S. M. Mostafa Kamal

FACTORS AFFECTING UTILIZATION OF SKILLED MATERNITY CARE SERVICES AMONG MARRIED ADOLESCENTS IN BANGLADESH

The study examines the prevalence of and factors associated with maternal health care service utilization among married adolescents in Bangladesh using the 2004 Demographic and Health Survey data. The findings of the study suggest that safe motherhood practices among adolescents are poor. Although 52.5 percent of the adolescents received antenatal care services, only 14.4 percent sought assistance from skilled birth assistance during childbirth and 10.7 percent of the babies were delivered at medically-facilitated places. Both cross-sectional and fixed-effects binary logit models yielded quantitatively important and statistically significant (p<0.001) socio-demographic factors for the service utilization which include: place of residence, birth order and region. Womens education and wealth index are the most important determinants (p<0.001) in maternity care services utilization. Programs should be undertaken to provide information highlighting the benefits of modern services utilization among women to promote safe motherhood in Bangladesh.

Interspousal communication on family planning and its effect on contraceptive adoption in Bangladesh.

This article explores the hypothesis that interspousal communication on family planning significantly influences the use of contraceptive method in Bangladesh using the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed in the study. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis. Both cross-sectional and fixed-effect binary logistic regression models yielded quantitatively important and statistically reliable estimates of the positive effect of husband–wife discussion on family planning on the current use of contraceptive method. Son preference, current residence, region, and visitations by family planning workers are also important determinants of contraceptive use. Programs should be undertaken on behalf of the government to involve men in family planning to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate at the point that needs to achieve the replacement level of fertility in Bangladesh.

Maternal Education as a Determinant of Neonatal Mortality in Bangladesh

This study aims to investigate the effect of maternal education on neonatal mortality in Bangladesh using data from the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to assess the relationship between neonatal mortality and contextual factors focusing on maternal education. The prevalence of neonatal mortality was 37/1,000. The statistical analyses yielded quantitatively important and reliable estimates of neonatal death. The sequential multivariate logistic regression analyses yielded strong significant negative association between maternal education and neonatal mortality. Maternal age, religion, birth order and antenatal care seeking are also important determinants of neonatal death. Programmes should be undertaken to improve female education in Bangladesh for a better chance of satisfying important factors that can improve infant survival, such as the quality of infant feeding, household sanitation and adequate use of preventive and curative health services.

What Is the Association Between Maternal Age and Neonatal Mortality? An Analysis of the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey:

This study aims to investigate the effect of adolescent motherhood on neonatal mortality in Bangladesh using data from the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Both univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to assess the relationship between neonatal mortality and sociodemographic contextual factors focusing on maternal age, in particular, adolescent and adult motherhood. The statistical analyses yielded quantitatively important and reliable estimates of neonatal death. The sequential multivariate logistic regression analyses yielded significantly increased risk of neonatal mortality among children of adolescent mothers than of adult mothers. Maternal education, religion, birth rank, and antenatal care seeking are also important determinants of neonatal death. Programs should aim to support girls to stay in schooling for a longer period to be higher educated. Delaying the age at first marriage may be also a valuable strategy to promote and improve infants’ health and survival status.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF AGE AT FIRST MARRIAGE OF THE ETHNIC TRIBAL WOMEN IN BANGLADESH

This paper examines the socio-economic determinants of age at first marriage of the ethnic tribal women of Bangladesh. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was applied to the data set containing 792 observations from four different tribal communities compiled on the basis of a household survey. The singulate mean age at marriage (SMAM) of the women, and mean age at first marriage for females, were found to be 21.8 years and 18.9 years, respectively, which were much higher than those at the national level. Findings revealed that womans educational attainment and pre-marital work status significantly delayed the timing of marriage. Parents’ economic status and respondents’ birth order had the most significant effect on marital timing. The multivariate statistical analyses also identified several variables as important determinants of marriage timing for the tribal women, including ethnic identity, childhood place of residence, fathers literacy and fathers survival status. The findings of the study may provide a clue to the rising age at first marriage of the disadvantaged indigenous women.

Socioeconomic Factors Associated With Contraceptive Use and Method Choice in Urban Slums of Bangladesh

This article explores the socioeconomic factors affecting contraceptive use and method choice among women of urban slums using the nationally representative 2006 Bangladesh Urban Health Survey. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were applied to examine the relationship between a set of sociodemographic factors and the dependent variables. Overall, the contraceptive prevalence rate was 58.1%, of which 53.2% were modern methods. Women’s age, access to TV, number of unions, nongovernmental organization membership, working status of women, number of living children, child mortality, and wealth index were important determinants of contraceptive use and method preference. Sex composition of surviving children and women’s education were the most important determinants of contraceptive use and method choice. Programs should be strengthened to provide nonclinical modern methods free of cost among the slum dwellers. Doorstep delivery services of modern contraceptive methods may raise the contraceptive prevalence rate among the slum dwellers in Bangladesh.

Differentials of Tobacco Consumption and Its Effect on Illicit Drug Use in Rural Men in Bangladesh

This study examined socioeconomic differentials of tobacco consumption and its effect on illicit drug use among rural men, extracting data from the 2004 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Overall, 58.4% of the respondents consumed tobacco either by smoking or chewing. Smoking bidi (33.9%) and cigarette (23.6%) were the most prevalent forms of tobacco use. The prevalence of illicit drug use was 3.5%. The predominant illicit drug used was ganja (2.3%). Socioeconomic and behavioral factors such as age, education, religion, marital status, premarital and extramarital sexuality, and having STDs were found to be significantly (P < .001) associated with tobacco consumption. Multivariate logistic regression analyses yielded significantly (P < .001) increased risk of illicit drug use for different forms of tobacco consumption, for young age, premarital and extramarital sexuality, and non-Muslims. Appropriate measures should be undertaken to prevent smoking and illicit drug use for a healthy Bangladesh.

Childbearing and the use of contraceptive methods among married adolescents in Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Objectives To investigate the socioeconomic determinants of childbearing and contraceptive use among married adolescents in Bangladesh. Methods The study used the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007 data. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to examine the association between the socioeconomic factors and childbearing and contraceptive use among married female adolescents. Results Overall, 69% of the married adolescents initiated childbearing and 25% of the most recent pregnancies were unintended. The current contraceptive prevalence rate was 42%. The multivariate logistic regression yielded a significantly increased risk of childbearing among adolescents with no formal education, those who were married-off before age 16, the poor and those who had ever used any contraceptive method. Inter-spousal communication on family planning (FP) appeared as the most single significant determinant of any contraceptive use. Number of living children, working status and visitations by FP workers are also important determinants of contraceptive use among the married female adolescents. Conclusions Early childbearing, lower use rate of contraceptive methods and unintended pregnancies are common among married adolescents in Bangladesh. Expanded schooling and reproductive health programmes in Bangladesh should promote increased communication about FP within the couples in order to achieve successful contraception and better reproductive outcomes, particularly among adolescents.Objectives To investigate the socioeconomic determinants of childbearing and contraceptive use among married adolescents in Bangladesh. Methods The study used the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007 data. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to examine the association between the socioeconomic factors and childbearing and contraceptive use among married female adolescents. Results Overall, 69% of the married adolescents initiated childbearing and 25% of the most recent pregnancies were unintended. The current contraceptive prevalence rate was 42%. The multivariate logistic regression yielded a signifi cantly increased risk of childbearing among adolescents with no formal education, those who were married-off before age 16, the poor and those who had ever used any contraceptive method. Inter-spousal communica- tion on family planning (FP) appeared as the most single signifi cant determinant of any contraceptive use. Number of living children, working status and visitations by FP workers are also important determinants of contraceptive use among the married female adolescents. Conclusions Early childbearing, lower use rate of contraceptive methods and unintended pregnancies are common among married adolescents in Bangladesh. Expanded schooling and reproductive health programmes in Bangladesh should promote increased communica- tion about FP within the couples in order to achieve successful contraception and better reproductive outcomes, particularly among adolescents.

Sociopsychological correlates of smoking among male university students in Bangladesh.

This study examined knowledge, attitude, prevalence, and factors affecting cigarette smoking among male students of a university in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 474 students in 2009. Both quantitative and qualitative statistics were employed to examine the relationship between smoking and sociopsychological factors. Overall, 36.1% of the students were currently smoking. Significantly, more nonsmokers than smokers showed negative attitudes toward smoking and positive attitudes toward tobacco-controlling measures. Age, study streams and year, mother’s education and occupation, monthly expenditure, and father’s smoking appeared as important determinants of students’ smoking. A multivariate logistic regression analysis yielded significantly (P < .001) increased risk of smoking among students of the Law and Shariah Faculty (odds ratio [OR] = 38.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.56-228.82), third-year students (OR = 7.18, 95% CI = 2.56-20.17), and urban residents (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.26-3.63). There is an urgent need for health promotion and antitobacco education in building a tobacco-free nation.

Adolescent motherhood in Bangladesh: Evidence from 2007 BDHS data

This paper examines the factors affecting adolescent motherhood in Bangladesh using the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. Overall, 69.3 per cent of the married adolescents began childbearing. Among them 56.4 per cent were already mothers and 12.9per cent were pregnant for the first time. Of the adult married women age 20–49, 62.1 per cent initiated childbearing before age 19. The multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that women’s education, husband’s education, place of residence, ever use of contraceptive method, religion, wealth and region are important determinants of adolescent motherhood in Bangladesh.