Nazrul Islam Mondal

Sexual behavior and sexually transmitted diseases in street-based female sex workers in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh.

We analyzed the sexual behavior and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) of street-based female sex workers (SFSWs) of Rajshahi city and examined their socio-demographic profiles. Among the SFSWs attending three drop-in centers (DIC) named PIACT, PROVA, and Suraksha Madhumita in Rajshahi, 150 self-motivated and willing individuals were interviewed through a structured questionnaire to obtain obstetric histories and socio-demographic information. Among these SFSWs, 56.7% were infected with two or more pathogens of STDs, with gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, syphilis, and trichomoniasis observed in 23.3, 27.3, 24.0, 17.3, and 20.0%, respectively. We found a strong association between the prevalence of STDs among SFSWs and their socio-demographic profiles. Illiterate and comparatively older SFSWs who spent very little money for health purposes, had larger numbers of children, and used condoms inconsistently were observed to be at higher risk of STDs. These results observed with bivariate analysis were also confirmed by logistic regression analysis.

Family Structure, Economic Security and Educational Status of Rural Chakma in CHT of Bangladesh

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to prosecute a rigid survey on minor community Chakma in rural Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) area of Bangladesh. Present study consists 200 households of Chakma community. The data were collected from the rural areas of Panchari and Dighinala thanas of Khagrachari district. In the present study demonstrated that the literacy rate of rural Chakma is higher but per head monthly income is lower than that of the national level of Bangladesh. The average family size of Chakma community is consistent to the family size of national level. The dependency rate of Chakma is lower than that of national level. At least one child of 48% rural Chakma’s family drooped out from primary education. Also, logistic regression model showed that the socioeconomic conditions of Chakma families were significantly (5% level of significance) affect the droop out from education. However, it does not depend on the distance of the nearest educational institution from home.

Social Impact of Stigma Regarding Tuberculosis Hindering Adherence to Treatment: A Cross Sectional Study Involving Tuberculosis Patients in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Stigma, considered a social disease, is more apparent in developing societies which are driven by various social affairs, and influences adherence to treatment. The aim of the present study was to examine levels of social stigma related to tuberculosis (TB) in sociodemographic context and identify the effects of sociodemographic factors on stigma. The study sample consisted of 372 TB patients. Data were collected using stratified sampling with simple random sampling techniques. T tests, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression analysis were performed to examine correlations between stigma and sociodemographic variables. Approximately 85.9% of patients had experienced stigma. The most frequent indicator of the stigma experienced by patients involved problems taking part in social programs (79.5%). Mean levels of stigma were significantly higher in women (55.5%), illiterate individuals (60.8%), and villagers (60.8%) relative to those of other groups. Chi-square tests revealed that education, monthly family income, and type of patient (pulmonary and extrapulmonary) were significantly associated with stigma. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that stigma was influenced by sex, education, and type of patient. Stigma is one of the most important barriers to treatment adherence. Therefore, in interventions that aim to reduce stigma, strong collaboration between various institutions is essential.

Risky sexual behaviors and HIV vulnerability of male migrant workers in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) presents a serious healthcare threat to young individuals in Bangladesh and worldwide. This study aimed at to explore the risky sexual behaviors and HIV vulnerability of male migrant workers in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. Methods: Data and necessary information were collected from a random sample of 200 male migrant workers living in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. To analyze the data, both bivariate and multivariate analyses were used as the statistical tools. Results: The results confirmed that migrant workers are more likely to be engaged in risky sexual relationships which increased the risk of HIV infection. The determinants, educational status, watching adult movies or pornographic materials, smoking habit and taking illegal drugs have shown significant effects on the likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors. The respondents know that HIV/AIDS causes sure deaths. It does significantly reduce the likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors and it does not completely mediate the effects of viewing pornographic materials, smoking, consuming illegal drugs and being illiterate. Conclusions: The hypothesis supports that the migrant workers are more engaged in risky sexual behaviors. More research is needed in this area. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive program to prevent the migrant workers from risky sexual behaviors as well as HIV infections.

Urban-rural differences in disability-free life expectancy in Bangladesh using the 2010 HIES data

Background Research on health expectancy has been carried out in Bangladesh but none of it has examined the differences in Disability-Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) between urban and rural setting in context of rapid urbanization of Bangladesh in past decades. Objectives The present study aims to estimate DFLE for people of all ages living in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh, and to examine the differences in DFLE between these two areas. Methods Data from the Sample Vital Registration System 2010 and the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 were used in this study. The Sullivan method was applied to estimate DFLE in Bangladesh. Results Higher rates of mortality and disability were observed in rural areas compared to urban areas with few exceptions. Statistically significant differences in DFLE were revealed from birth to age 15 years for both sexes between urban and rural areas. Urban males had a longer life expectancy (LE), longer DFLE and shorter LE with disability both in number and proportion when compared to rural males. Rural females at age 20+ years had a longer LE than urban females but urban females had a longer DFLE and a shorter LE with disability in both number and proportion at all ages than did rural females. Conclusion This study demonstrates that there were clear inequalities in LE, DFLE and LE with disability between rural and urban areas of Bangladesh along with age-specific differences as well. These findings may serve as useful and benchmark for intervention and policy implications for reducing the gap in health outcomes.

Determinant factors of tobacco use among ever-married men in Bangladesh.

Background The burden of tobacco use is shifting from developed to developing countries. This study aimed to explore the different types of tobacco use, and to identify the determinant factors associated with the tobacco use among ever-married men in Bangladesh. Data and methods Data of 3,771 ever-married men, 15–54 years of age were extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007. Prevalence rate, chi-square (χ2) test, and binary logistic regression analysis were used as the statistical tools to analyze the data. Results Tobacco use through smoking (58.68%) was found to be higher than that of chewing (21.63%) among men, which was significantly more prevalent among the poorest, less educated, and businessmen. In bivariate analysis, all the socioeconomic factors were found significantly associated with tobacco use; while in multivariate analysis, age, education, wealth index, and occupation were identified as the significant predictors. Conclusion Tobacco use was found to be remarkably common among males in Bangladesh. The high prevalence of tobacco use suggests that there is an urgent need for developing intervention plans to address this major public health problem in Bangladesh.

Determinants of Blood Pressure Control in Hypertensive Diabetic Patients in Rajshahi District of Bangladesh

Hypertension (HTN), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is one of the most common chronic health conditions prevalent in most of the developed countries. Approximately 1 in 3 or 73 million adults in the United States has HBP. Many people suffer from HTN in the developing countries as well. Blood pressure is essential to move blood from the heart through veins and arteries to all other parts of the body. However, when the pressure is too high, it becomes dangerous, making the heart work harder and increasing the risk for heart problems, such as heart attacks and strokes. Many diabetic patients develop HTN, which increases the potential risk for various problems including kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, renal disease, blindness, and many other deadly diseases. No specific cause for HTN is found in 95 % of the cases but it is an extremely common co-morbid condition in diabetes, affecting 20–60 % of patients with diabetes, depending on obesity, ethnicity, and age (ADA 2004). Although diabetes mellitus and HTN are not among the top leading causes of deaths, such as cancer and stroke, public attention is increasing as their occurrence increases. Diabetes has been ranked the sixth leading cause of death and is also known as costly disease (ADA 2004). Coronary heart disease (CHD) is projected to be the most common cause of death globally by 2020 (Yusuf et al. 2001). HTN is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for CHD in Western and Asian populations (He and Whelton 1999). Studies from India and Bangladesh have shown an increasing trend in the prevalence of HTN (HTN Study Group 2001). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and HTN increases with age (Moon et al. 2002). It is estimated that more than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes and the number is likely to more than double by 2030 without any intervention, with 80 % residing in low and middle income countries. Almost 80 % of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries (Wild et al. 2004). Diabetes increases the risk of coronary events twofold in men and fourfold in women. Hypertensive diabetes patients have approximately twice the risk of cardiovascular disease compared with hypertensive non-diabetic patients. Hypertensive diabetic patients are also at increased risk for diabetes-specific complications including retinopathy and nephropathy along with kidney diseases, diabetic leg ulcers, sexual dysfunction, and sterility.