Prevalence and determinants of utilizing skilled birth attendance during home delivery of pregnant women in India: Evidence from the Indian Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16.

BACKGROUND: Utilization of skilled birth attendance during home delivery of pregnant women is proven to reduce complications during and after childbirth. Though the utilization of skilled birth attendance (SBA) during home delivery has increased significantly in recent times, the rate of utilizing skilled birth attendance is still low in several regions across India. The objective of this study is to analyze the prevalence and to identify the determinants of the utilization of skilled birth attendance during home delivery of pregnant women in India. METHODS: To conduct this study, data and information from the Indian Demographic and Health Survey 2015-16 have been utilized. The sample size for this study is a weighted sample of 41,171 women. The sample consisted of women who had given a live birth in the three years preceding the survey. For women with more than one child, only the first live birth was considered. The binary logistic regression model and the log-binary logistic regression analysis have been applied as the adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals for identifying the determinants of home-based skilled birth attendance during delivery. That allows us to select the most appropriate model for our study objective by ensuring that the determinants of skilled birth attendance for home delivery are accurately assessed based on the characteristics of the data. RESULTS: The analyses show that only 18.8% of women had utilized skilled birth attendance during delivery. Women residing in urban areas are more likely to utilize skilled birth attendance during home delivery (AOR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.08-1.20). Women having higher education levels are associated with increased use of SBA during home delivery (AOR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.04-1.28). Exposure to media is associated with increased utilization of SBA (AOR: 1.17; 95% CI: 1.11-1.23). Overweight women are also more likely to avail the SBA during home delivery (AOR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.03-1.19). Women belonging to affluent households have higher odds of utilizing skilled birth attendance (AOR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.33-1.49). Having 3+ tetanus injections is associated with the utilization of SBA (AOR: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.43-1.69). Women having 4+ antenatal care visits were more likely to utilize SBA (AOR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.71-1.92). Women belonging to the Hindu religion were 1.12 times more likely to utilize SBA (AOR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07-1.18). Women with 1 to 3 birth orders were 1.40 times more likely to utilize skilled birth attendance during home delivery (AOR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.30-1.51). CONCLUSION: The percentage of women utilizing skilled birth attendance during home delivery is still very low which is a matter of serious concern. Several factors have been found to be associated with the utilization of SBA during home delivery in India. As skilled birth attendance has significant positive health outcomes for pregnant women and newborns, efforts to increase the rate of SBA utilization during home delivery should be undertaken.

Estimating the growth parameters, exploitation rate, biomass and maximum sustainable yield of long whisker catfish Mystus gulio (Hamilton, 1822) in the coastal waters from southwestern Bangladesh.

The research provides a comprehensive analysis of Mystus gulio including growth pattern, growth parameters, recruitment patterns, mortality rates, biomass, exploitation rate (E), and the estimation of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) within the southwestern coastal waters of Bangladesh. From January to December 2017, fishers provided around 1200 specimens. FAO-ICLARM Stock Assessment Tool and Excel-add-in-solver were used to assess stock status through length-frequency data. Indeed, the research findings indicated that the population of M. gulio displayed negative allometric for both individuals (b = 2.53 for male, b = 2.50 for female), as demonstrated by the calculated allometric coefficient value. Nonetheless, the population's dynamic characteristics revealed an asymptotic length (L∞) of 19.34 cm, 23.28 cm and growth coefficient (K) 0.94 year-1 and 0.81 year-1 for male and female M. gulio. The growth performance indexes (Ø') of 2.55 and 2.64 for male and female and maximum lifespan (tmax) 3.20 years and 3.70 years respectively. This study revealed that the slightly variations in the natural mortality rate (M) for both specimens at 1.55 year-1 and 1.59 year-1. The fishing mortality rate (F) 2.75 year-1 and 1.98 year-1and total mortality rate (Z) 4.30 year-1 and 3.57 year-1 for male and females, respectively. The maximum permissible exploitation rate (Emax = 0.421) was lower than the actual exploitation rate (E = 0.63). The MSY was calculated at 67.968 metric tons. Without a doubt, overfishing stands out as the most critical threat to the wild stock. Therefore, it is clear that the existing fishing approach was not efficiently managed the standing stock in a sustainable manner. The findings would be useful for established proper fishing regulations in coastal waters and the surrounding ecosystems.

Experience and side effects of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among university students: a cross-sectional survey study.

Introduction: Many people expressed concern over coronavirus vaccinations' reliability and side effects. This research aimed to assess university students' perceptions and experiences regarding the side effects of the COVID-19 vaccines in Bangladesh. Method: We conducted an online cross-sectional survey to collect responses from university students vaccinated with any vaccines administered in Bangladesh between November 2021 to April 2022. Bangladeshi university students over the age of 18 and having an internet connection was included in the study. A binary logistic regression analysis along with Pearson's Chi-square test were used to identify COVID-19 vaccine-related side effects predictors after receiving the first dose. Results: A total of 1,176 participants responded voluntarily to the online study, and most were vaccinated. More than half of the participants received the Sinopharm vaccine (56.5%), while others received Covishield (8.9%), Moderna (7.3%), and Pfizer (5.8%) vaccine. Around 32% of the participants reported side effects after receiving the first dose of the vaccine, including pain and edema (78.4%), body temperature (20.3%), and headache (14.5%), while a few experienced allergy, anxiety, and uneasy feelings. About 17% of the participants reported experiencing side effects after the second dose of the vaccine, including pain and edema (7.5%), body temperature (8.8%), and headache (7.3%). Most side effects were significantly associated with the Moderna vaccine (p < 0.001). Female students and those previously infected with COVID-19 were significantly associated with the side effects after taking the first dose of the vaccine. Conclusion: We found that side effects are mild and did not pose a significant challenge to Bangladesh's effort in managing and reducing the risk associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salinity negatively correlates with the production and immunity of chicken: A molecular insight for food security and safety issues.

Salinity intrusion into the freshwater system due to climate change and anthropogenic activities is a growing global concern, which has made humans and domesticated animals more susceptible to diseases, resulting in less productivity. However, the effects of salinity on domesticated and wild birds, especially in terms of production and immunity, have not been fully elucidated yet. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the effects of salinity on the production and immunity of birds and the mechanisms by which immunity is compromised. Broiler chicks were subjected to different concentrations of salty water (control = normal water, treatment = 5 g/L, treatment = 10 g/L, and treatment = 15 g/L). The collected blood and organs from different groups of broilers were biochemically and histopathologically examined. Birds in salt-treated groups consumed significantly less feed than the control group, while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly higher. Body weight gain was significantly lower in salt-treated groups compared to control. Serum analysis revealed a lower systemic antibody titer in the salt-treated groups compared to the control. Primary lymphoid organs (thymus and bursa of Fabricius) were reduced in size in the salt-treated group due to cellular migration and depletion from these organs. Importantly, most of the parenchyma of lymphoid organs was replaced with fibrotic tissue. Gut microbes, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella spp., from salt-treated groups, showed less viability but developed antibiotic resistance. Levels of salinity were significantly and negatively correlated with feed intake, body weight gain, antibody titer, lymphoid organ size, and viable count of gut microbes, while FCR, fibrosis of lymphoid organs, and antibiotic resistance were significant positively correlated. In conclusion, increased salinity is a possible threat to food security and safety as it decreases body weight gain, reduces immunity, and influences the development of multi-drug resistance in gut microbes.

Socio-economic inequalities in and factors associated with minimum dietary diversity among children aged 6-23 months in South Asia: a decomposition analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and estimate the socioeconomic inequalities in MDD among children from five South Asian countries. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: The study used the most recent round of secondary databases of Demographic Health Survey data of Bangladesh (2017-2018), India (2019-2021), Maldives (2016-2017), Nepal (2018) and Pakistan (2017-2018). PARTICIPANTS: This study used information on MDD and other explanatory variables from a total of 136 980 (weighted) children aged 6-23 months. METHODS: Multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify the factors associated with MDD and concentration index (CIX) and Lorenz curve were used to measure the socioeconomic inequalities in MDD. RESULTS: The overall weighted prevalence of MDD in South Asia was 23.37%. The highest prevalence of MDD was found among children from Maldives (70.7%), while the lowest was in Pakistan (14.2%). Living in affluent versus poor households, having a mother who is employed versus a mother who is unemployed, exposure to various forms of media (newspapers and magazines), seeking antenatal care (ANC) more than four times compared with those who sought ANC less than four times and having children older than 4 years old are the most common significant factors associated with MDD deficiency. This study found the value of the CIX for MDD (MDD: CI=0.0352; p<0.001) among children with a higher socioeconomic status, suggesting inequality in MDD in favour of the more among well-off households. CONCLUSION: Inequality in the prevalence of MDD favours the affluent. Health policy and intervention design should prioritise minimising socioeconomic inequalities concerning the MDD. In addition, policy-makers should prioritise the associated factors of MDD such as education, wealth status, employment, media exposure while designing intervention or policies.