apart. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1186 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1185 Prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends in anaemia burden by severity and cause, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 Alam, Nazmul Background Anaemia is a major health problem worldwide. Global estimates of anaemia burden are crucial for developing appropriate interventions to meet current international targets for disease mitigation. We describe the prevalence, years lived with disability, and trends of anaemia and its underlying causes in 204 countries and territories. Methods We estimated population-level distributions of haemoglobin concentration by age and sex for each location from 1990 to 2021. We then calculated anaemia burden by severity and associated years lived with disability (YLDs). With data on prevalence of the causes of anaemia and associated cause-specific shifts in haemoglobin concentrations, we modelled the proportion of anaemia attributed to 37 underlying causes for all locations, years, and demographics in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Findings In 2021, the global prevalence of anaemia across all ages was 24·3% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 23·9–24·7), corresponding to 1·92 billion (1·89–1·95) prevalent cases, compared with a prevalence of 28·2% (27·8–28·5) and 1·50 billion (1·48–1·52) prevalent cases in 1990. Large variations were observed in anaemia burden by age, sex, and geography, with children younger than 5 years, women, and countries in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia being particularly affected. Anaemia caused 52·0 million (35·1–75·1) YLDs in 2021, and the YLD rate due to anaemia declined with increasing Socio-demographic Index. The most common causes of anaemia YLDs in 2021 were dietary iron deficiency (cause-specific anaemia YLD rate per 100 000 population: 422·4 [95% UI 286·1–612·9]), haemoglobinopathies and haemolytic anaemias (89·0 [58·2–123·7]), and other neglected tropical diseases (36·3 [24·4–52·8]), collectively accounting for 84·7% (84·1–85·2) of anaemia YLDs. Interpretation Anaemia remains a substantial global health challenge, with persistent disparities according to age, sex, and geography. Estimates of cause-specific anaemia burden can be used to design locally relevant health interventions aimed at improving anaemia management and prevention. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://repository.auw.edu.bd/handle/123456789/1185 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z