Adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines and their association with depressive symptoms in adolescents: Evidence from Bangladesh.

Healthy movement behaviours are associated with various physical and mental wellbeing; however, little is known about such associations in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine adherence to 24-hour (h) movement guidelines and their relationship with depressive symptoms in adolescents. Data were from 312 Bangladeshi adolescents aged 13-17 years (42% female). Meeting the guidelines was defined as: energy expenditure for physical activity (PA) â€‹≥ â€‹1 680 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)-min/week, ≤ 2 â€‹h/day of recreational screen time (ST), and 8-10 â€‹h/night of sleep. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10) with a score of 10 or more indicating high depressive symptoms. Percentage of adolescents meeting the three recommendations was 2.2%, with 17.6% meeting two, and 31.2% meeting one recommendation. Generalized estimating equations showed that odds of having high depressive symptoms was a third (odds ratio [OR] â€‹= â€‹0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.57) for meeting the PA guidelines, and about a half (OR = 0.47, 95%CI, 0.18-0.87) for meeting the sleep guidelines. Odds of depressive symptoms reduced significantly for meeting PA and sleep (OR = 0.20, 95%CI, 0.09-0.59), or PA and ST (OR â€‹= â€‹0.24, 95%CI, 0.08-0.55) guidelines. About half of the adolescents did not meet any recommendations, which underscores the need for public health campaigns to promote adherence to the movement guidelines in this pediatric population. Further longitudinal research with larger sample size is recommended to explore the inter-relationships of these behaviours and their impact on health and wellbeing outcomes of adolescents in Bangladesh.

Effects of a School-Based Physical Activity Intervention on Adolescents' Mental Health: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based multicomponent physical activity intervention on mental health of adolescents. METHODS: A clustered, randomized, controlled trial was employed in 8 high schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group; 40 students in grades 8 and 9 from each school took part in the trial (n = 160/group). Students in the intervention schools participated in a 12-week physical activity intervention with multiple components (eg, supervised circuits, lunchtime sports, health education, infographics), while control schools received no intervention. Participants completed baseline and postintervention surveys measuring depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and life satisfaction (Cantril Ladder), along with other sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to evaluate the intervention effects. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms in the intervention group decreased at postintervention, but remained stable in the control group. There was an increase in life satisfaction in the intervention group and a decrease in the control group. Multivariable modeling showed that students in the intervention group had a significantly lower level of depressive symptoms (ß = -4.60; 95% confidence interval, -5.76 to -3.46) and higher level of life satisfaction (ß = 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 2.10) compared with their counterparts in the control group. Sensitivity analyses supported the positive effects of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Our school-based, multicomponent physical activity intervention is effective in improving mental health indicators in adolescents. Future trials should be ramped up to include schools in rural and regional settings, using robust measures  of mental well-being.

Effects of behavioural change communication (BCC) on menstrual hygiene practices among urban school adolescent girls: a pilot study.

Background: Research on menstrual hygiene management practices (MHMP) has yet to be conducted among adolescent girls in Bangladesh who have gained services from the Urban Primary Health Care Project (UPHCP). This study aimed to assess the effects of behavioural change communication activities on MHMP among urban school adolescent girls. Methods: A convenience sample of 270 adolescent girls (aged 10-19) who had no chronic diseases from 5 schools in Dhaka city was selected using a descriptive cross-sectional design from February to May 2018. A semistructured (interviewer-administered) questionnaire was used. Frequencies were calculated for descriptive analysis. Results: About 17% of girls had irregular menstrual cycles, 57% felt uneasy and 27% had >7 days of menstrual flow. Fifty-five per cent of the girls used sanitary napkins. Most (95%) and 26% of the girls did not change their pads during school and at night, respectively. Sixty-five per cent of girls disposed of the used pads at the public dustbin, and 83% bathed during menstrual. Only 4% of girls were aware of the iron folic acid tablets. Conclusions: Despite the availability of services from UPHCP, the acceptance and adherence to MHMP among adolescent girls still need to be improved.

Effectiveness of a school-based intervention on physical activity and screen time among adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-component school-based intervention on physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) among urban adolescents in Bangladesh. DESIGN: Cluster-randomised controlled trial. METHODS: Eight high schools were randomly assigned to either intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). Participants (n = 160 per group, 40 school) were in grades 8-9. A 12-week multi-component intervention was developed based on the WHO's Health-Promoting Schools framework. The IG received weekly supervised circuit exercise (30 min/week), health education session (10 min/week) with health educational materials, and lunchtime sports activities (20 min/week). The main outcome measures included self-reported PA, ST, knowledge on PA and SB, which were assessed at baseline, 8 and 12 weeks. Repeated measures ANCOVA was used to evaluate the intervention effects. RESULTS: Total PA (MET-min/week) was increased from baseline to 8 and 12 weeks in the IG (3%-5%) but decreased in the CG (5%-3%) and significantly improved in the IG compared to the CG (p < 0.001) over time. Average ST (min/day) reduced from baseline to 8 and 12 weeks in the IG (28%-35%), while remained unchanged in the CG (6%-5%). The IG had a significantly lower average ST than the CG at 12 weeks. The average knowledge scores on PA and SB were significantly higher in the IG than the CG at 12 weeks (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our intervention has demonstrated some promising effects on increasing PA, reducing ST, and improving PA and SB knowledge. This study underscores the need for a scaled-up evaluation in other locations including rural settings.

Prevalence and factors associated with depression among the mothers of school-going children in Dhaka city, Bangladesh: A multi stage sampling-based study.

BACKGROUND: Motherhood is associated with extra stress, and mothers of young children are particularly prone to developing depression and mental health problems. METHODOLOGY: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in Dhaka city, Bangladesh, from June to December 2019. Mothers of school-going children were recruited through a multistage sampling technique. Dhaka city was divided into two divisions and then further subdivided into public and private sectors. Six schools were selected from each sector by using a simple random sampling technique. A list of class five to eight students were collected from each school by systematic random sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The rate of depressive symptoms was measured by the validated Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). RESULT: A total of 324 women participated in this study; the majority of the women (85.5%) were Muslim, 67.0% were housewives, and 53.1% had a girl child. Among the women, 15.4% had mild, 22.2% had moderate, and 20.1% had severe depression. Most of the child's behavioral and lifestyle factors were associated with the mother's depression. Adjusted analyses indicate that if a child is often unhappy, depressed, or tearful [(OR (95%CI = 22.27 (8.39-59.11)], gets nervous in new situations or easily loses confidence [(OR (95%CI) = 5.45 (2.96-10.00)], often lies or cheats [(OR (95%CI) = 8.93 (3.76-21.22)], gets afraid easily [(OR (95%CI) = 7.09 (3.79-13.24)], watches television for 3 h or more [(OR (95%CI) = 23.77 (6.46-87.48)] browses the internet for 3 h or more [(OR (95%CI = 7.37 (2.76-19.67)] were associated with mother's depression. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that depression among the mothers of school-going children in Dhaka city of Bangladesh is high. Several lifestyles and behavioral factors of school-going children are significantly associated with the mothers' depression.

Community clinics in Bangladesh: A unique example of public-private partnership.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh has established more than 13,000 community clinics (CCs) to provide primary healthcare with a plan of each covering a population of around 6,000. The inception of CCs in the country has revolutionized the healthcare delivery to reach the doorstep of people. The provision of healthcare through CCs is truly participatory since the community people donate land for building infrastructure and also involve in management process. The study was conducted to assess pattern of public private partnership in healthcare delivery through participation of community people in establishment, management, monitoring and utilization of community clinics. METHODS: This quantitative study involving descriptive cross sectional design included 63 healthcare providers, 2,238 service-users and 3,285 community people as household members. Data were collected by face-to-face interview and reviewing records of CCs with the help of semi-structured questionnaire and checklist respectively. The public private partnership was assessed in this particular study by finding community participation in different activities of CCs. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Almost all (96.9%) CCs are located in easy-to-reach areas and have good infrastructure. Lands of all CCs are donated by the respective communities. The security of most of the CCs (93.7%) is maintained by community people. Cleanliness of the CCs is maintained by the cleaners or ayas who are appointed by local communities. Community Groups (CGs) of 88.9% and Community Support Groups (CSGs) of 96.8% CCs are found to be active. In most of the CCs (98.4%), monitoring is done by analysis of monthly reports. All CCs provide referral services for pregnant women. Health care delivery is found to be 'good' in more than three-fourths while health education service is 'good' in 96.7% of CCs. All CCs showed an increased trend in the utilization of services and conduction of normal child deliveries. Benefits of CCs as perceived by service users included free drugs (82.1%), free treatment (81.2%), easy access (76.3%), need-based health services (75.0%), and immunization services (68.6%). Almost all (99.0%) of the CC service users opined that CGs are involved in management of CC activities. CONCLUSION: In resource-poor settings of developing countries, public private partnership in primary healthcare delivery through community clinics may play crucial role in sustainable development of community health by providing quality health care. The study recommends public-private partnership for strengthening CCs including establishment, maintenance, utilization, monitoring and supply of essential drugs and logistics.

Association between physical activity and diabetic complications among Bangladeshi type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess the association of physical activity (PA) with the presence of diabetes related complications among Bangladeshi type 2 diabetic subjects. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Out Patient Department (OPD) of BIRDEM, Bangladesh. A group of 977 subjects were randomly selected and followed up. Diabetes was diagnosed following the WHO study group criteria. The level of PA was categorized into inactive/low (<150 min/week) and moderate-to-vigorous (≥150 min/week). The WHO recommended Asian criteria was used to identify general obesity. Retinopathy was detected by fundal photography, CKD by serum creatinine and hypertension was diagnosed clinically. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the associations of PA with diabetes related complications. RESULTS: Out of the 977 subjects investigated, 468 were male and 509 were female (mean ±â€¯SD of age, 56 ±â€¯8 years). In the study subjects, 74% were either inactive or in low PA and of them 65.1% were overweight/obese. Analysis showed that inactive/low PA was associated with all the three diabetes related complications (p < 0.001)-hypertension, retinopathy, and nephropathy. Multivariate analysis showed that inactive/low level of PA was strongly associated with complications like retinopathy (p < 0.001) and hypertension (p = 0.01) in the female patients. It was also found to be highly associated with retinopathy (p < 0.001) among the male patients. CONCLUSION: A large number of urban Bangladeshi population are involved only in low PA or remain inactive themselves, which is leading to obesity and it seems to have a strong association with diabetes related complications in this population.

Ocular knowledge and practice among type 2 diabetic patients in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diabetes mellitus is likely to have a major effect on vision, and adequate knowledge of its ocular manifestations is of substantial importance to diabetic patients. The study aimed to assess the ocular knowledge and practices among Type 2 diabetic patients of Bangladesh. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 122 diabetic patients from the outpatient department (OPD) of the apex diabetic healthcare hospital of the country under the sponsorship of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BIRDEM). A questionnaire was used for collecting data on knowledge on and practices relating to diabetes mellitus with particular emphasis on ocular issues. A predefined score was used for categorizing levels of knowledge and practices as poor, average, and good. RESULTS: Of the 122 respondents, 63%, 55%, 40%, 44%, and 30% reported, blindness, retinopathy, cataracts, glaucoma, and double vision respectively, as complications of diabetes mellitus. About 50% were aware of the need for eye screening for people with the complications. Only 8% monitored their blood glucose levels daily, 15% monitored weekly, and 10% reported checking their blood pressure daily and 43% took their medications as prescribed. The level of diabetic knowledge was poor, moderate and good, respectively, among 24%, 56%, and 20% of the respondents, whereas the practice standards showed that 47%, 31%, and 22% had poor, average, and good levels respectively. The knowledge score was significantly associated with the practice score (r = 0.460, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the ocular knowledge and practices among diabetic patients attending a tertiary-care hospital in Bangladesh is average. Health and eye-care practitioners need to expand diabetic health education and promotion among diabetic patients.

Nutritional beliefs and practices among diabetic pregnant mothers in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Pregnant mothers with diabetes, especially in developing countries, are particularly prone to suffer from dietary imbalances due to superstitions and irrational beliefs and practices. The study aimed to explore the existing beliefs and practices related to food intake among Bangladeshi diabetic pregnant mothers. MATERIAL & METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 diabetic pregnant mothers (age in yrs, M±SD, 30±4), selected purposively from outpatient department of Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. SPSS 16.0 were used for data analysis. RESULTS: About 40% mothers had uncontrolled glycaemic status. 43% mothers believed that food should not be taken during the 'call for prayer' and 91% of them practiced it. For 'eclipse' the percentage of such kind of belief was much higher (80%) and 90% of them practiced it. With varying proportion for particular fishes 44-58% respondents believed that some fishes should be avoided due to the increased movement of child, fetal malformation and disease. 93% actually practiced it. 28% had adverse beliefs about duck meat, 78% pineapple and 8% had about coconut. The corresponding percentages for practice were 82%, 99% and 50% respectively. Mentally and physically abnormal child, different kinds of child illness and threat of abortion were among the reasons for misbeliefs about those foods. CONCLUSION: There are a number of nonscientific beliefs and prejudices among this pregnant mother regarding the intake of food.

Factors associated with maternal anaemia among pregnant women in Dhaka city.

BACKGROUND: Maternal anaemia is a common problem in pregnancy, particularly in developing countries. The study was aimed at determining the factors associated with anaemia among a group of pregnant mothers who attended an antenatal clinic in Dhaka city. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 224 pregnant women, who visited the antenatal clinic of the Marie Stops, Dhaka. Demographic data and information on maternal age, gestational age, educational and income level, and socioeconomic status were collected from all the subjects. Haemoglobin status was measured to assess their anaemia. A qualified technician drew venous blood samples from them. The reference values of haemoglobin were categorized according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria as follows: normal (11 g/dL or higher), mild (10-10.9 g/dL), and moderate (7-9.9 g/dL). Mild and moderate levels of haemoglobin were defined as anaemic (haemoglobin levels of <11 g/dL). The SPSS software (Windows version 16.0. SPSS Inc, Chicago, USA) was used for analyzing data. RESULTS: The mean (±SD) age of the subjects was 26.4 ± 2.81 years. Sixty-three percent of the subjects had normal level of haemoglobin, and 37% were anaemic 26% mild and 11% moderate. Maternal anaemia was significantly associated with age (p = 0.036), education (p = 0.002), income (p = 0.001), living area (p = 0.031). Results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that maternal anaemia was also significantly associated with age (p = 0.006), educational status (primary to 8th grade, p = 0.004; secondary and above, p = 0.002), living area (0.022), and income (0.021). DISCUSSION: A significant proportion of pregnant women were found anaemic. Most data showed education has animpact on awareness to use of health services and iron supplementation should be encouraged to improve the haemoglobin levels in pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that anaemia is alarmingly high among pregnant women in Dhaka city. Maternal anaemia is associated with age, education level, income level, and living area. The results suggest that pregnant women and members of their families should be urgently educated to understand the importance of antenatal care.

Determinants of overweight and obesity among Bangladeshi diabetic women of reproductive age.

BACKGROUND: Several reproductive disorders with overweight and obesity are now known to be associated with insulin resistance. The study was aimed to assess the proportion and determinants of overweight and obesity among diabetic women of reproductive age. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted among 888 diabetic women of reproductive age attending the out-patient department (OPD) of the central hospital of the Diabetic Association. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to assess the general obesity. Waist Circumference (WC), Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR) and Waist-Height Ratio (WHtR) were used to assess central obesity. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of overweight was 22% (95% CI 19-24) and that of obesity was 48% (95% CI 45-51). Prevalence of central obesity by waist circumference was 77%, by waist-hip ratio was 99.9% and by waist-height ratio was 89%. Overweight and obesity were higher in the age group of 45-49 years (49%) and 35-44 years (24%) respectively. On Pearson's correlation analysis, BMI and WC were significantly correlated with age (r = 0.135, p = 0.001; r = 0.162, p = 0.001) and income (r = 0.151, p = 0.001; r = 0.087, p = 0.009) respectively. WHR was also correlated with income (r = 0.094, p = 0.005). Moreover, WHtR was significantly correlated with age (r = 0.139, p = 0.001), income (r = 0.069, p = 0.04) and duration of diabetes (r = 0.073, p = 0.03).On binary logistic regression analysis, BMI was significantly associated with age, income and management of diabetes by Oral Hypoglycemic Agent (OHA) (p < 0.05). WC was significantly associated with age, income and management of diabetes by OHA and insulin (p < 0.05). Where, WHR was significantly associated only with duration of diabetes (p < 0.05). WHtR was significantly associated with age (p < 0.05), management of diabetes by OHA (p < 0.05) and insulin (p < 0.05) in this analysis. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of both overweight and obesity exists in diabetic women of reproductive age in Bangladesh and it seems to be associated with increasing age, income, duration of diabetes, and use of oral hypoglycemic agents.

Diagnostic accuracy of direct ophthalmoscopy for detection of diabetic retinopathy using fundus photographs as a reference standard.

AIMS: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of direct ophthalmoscopy for the presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) using fundus photographs as a reference standard. METHODS: Patients with type 2 diabetes attending the outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care diabetes center, from October 2009 to March 2010 were recruited in the study after obtaining signed informed consent. Patients with type 1 diabetes and gestational diabetes or having eye problems were excluded. After checking visual acuity, direct ophthalmoscopy of each eye was done by diabetologist, followed by photography of two fields of retina by fundus camera. DR was graded by a retinal specialist, according to International Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale. According to severity, patients with DR were grouped into non-sight threatening diabetic retinopathy (NSTDR) and sight threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR). Sensitivity and specificity of direct ophthalmoscopy for detection of any retinopathy, NSTDR and STDR was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 728 eyes were examined by direct ophthalmoscopy as well as fundus photography. Sensitivity (95% CI) of direct ophthalmoscopy for any retinopathy, NSTDR and STDR was found to be 55.67% (50.58-60.78), 37.63% (32.67-42.59) and 68.25% (63.48-73.02) respectively. Whereas, specificity of direct ophthalmoscopy was found to be 76.78% (72.45-81.11), 71.27% (CI: 66.63-75.91) and 90.0% (86.93-93.07) for any retinopathy, NSTDR and STDR respectively. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity and specificity of direct ophthalmoscopy performed by the diabetologist for the presence and severity of DR was lower compared to the recommended level of sensitivity and specificity of a screening test of DR.

Incidence of diabetic retinopathy in Bangladesh: a 15-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to estimate the incidence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among type 2 diabetic (T2D) subjects in Bangladesh. METHODS: A random sample of 977 patients with T2D was recruited retrospectively in 2008 from newly diagnosed T2D patients who had attended the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorder (BIRDEM) in 1993. Baseline information for the cohort was collected for 1993 from hospital records. The mean time until development of DR in newly diagnosed T2D patients was calculated using survival analysis. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to assess factors affecting the time until development of DR. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of DR over the 15-year period was 50.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 47.5%-53.8%). The incidence density (per 100 person-years) of DR was similar in the overall cohort (4.1; 95% CI 3.7-4.5) and in men (4.2; 95% CI 3.7-4.7) and women (4.1; 95% CI 3.6-4.6) separately. The mean time (in years) until development of DR in the cohort was 9.72 (95% CI 9.38-10.06), with similar times in men (9.8; 95% CI 9.3-10.3) and women (9.6; 95% CI 9.5-10.1) analyzed separately. Age, sex, hypertension, lipid profile, HbA1c, and serum creatinine were entered into the hazards model simultaneously. However, only age (hazard ratio [HR] 0.75; 95% CI 0.61-0.92) and HbA1c (HR 0.52; 95% CI 0.33-0.82) had a significant effect on the time until development of DR. CONCLUSIONS: Glucose deregulation is the most important factor in the development of DR.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Type 2 Diabetic Patients Regarding Obesity: Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh.

Prevention and management of obesity largely depends on patient motivation and education and these, in turn, can be greatly facilitated by adequate baseline data on the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of patients. The aim of this study is to assess KAP on obesity among Bangladeshi type 2 diabetics. Under a cross-sectional design 160 type 2 diabetics were selected from outpatient department of Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders. A standard questionnaire was constructed in local language and interview was administrated. Age and body mass index (BMI) of the respondents were 45.17±5.68 years and 25.6 ±4 kg/m2 respectively. Among them 45% were male, 38% had primary education, 25% belonged to normal weight, 1/2 of them were overweight and rest were obese. KAP score of the respondents was [mean ±SD(%)] 60.03±13.82, 79.30±8.27, 55.50±19.21 respectively. Majority were unaware about ideal body weight, energy requirement and the weight measurement techniques. A substantial proportion of the respondents considered fast food, soft drinks, mayonnaise as healthier food. Majority of them positively agreed on willingness to follow proper diet, maintaining ideal body weight, dietary management and exercise. More than half of the normal weight and overweight respondents did exercise >45 min, while 1/3 obese did not do exercise (35%). KAP score were significantly associated with respondents' level of education (P=0.0001, P=0.007, P=0.05 respectively) practice score was significantly associated with sex (P=0.0001), occupation (P=0.003) and BMI (P=0.0001). There is a need for increased effort towards developing and making education programs focusing on empowering the persons to transform their knowledge and attitude into practice.