Problematic use of the internet, smartphones, and social media among medical students and relationship with depression: An exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Students in sub-Saharan African countries experienced online classes for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. For some individuals, greater online engagement can lead to online dependency, which can be associated with depression. The present study explored the association between problematic use of the internet, social media, and smartphones with depression symptoms among Ugandan medical students. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted among 269 medical students at a Ugandan public university. Using a survey, data were collected regarding socio-demographic factors, lifestyle, online use behaviors, smartphone addiction, social media addiction, and internet addiction. Hierarchical linear regression models were performed to explore the associations of different forms of online addiction with depression symptom severity. RESULTS: The findings indicated that 16.73% of the medical students had moderate to severe depression symptoms. The prevalence of being at risk of (i) smartphone addiction was 45.72%, (ii) social media addiction was 74.34%, and (iii) internet addiction use was 8.55%. Online use behaviors (e.g., average hours spent online, types of social media platforms used, the purpose for internet use) and online-related addictions (to smartphones, social media, and the internet) predicted approximately 8% and 10% of the severity of depression symptoms, respectively. However, over the past two weeks, life stressors had the highest predictability for depression (35.9%). The final model predicted a total of 51.9% variance for depression symptoms. In the final model, romantic relationship problems (ß = 2.30, S.E = 0.58; p<0.01) and academic performance problems (ß = 1.76, S.E = 0.60; p<0.01) over the past two weeks; and increased internet addiction severity (ß = 0.05, S.E = 0.02; p<0.01) was associated with significantly increased depression symptom severity, whereas Twitter use was associated with reduced depression symptom severity (ß = 1.88, S.E = 0.57; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite life stressors being the largest predictor of depression symptom score severity, problematic online use also contributed significantly. Therefore, it is recommended that medical students' mental health care services consider digital wellbeing and its relationship with problematic online use as part of a more holistic depression prevention and resilience program.

COVID-19-Related Suicides in Bangladesh Due to Lockdown and Economic Factors: Case Study Evidence from Media Reports

[...]some individuals' mental health is very fragile (Lin 2020). (2020) reported some of the psychological consequences in India (the neighboring country of Bangladesh) including self-harm due to COVID-19 misinformation. [...]impacts on mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety, panic, and traumatic stress) can also occur due to the lack of accurate information (Rajkumar 2020;Sahoo et al. 2020;Tandon 2020). The country is developing day by day although the wealth distribution is imbalanced. [...]a significant minority of individuals live below the poverty line (i.e., 20% live below the poverty line and 10.5% live in extreme poverty as reported in the 2018–2019 economic year;Financial Express 2019). Globally, it is well-established that unemployment, poverty, and economic distress are associated with suicide, and that when there are increases in these, there are increases in suicide (Goldman-Mellor et al. 2010;Oyesanya et al. 2015). [...]the suicide-related cases that are reported here are not unexpected in the COVID-19 lockdown situation because of the economic instability and disruption throughout the country.

Psychometric Validation of the Bangla Fear of COVID-19 Scale: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Rasch Analysis.

The recently developed Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) is a seven-item uni-dimensional scale that assesses the severity of fears of COVID-19. Given the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Bangladesh, we aimed to translate and validate the FCV-19S in Bangla. The forward-backward translation method was used to translate the English version of the questionnaire into Bangla. The reliability and validity properties of the Bangla FCV-19S were rigorously psychometrically evaluated (utilizing both confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis) in relation to socio-demographic variables, national lockdown variables, and response to the Bangla Health Patient Questionnaire. The sample comprised 8550 Bangladeshi participants. The Cronbach α value for the Bangla FCV-19S was 0.871 indicating very good internal reliability. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the uni-dimensional factor structure of the FCV-19S fitted well with the data. The FCV-19S was significantly correlated with the nine-item Bangla Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-90) (r = 0.406, p < 0.001). FCV-19S scores were significantly associated with higher worries concerning lockdown. Measurement invariance of the FCV-19S showed no differences with respect to age or gender. The Bangla version of FCV-19S is a valid and reliable tool with robust psychometric properties which will be useful for researchers carrying out studies among the Bangla speaking population in assessing the psychological impact of fear from COVID-19 infection during this pandemic.

COVID-19 Fear Among Pakistanis: Psychometric Evaluation of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale Using Item Response Theory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

The Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) assesses the fear of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and has been translated and validated into over 20 languages. The present study conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT) analyses on the FCV-19S among a sample of 937 Pakistani adults (mean [SD] age of 25.83 [11.80] years; 537 [57.3%] females). The CFA and IRT confirmed the unidimensionality of the FCV-19S. The Likert-type scale used in the FCV-19S was supported by the proper threshold orderings. Additionally, no DIF contrast had an absolute value larger than 0.5 regarding the participants' characteristics of gender, age, living status, and education in the IRT findings. The FCV-19S was found to be valid and reliable with strong psychometric properties among the Pakistani adult population.

Fear of COVID-19 and Depression: A Comparative Study Among the General Population and Healthcare Professionals During COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis in Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 pandemic affects individuals' mental health that can result in fear of getting COVID-19 infection and depression. As there is no prior study available, we evaluated these mental health outcomes and associated factors among the general population and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Bangladesh. This nationwide cross-sectional study comprised 3388 individuals including 834 HCPs. The measures included socio-demographics, healthcare, and patient-care related information, the Bangla Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Bangla Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors. Just over one-quarter of the participants were depressed, and was significantly associated with COVID-19 fear. Regression analyses showed that, both in general population and HCPs, depression and fear of COVID-19 were strongly predicted by being female; however, depression was inversely associated with being married. Particularly, among the HCPs, being restless while examining a patient with flu-like symptoms and while examining a patient returning from abroad was found to be significant predictor for both depression and fear of COVID-19. HCPs who were using single protective equipment for a week had greater depression and those who felt insecure due to the pandemic had a high level of COVID-19 fear. The findings identified major psychological impacts among the participants, suggesting the urgent need to promote mental wellbeing in both general population and medical professionals.

Trend and gender-based association of the Bangladeshi student suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic: a GIS-based nationwide distribution.

BACKGROUND: Students are one of the most vulnerable groups to suicide. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, a Bangladeshi study was conducted assessing their suicide patterns regarding gender-based associations. But how has the pandemic changed the Bangladeshi students' suicide patterns is not studied yet, which is investigated herein. Besides, for the first time, this study provides GIS-based distribution of suicide cases across the country's administrative district. METHODS: As Bangladesh has no suicide surveillance system, this study utilized media reporting suicide cases following the prior studies. A total of 127 students' suicide cases from March 2020 to March 2021 were finally analyzed after eliminating the duplicate ones, and data were synthesized following the prior studies. Arc-GIS was also used to distribute the suicide cases across the administrative district. RESULTS: Results revealed that female (72.4%; n = 92/127) was more prone to die by suicide than males. About 42.5% of the cases were aged between 14 and 18 years (mean age 16.44 ± 3.512 years). The most common method of suicide was hanging (79.5%; n = 101), whereas relationship complexities (15.7%), being emotional (12.6%), not getting the desired one (11%), conflict with a family member (9.4%), academic failure (9.4%), mental health problem (8.7%), sexual complexities (6.3%), scolded or forbidden by parents (3.9%) were the prominent suicide causalities. In respect to gender and suicide patterns, only the suicide stressor was significantly distributed, whereas the method of suicide was significantly associated with GIS-based distribution. However, a higher number of suicide cases was documented in the capital (i.e. Dhaka) and the northern region than in its surrounding districts. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reported herein are assumed to be helpful to identify the gender-based suicide patterns and suicide-prone regions in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic to initiate suicide prevention programs of the risky students.

Sleep duration during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A GIS-based large sample survey study.

Although several studies have been conducted in Bangladesh regarding sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, none have utilized a large nationwide sample or presented their findings based on nationwide geographical distribution. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore the total sleep duration, night-time sleep, and daily naptime and their associated factors as well as geographic information system (GIS) distribution. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 9730 people in April 2020, including questions relating to socio-demographic variables, behavioral and health factors, lockdown, depression, suicidal ideation, night sleep duration, and naptime duration. Descriptive and inferential statistics, both linear and multivariate regression, and spatial distribution were performed using Microsoft Excel, SPSS, Stata, and ArcGIS software. The results indicated that 64.7% reported sleeping 7-9 h a night, while 29.6% slept less than 7 h nightly, and 5.7% slept more than 9 h nightly. 43.7% reported 30-60 min of daily nap duration, whereas 20.9% napped for more than 1 h daily. Significant predictors of total daily sleep duration were being aged 18-25 years, being unemployed, being married, self-isolating 4 days or more, economic hardship, and depression. For nap duration, being aged 18-25 years, retired, a smoker, and a social media user were at relatively higher risk. The GIS distribution showed that regional division areas with high COVID-19 exposure had higher rates of non-normal sleep duration. Sleep duration showed a regional heterogeneity across the regional divisions of the country that exhibited significant associations with a multitude of socioeconomic and health factors.

Risky sexual behaviours among Ugandan university students: A pilot study exploring the role of adverse childhood experiences, substance use history, and family environment.

BACKGROUND: University students are known to have risky sexual behaviours (RSBs). The severity of the RSB is influenced by many factors, including the family environment, exposure to adverse childhood events (ACEs), and the use of addictive substances. However, there is limited information about the influence of ACEs and the family environment of these students in low-and medium-income countries (LMICs). Therefore, a pilot study was conducted among university students from a LMIC, Uganda. METHODS: The present study comprised a cross-sectional online survey among Ugandan students at a public university (N = 316; 75% male; 52.2% aged between 18-22 years). The survey included questions relating to socio-demographic information, family environmental information, the Sexual Risk Survey (SRS), and the Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ). RESULTS: Over half (53.8%) reported having had sexual intercourse. Males reported over two times higher mean total SRS score compared to females (χ2 = 4.06, p = 0.044). Approximately one-sixth of the sample had drunk alcohol or used illicit psychoactive substances in the past six months (16.1%). Among four regression analysis models, sociodemographic variables predicted the highest variance (13%), followed by family environment variables (10%), and both psychoactive substance use history (past six months) and ACEs individually explained approximately 5% variance in total SRS score, with the final model predicting 33% of the variance in RSB. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated a gender disparity with males involved in more RSB than females, as has been reported in most previous RSB studies. Family environment, sociodemographic factors, substance use, and ACEs all appear to contribute to RSB among university students. These findings will benefit other researchers exploring factors associated with RSB among university students and will help develop interventions to reduce RSB to protect students from unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS.

Suicidal ideation among people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: prevalence and associated factors.

BACKGROUND: Evidence from pandemic and pre-pandemic studies conducted globally indicates that people with disabilities (PWDs) have a higher risk for suicidality. However, none of these studies has assessed suicidality among PWDs in Bangladesh. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with suicidal ideation among PWDs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. METHOD: Using a snowball sampling technique, a cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to April 2021 among PWDs from six districts in the northern region of Bangladesh. Information related to sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics, behavioural factors and suicidal ideation was collected. Chi-squared test and logistic regression were used to describe the data and explain the relationship of factors associated with suicidal ideation. RESULTS: The prevalence of COVID-19-related past-year suicidal ideation was 23.9%. The factors associated with suicidal ideation included: age above 35 years, being female, acquiring a disability later in life, lack of sleep and current substance use. In addition, higher education appeared to be a protective factor against suicidal ideation. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted that PWDs had an increased risk of suicide; that is, one-fourth of them had past-year suicidal ideation. This may have been because of COVID-19-related restrictions and stressors. Thus, the government and policy makers need to pay more attention to developing effective suicide assessment, treatment and management strategies, especially for at-risk groups, to minimise the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Suicide related to the COVID-19 pandemic in India: A systematic review

BackgroundThe suicide rate has increased during the pandemic in India. Moreover, several studies, especially press-media reporting suicide studies have been conducted but no systematic review has been attempted in this context. Therefore, the present study systematically investigated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors, and the method of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.MethodsFollowing the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed to include papers published up until September 30, 2022. From an initial 144 papers, 18 studies which met the inclusion criteria were included in the present review. The Pierson's method was used for quality assessment of the included studies in the present review.ResultsThe risk factors associated with suicide comprised: (i) socio-demographic factors (e.g., being aged between 31 and 50 years, male, married, unemployed), (ii) behavior and health-related factors (e.g., unavailability of alcohol and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, poor state of physical health and health issues, family disputes, relationship complexities, and sexual harassment), (iii) COVID-19-related factors (e.g., fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 test results, quarantine or isolation, financial hardship due to the pandemic, having influenza-like symptoms, experiencing stigmatization and ostracism despite testing negative, separation from family due to transport restrictions, misinterpreting other illness symptoms as COVID-19, saving the village from infection, watching COVID-19 videos on social media, online schooling, perceived stigma toward COVID-19, and being suspected of having COVID-19), and (iv) psychopathological stressors (depression, loneliness, stress, TikTok addiction, and poor mental health, suicidal tendencies, helplessness, and worrying). Hanging was the most common method of suicide. In addition, jumping from high buildings, poisoning, drowning, burning, cutting or slitting throat or wrists, self-immolation, medication overdose, electrocution, pesticide, and gun-shot were also used to carry out the suicide.ConclusionsFindings from this research suggest multiple reasons for suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic and knowledge of such factors could aid in developing suicide prevention strategies focusing the most vulnerable cohorts inside and outside India.

Prevalence and associated factors of suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi rural community people: Findings from the 'BD ComMen Study'.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is considered as one of the major public health concerns, which can be prevented with cost-effective and timely intervention. In Bangladesh, very few studies assessed the suicidal behavior of rural community people. Thus, this Bangladesh Community Mental Health Study (BD ComMen Study) attempted to understand the current situation of suicidality in Bangladeshi rural community people considering three-time frames: lifetime, past year, and past month. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural community in Bangladesh between May 17 and 31, 2022, using a cluster sampling technique. Information on socio-demographics, COVID-19-related factors, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and suicidal behaviors was collected. The Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: During their lifetime, 33.1% of the rural community people had suicidal thoughts, whereas 5.5% made a plan for suicide and 1.8% attempted suicide. The prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation was 3.9%, whereas 1.4% had a suicide plan. In addition, 0.6% had past-month suicidal thoughts, although none of them had planned or attempted suicide. The factors associated with suicidal behaviors included males, lower age, lower educational grade, low-earning jobs, living in a government-provided house, family history of mental health and suicide, and suffering from anxiety and insomnia. CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal behaviors among the rural community people are of great concern as most of the rural people in Bangladesh do not have enough mental health literacy for treatment-seeking due to a high level of mental health-related stigma. Thus, this study would likely help to initiate further studies and stimulate suicide prevention programs, because most suicide can be prevented.

The relationship between spirituality and aggression in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study among Iranian nurses.

BACKGROUND: Aggression towards nurses in the workplace arises from various reasons, reportedly increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Where aggression can be maintained by spiritual well-being, as it is said that spirituality is a coping skill and psychological well-being maintainer-but there is little known, especially during the pandemic. Thus, this study explored the effect of spirituality on aggression among the nurses working in the COVID-19 wards. METHODS: This cross-sectional data from 200 nurses involved in the COVID-19 patient treatment were collected using a random sampling method from four hospitals in East Mazandaran province, Iran. Responses were collected based on socio-demographics, Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, and Paloutzian & Ellison Spiritual Well-being Scale. T-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression were applied for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of nurses was 31.49±6.88 (range: 21-48) years. Nurses working in the COVID-19 wards have a mean score of spiritual health of 67.21±12.84 (out of 120), whereas 51.77±10.96 (out of 116) was for aggression. The results showed a significant negative weak correlation between aggression and spiritual health (r = -.285, p<0.01). As per regression analysis, spiritual health [ß = -.264], age [ß = -.374], and working experience [ß = 4.156] were the significant factors associated with aggression (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is evident that nurses who consider spirituality in their life actions are in a state of reduced negative emotions, such as aggression. Thus, policymakers and managers of the healthcare settings are suggested to promote spirituality among the nurses through spiritual care education, providing the ground for promoting spirituality and a positive attitude towards it.

Suicide related to the COVID-19 pandemic in India: A systematic review

BackgroundThe suicide rate has increased during the pandemic in India. Moreover, several studies, especially press-media reporting suicide studies have been conducted but no systematic review has been attempted in this context. Therefore, the present study systematically investigated the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviors, and the method of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.MethodsFollowing the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was performed to include papers published up until September 30, 2022. From an initial 144 papers, 18 studies which met the inclusion criteria were included in the present review. The Pierson's method was used for quality assessment of the included studies in the present review.ResultsThe risk factors associated with suicide comprised: (i) socio-demographic factors (e.g., being aged between 31 and 50 years, male, married, unemployed), (ii) behavior and health-related factors (e.g., unavailability of alcohol and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, poor state of physical health and health issues, family disputes, relationship complexities, and sexual harassment), (iii) COVID-19-related factors (e.g., fear of COVID-19, COVID-19 test results, quarantine or isolation, financial hardship due to the pandemic, having influenza-like symptoms, experiencing stigmatization and ostracism despite testing negative, separation from family due to transport restrictions, misinterpreting other illness symptoms as COVID-19, saving the village from infection, watching COVID-19 videos on social media, online schooling, perceived stigma toward COVID-19, and being suspected of having COVID-19), and (iv) psychopathological stressors (depression, loneliness, stress, TikTok addiction, and poor mental health, suicidal tendencies, helplessness, and worrying). Hanging was the most common method of suicide. In addition, jumping from high buildings, poisoning, drowning, burning, cutting or slitting throat or wrists, self-immolation, medication overdose, electrocution, pesticide, and gun-shot were also used to carry out the suicide.ConclusionsFindings from this research suggest multiple reasons for suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic and knowledge of such factors could aid in developing suicide prevention strategies focusing the most vulnerable cohorts inside and outside India.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle patterns: Does gender matter?

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted individuals to deviate from normal lifestyle behaviors. But, there is a paucity of studies conducted in Bangladesh assessing how lifestyle patterns (i.e., smoking, drug use, physical exercise) have changed after the pandemic, which was investigated in this study. Methods: An online-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among a total of 756 Bangladeshi young adults between April 1 and 13, 2020. Lifestyle patterns data were collected based on two periods from the COVID-19 pandemic inception point in the country, (i) '1 year before', and (ii) '1 year after'. Basic descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency and percentages) and Chi-square tests were performed to examine the associations of the independent variables in relation to lifestyle patterns. Results: A 0.2 and 4.7% reduction in smoking and physical exercise, respectively, was observed after the pandemic. But the prevalence of drug use was 1.5% before the COVID-19 pandemic, which rose to 1.9% during the pandemic; representing a 0.4% increment. The changes in lifestyle patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was statistically significant only for physical exercise. Of the gender, male participants were more prevalent in smoking, drug use, and performing physical exercise in both periods. Conclusion: It is suggested to increase awareness concerning adverse effects of drug use and not performing physical exercise, where the gender-based focus is highly appreciated.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward the Prevention of COVID-19 in Bangladesh: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Numerous studies on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) about the prevention of COVID-19 infections are available in Bangladeshi contexts, with results that vary significantly. However, no earlier attempt has been made to analyze the available COVID-19 KAP studies in Bangladesh, which is incorporated in this meta-analysis for the first time. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, articles relevant to COVID-19 KAP that were conducted among the Bangladeshi population were found in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. Random-effect meta-analysis was used to generate a pooled prevalence of knowledge, attitude, and practice level toward the prevention of COVID-19 infection. Results: This review included 18 articles that were published between March 2020 and November 2021. Overall, 89.87% (95% CI: 67.71-97.40) understood about COVID-19 symptoms, 92.09% (95% CI: 84.32-96.18) knew about how it spreads, and 79.51% (95% CI: 59.38-91.15) knew about how to treat it. The public's perception of controlling COVID-19 is mixed, with only 44.16% (95% CI: 35.74-52.93) and 60.28% (95% CI: 49.22-70.38) believing the country would win the struggle against the pandemic and the infection will be successfully controlled, respectively. Although overall COVID-19 preventative practice was good, subgroup analysis found that men had a poor practice toward controlling the infection. The practice of avoiding crowded places (70.15%) and maintaining social distance (77.17%) was found to be satisfactory in institution-based studies. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that the Bangladeshi population had a good awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, treatment, attitudes, and behaviors. The findings of this study are likely to aid Bangladeshi governments and policymakers in putting evidence into action by identifying gaps and emphasizing the importance of educating the less informed public about COVID-19 transmission.

Prevalence of depression in Uganda: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Depression is one of the most studied mental health disorders, with varying prevalence rates reported across study populations in Uganda. A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to determine the pooled prevalence of depression and the prevalence of depression across different study populations in the country. METHODS: Papers for the review were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, African Journal OnLine, and Google Scholar databases. All included papers were observational studies regarding depression prevalence in Uganda, published before September 2021. The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Prevalence Studies was used to evaluate the risk of bias and quality of the included papers, and depression pooled prevalence was determined using a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 127 studies comprising 123,859 individuals were identified. Most studies were conducted among individuals living with HIV (n = 43; 33.9%), and the most frequently used instrument for assessing depression was the Depression sub-section of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (n = 34). The pooled prevalence of depression was 30.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.7-34.1, I2 = 99.80, p<0.001). The prevalence of depression was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-pandemic period (48.1% vs. 29.3%, p = 0.021). Refugees had the highest prevalence of depression (67.6%; eight studies), followed by war victims (36.0%; 12 studies), individuals living with HIV (28.2%; 43 studies), postpartum or pregnant mothers (26.9%; seven studies), university students (26.9%; four studies), children and adolescents (23.6%; 10 studies), and caregivers of patients (18.5%; six studies). LIMITATION: Significantly high levels of heterogeneity among the studies included. CONCLUSION: Almost one in three individuals in Uganda has depression, with the refugee population being disproportionately affected. Targeted models for depression screening and management across various populations across the country are recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022310122).

Prevalence and risk factors of sleep problems in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has altered people's lives worldwide and fostered the emergence of sleep problems. However, no systematic review and meta-analysis has yet been conducted to rigorously evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on sleep problems from a Bangladeshi perspective. As a result, the current systematic review and meta-analysis aims to fill this knowledge gap, which may lead to a better understanding of the prevalence and risk factors associated with sleep problems. To conduct this systematic review, PRISMA guidelines were followed; a literature search was conducted to include studies published till 5th March 2022 from the inception of COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh searching databases such as PubMed, Scopus. A total of eleven studies were included. The JBI checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. The overall estimated prevalence of sleep problems was 45% (95% CI: 32% to 58%, I2 =99.31%). General populations were more affected by sleep problems [52% (95% CI: 36% to 68%, I2 =98.92%)] than the healthcare professionals [51% (95% CI: 23% to 79%, I2 =97.99%)] (χ2 = 137.05, p <0.001). Additionally, results suggested that suffering from sleep problems were higher among female (OR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.29 compared to men); urban residents (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.55 to 2.02 compared to rural); and anxious person (OR: 5.15; 95% CI: 4.32 to 6.14 compared to non-anxious), whereas single participants less likely to suffer from sleep related problems (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.94). The prevalence rate of sleep problems was high and the general populations was at particularly high risk. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to investigate the trajectories of such sleep problems as a function of pandemic changes.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyle patterns: Does gender matter?

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted individuals to deviate from normal lifestyle behaviors. But, there is a paucity of studies conducted in Bangladesh assessing how lifestyle patterns (i.e., smoking, drug use, physical exercise) have changed after the pandemic, which was investigated in this study. Methods An online-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among a total of 756 Bangladeshi young adults between April 1 and 13, 2020. Lifestyle patterns data were collected based on two periods from the COVID-19 pandemic inception point in the country, (i) ‘1 year before’, and (ii) ‘1 year after’. Basic descriptive statistics (i.e., frequency and percentages) and Chi-square tests were performed to examine the associations of the independent variables in relation to lifestyle patterns. Results A 0.2 and 4.7% reduction in smoking and physical exercise, respectively, was observed after the pandemic. But the prevalence of drug use was 1.5% before the COVID-19 pandemic, which rose to 1.9% during the pandemic;representing a 0.4% increment. The changes in lifestyle patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was statistically significant only for physical exercise. Of the gender, male participants were more prevalent in smoking, drug use, and performing physical exercise in both periods. Conclusion It is suggested to increase awareness concerning adverse effects of drug use and not performing physical exercise, where the gender-based focus is highly appreciated.