Hafiz T. A. Khan

Self-management of health-behaviors among older and younger workers with chronic illness

OBJECTIVE To examine the self-management of health behaviors carried out by older (aged 50-69 years) and younger workers (aged 20-49 years) with a chronic illness. METHODS Questionnaire data was collected from 759 employees with a diagnosed chronic illness. Four categories of self-managing health behaviors were examined: using prescribed medication, monitoring and responding to symptoms, managing an appropriate diet and exercising. RESULTS The majority of participants (56-97%) reported being advised to carry out health behaviors at home and at work. Controlling for confounding factors, medication use was associated with younger and older workers. Managing an appropriate diet was associated with younger workers with asthma, musculoskeletal pain or diabetes. Exercising was associated with younger workers with asthma and with older workers with heart disease, arthritis and rheumatism or diabetes. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that there are differences in diet and exercise activities among younger and older workers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS To increase self-management in health behaviors at work, improved communication and understanding between the different health professions and the patient/employee is required so that different tailored approaches can be effectively targeted both by age and within the context of the working environment, to those managing asthma, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis and rheumatism.

The effectiveness of the microcredit programme in Bangladesh

Since 1978, ASA has worked with poor vulnerable people to improve their socioeconomic status through delivering microcredit programmes in Bangladesh. This study aims at examining the effectiveness of the ASA microcredit programmes. It finds that ASA plays an important role in increasing the socioeconomic status of its beneficiaries and that there is a significant positive effect of the duration of involvement with ASA. Further, the effectiveness of the microcredit programme decreases with lack of sufficient amount of loans and training provision.

Variations in Grandchildren's Perceptions of their Grandfathers and Grandmothers: Dynamics of Age and Gender

In this article, we investigate grandchildrens perceptions of their relations with grandfathers and grandmothers. There is very little research examining grandchild-grandparent relationships from the perspective of grandchildren. Research on grandparenthood and multigenerational families has consistently suggested that it is maternal grandmothers and granddaughters who have the closest relationships. We question this finding by pointing to the significant variations by age and gender in grandchildrens perceptions of the grandparents, both with whom they have most contact and with whom they get on best. Matrilineal advantage toward maternal grandmothers is less obvious for the older grandchildren within our sample and even less so for older grandsons. Grandsons ages 12 and over are more likely to perceive maternal grandfathers as the grandparent they get on best. Thus, the perceived salience of grandfathers relative to grandmothers varied significantly by age and gender of grandchild. The findings support the importance of a multidimensional construct of intergenerational solidarity, distinguished in our cases between the associational and affectual solidarity dimensions, as developed by Bengtson and others, which allows us to understand why a grandchild could have more contact with one grandparent, yet feel closer to another.

Global population aging: Unequal distribution of risks in later life between developed and developing countries

Much of the existing research on population aging has focused on its impact, including both opportunities and challenges, on developed countries, particularly those in Europe and North America. This article discusses how unequally population aging will distribute risks in securing socio-economic resources for the wellbeing of individuals in later life between developed and developing countries around the world. Based on a documentary analysis of relevant literature and findings from the survey data drawn from Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), United Nations (UN), and World Health Organization (WHO), this article discusses four main areas of the unequal distribution of risks in later life: (1) burden of disease in epidemiological transition, (2) financial security in retirement, (3) familial resources for elderly care, and (4) care workforce for elderly care. While population aging is a global trend, its impact is not equal; over the next decades, today’s developing countries will likely contend with double challenges at least in these areas.

HOW WELL DID PAST UN POPULATION PROJECTIONS ANTICIPATE DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS IN SIX SOUTH-EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES?

This paper analyses the accuracy of the United Nations’ population projections since the late 1950s for six South-east Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The study uses available projected and estimated age-structured data as well as published assumptions on fertility and mortality trends. A decomposition of the total projection errors into base errors (wrong estimates of demographic conditions at the beginning of projection interval) and change errors (wrong assumptions about the trends) shows that the base errors have generally been decreasing over time presumably as a consequence of improving demographic monitoring systems. The change errors, however, do not seem to decline over time. This seems to be due to a number of country-specific cultural and political factors whose effect was not anticipated as well as to a lack of good theories with predictive power. These findings suggest the need to give more explicit attention to the treatment of uncertainty in future population projections.

Urban and rural fertility in Bangladesh: A causal approach

Fertility models are constructed from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS) employing path analysis. These models are developed and interpreted for urban and rural situations. As a proxy for fertility, the number of children ever born is used, and age, religion, age at marriage, parental childhood residence, and education are considered as explanatory variables. The contribution that these variables give to explaining the 1989 Bangladeshi fertility is compared to the explanatory variables that Ahmed (1981) found suitable for Bangladeshi fertility in 1975. We find that in 1989, compared to 1975, childhood background and education of the mother and age at marriage exert a greater influence on urban fertility, and religion no longer has a significant effect. In the rural case, the effect of religion on fertility has increased since 1975, as has education and age at marriage.

Utilization of Antenatal care among pregnant women of Urban Slums of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Maternal health services have a potentially critical role in the improvement of reproductive health. The use of health services is related to the availability, quality and cost of the services, as well as to social structure, health beliefs and the personal characteristics of the users. Antenatal care (ANC) is an important determinant of high maternal mortality rate and one of the basic components of maternal care on which the life of mothers and babies depend. It is a key strategy for reducing maternal mortality, but millions of women in developing countries do not receive it. Extracting 3549 women from the 2006-2007 Urban Health Survey, this study assessed the utilization of antenatal care and its related factor in urban slums for pregnant women. A Cross-sectional survey was carried out large, medium and small urban squatter settlements of Dhaka City. Two hundred married women in the age range 15-49 years were interviewed. Socio-demographic characteristics of women who received and who did not receive antenatal care in their previous pregnancy were assessed by frequency distribution and bivariate analysis. Antenatal care used in any of the previous pregnancy among women under study was 861(64.3%). Education and ANC is significantly related suggesting that the higher the level of education the higher is the likelihood of receiving ANC during pregnancy because educated women are aware about the importance of ANC during pregnancy. There is a strong association between the income of the respondents and ANC received by the respondents. This study indicates that overall knowledge about antenatal care was found to be better among women who had utilized antenatal care as compared to women who did not receive antenatal care.. There is also a need to evaluate the services provided by government health facilities and to find out why women are not utilizing the government health services though these services are available at subsidized rate.

Women's participations in economic and NGO activities in Bangladesh: an empirical study on the Bangladesh Demography and Health Survey (BDHS)

This study examines key factors affecting the economic involvement of women in Bangladesh and women’s involvement with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) operating in that country. Quantitative analysis was utilised to explore data contained in the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys 2007 and 2011. The findings indicate that age, marital status, number of children living in the household, place of residence, geographical location, education, partner’s education and the wealth index are important factors in enabling women’s involvement in economic activities. In other words, the key findings emerged from the study are firstly, the low level of women’s economic activities in Bangladesh with a majority involved in farming, agriculture and poultry; secondly, those women involved in the labour market generally tended to come from poor backgrounds, have very little education, live in the Northwest geographical region and have a large family living in the same house; and finally, age, currently married, having a higher number of children, living in rural areas, from the Northwest region with almost no education and belonging to the poor wealth index quintile are found to be associated more with NGO activities in Bangladesh. The findings indicate there are potential barriers that are preventing Bangladeshi women from engaging in the labour market that could reinforce the case for reshaping the Government’s labour policies. The study reveals that the recent economic crisis has no significant impact on the women labour force participation as well their involvement in NGO activities in Bangladesh. It is generally understood that enhancing women’s economic participation and NGO activities has a positive impact at family, community and country levels. The study concludes that investing in women, particularly in creating employment opportunities including NGO sectors can help the country as a safeguard even during the economic crisis. It is anticipated that the findings will help policy-makers in enhancing female labour-force participation as well as encouraging them to engage in NGO activities in Bangladesh.

The Ageing Scottish Population:Trends, Consequences, Responses

The population of Scotland is projected to decrease despite recent increases in fertility and an excess of immigrants over emigrants. The reason for the projected decline is the result of prolonged low fertility. The most immediate effect is ageing of the population. The causes and consequences of this demographic profile are discussed. To counter potential negative impacts it is recommend that the pension system be reformed, pension ages raised, healthy living and inclusion in society promoted and migration policies formed to encourage immigration of skilled people and encourage and the return of emigrants.

Climate change impact: the experience of the coastal areas of Bangladesh affected by cyclones Sidr and Aila

Bangladesh is considered one of the countries most at risk to the effects of climate change and its coastal area is most vulnerable. This study tries to explore the experiences of cyclones Sidr and Aila affected people living in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. This study was conducted in the cyclone Sidr affected Amtali Upazila of Barguna District and in the cyclone Aila affected Koyra Upazila of Khulna District. Primary data collection was done using Focus Group Interview and then a thematic analysis approach was used for analysis. Three core themes emerged from the analysis and they are, firstly, impacts of climate change on the socioeconomic condition of the people, secondly, the impact on the health status of the population, and finally the impact on vulnerable people. Findings show that the effects of climate change have serious consequences on the livelihood patterns of the affected population and on their overall health status. As a result, the unfavorable health condition of these affected people makes them more vulnerable to various emerging diseases.