Arifa Farzana Tanha

Hygiene knowledge and practices are essential for preventing morbidities among people living in densely populated areas such as the slums of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Limited hygiene knowledge and inadequate hygiene practices contribute to various health problems and affect daily living. This study aimed to assess hygiene-related knowledge and practices among women residing in the slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Levels of hygiene knowledge and practices were categorized as ‘good’ or ‘poor’ based on responses to relevant questionnaires. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed to assess hygiene knowledge and practices and to identify their associated factors. A total of 379 women of reproductive age participated in the study. Overall, 57% of the respondents had ‘good’ hygiene knowledge, while 60.2% demonstrated ‘good’ hygiene practices. Multiple logistic regression showed that women with good hygiene knowledge had significantly higher odds of practicing good hygiene (adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 3.82; 95% confidence interval, CI: 2.34, 6.22). The strong association identified between hygiene knowledge and hygiene practices highlights the importance of improving awareness and understanding of hygiene. Strengthening hygiene education initiatives in slum communities may improve hygiene behaviors and ultimately enhance overall health and well-being.

Background: Pregnancy termination (PT) is a major public health concern in low-and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors of PT using the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data 2017–2018. Materials and Methods: A weighted population-based sample of 8759 ever-married reproductive-aged women (15–49 years) was included in the study. The outcome variable was PT in any of the following forms: miscarriage, induced abortion, and stillbirth. A univariate analysis for mean, frequency, and percentage and multiple logistical regression were used to determine the factors associated with PT. Results: Around 18% of the women were found to have PT. The mean age of the women in the study was 25.79 years; 65.1% lived in the rural areas, and the majority of them were Muslims. Advanced age of the women (AOR:3.49, p = 0.004), residence in the countryside (AOR:0.81, p = 0.002), higher education (AOR:0.72, p = 0.027), not being a Muslim (AOR:0.74, p = 0.010), higher socio-economic status (AOR:1.28, p = 0.027), having a job (AOR:1.15, p = 0.041), being married at the age of >22 years (AOR:0.71, p = 0.036), and using a mobile phone (AOR:1.22, p = 0.002) were significant factors of PT. This study did not find any association between PT and contraceptive use. Conclusions: Age, living region, education, religion, wealth index, working status, marital age, and mobile phone use are the determinants of PT. Interventions including these factors need to be made to reduce PT in Bangladeshi women. These findings could be helpful in undertaking further epidemiological studies to understand the actual causes of PT in various rural and urban settings among different socio-demographic groups in Bangladesh.

Low birth weight (LBW) is a major public health challenge globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The LBW newborns have a birth weight of less than 2500 g, regardless of gestational age, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. According to the WHO estimates, 15–20% of all babies worldwide are born […]

In recent years, the ketogenic diet has become more popular in Bangladesh. Despite the potential negative effects, people are increasingly embracing and adjusting to this diet. Accounting for this manner, the current study addresses a gap that has existed as no research has been done on grown-up adults’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices about the ketogenic diet and its possible risks. To assess their Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of the Ketogenic Diet and its risks, a descriptive cross-sectional study of the adult Bangladeshi population was carried out. A number of questions were asked to participants regarding their demographics, sources of dietary knowledge, attitudes toward the diet, understanding of the Ketogenic Diet, and views on it. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Out of 383 participants, women (63.20%) and people under the age of 30 (68.15%) dominated the study. 359 (93.70%) of the participants reported having inadequate knowledge about the ketogenic diet. Around 43.42% of Participants who ever followed KD were assessed to have a healthy BMI. The results revealed a significant association between respondents’ perceptions of KD as a typical weight loss treatment and their knowledge score. Social media was the main source of information for followers (60.53%), while peers were the source of information for 30.26% of respondents. Participants who ever followed the ketogenic diet were less aware of its risks and often considered it safe to follow for a long period believing its benefits outweighed any possible drawbacks. The findings of the current study suggest that Bangladeshis are not well-informed about the therapeutic applications of the ketogenic diet. It appears that pre-diet counselling is essential for everyone to understand every component and proper approach for following this diet.