A phubbing scale tested in Bangladesh, Iran, and Pakistan: confirmatory factor, network, and Rasch analyses.

BACKGROUND: Phubbing, a phenomenon of ignoring others in face-to-face conversations due to mobile phone use, can be assessed using a Phubbing Scale (PS). Recently, the PS has been shortened into an eight-item version, the PS-8. However, psychometric properties of the PS-8 among Iranian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani individuals remain understudied, especially using advanced psychometric testing, such as Rasch and network analyses. METHODS: Participants residing in Iran, Bangladesh, and Pakistan (n = 1902; 50.4% females; mean age = 26.3 years) completed the PS-8 and the Internet Disorder Scale-Short Form (IDS9-SF) via an online survey. Network analysis was used to examine if PS-8 items were differentiated from IDS9-SF items; confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure and measurement invariance of the PS-8; Rasch modeling was used to examine the dimensionality of the PS-8 and differential item functioning (DIF). RESULTS: Network analysis showed that PS-8 items were clustered together with a distance to the IDS9-SF items. The CFA results supported a two-factor structure of the PS-8, and the two-factor structure was found to be invariant across countries and women and men. Rasch model results indicated that the two PS-8 subscales were both unidimensional and did not display DIF across countries and gender/sex. CONCLUSION: The PS-8 is a feasible and robust instrument for healthcare providers, especially mental health professionals, to quickly assess and evaluate individuals' phubbing behaviors.

A network analysis of the Internet Disorder Scale-Short Form (IDS9-SF): A large-scale cross-cultural study in Iran, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

The Internet Disorder Scale-Short Form (IDS9-SF) is a validated instrument assessing internet disorder which modified the internet gaming disorder criteria proposed in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, the relationships between the nine items in the IDS9-SF are rarely investigated. The present study used network analysis to investigate the features of the IDS9-SF among three populations in Bangladesh, Iran, and Pakistan. Data were collected (N = 1901; 957 [50.3%] females; 666 [35.0%] Pakistani, 533 [28.1%] Bangladesh, and 702 [36.9%] Iranians) using an online survey platform (e.g., Google Forms). All the participants completed the IDS9-SF. The central-stability-coefficients of the nine IDS9-SF items were 0.71, 0.89, 0.96, 0.98, 0.98, 1.00, 0.67, 0.79, and 0.91, respectively. The node centrality was stable and interpretable in the network. The Network Comparison Test (NCT) showed that the network structure had no significant differences among Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Iranian participants (p-values = 0.172 to 0.371). Researchers may also use the IDS9-SF to estimate underlying internet addiction for their target participants and further explore and investigate the phenomenon related to internet addiction. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-022-03284-8.

Activating Telomerase TERT Promoter Mutations and Their Application for the Detection of Bladder Cancer.

This review summarizes state-of-the-art knowledge in early-generation and novel urine biomarkers targeting the telomerase pathway for the detection and follow-up of bladder cancer (BC). The limitations of the assays detecting telomerase reactivation are discussed and the potential of transcription-activating mutations in the promoter of the TERT gene detected in the urine as promising simple non-invasive BC biomarkers is highlighted. Studies have shown good sensitivity and specificity of the urinary TERT promoter mutations in case-control studies and, more recently, in a pilot prospective cohort study, where the marker was detected up to 10 years prior to clinical diagnosis. However, large prospective cohort studies and intervention studies are required to fully validate their robustness and assess their clinical utility. Furthermore, it may be interesting to evaluate whether the clinical performance of urinary TERT promoter mutations could increase when combined with other simple urinary biomarkers. Finally, different approaches for assessment of TERT promoter mutations in urine samples are presented together with technical challenges, thus highlighting the need of careful technological validation and standardization of laboratory methods prior to translation into clinical practice.

TERT promoter mutations in bladder cancer affect patient survival and disease recurrence through modification by a common polymorphism.

The telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter, an important element of telomerase expression, has emerged as a target of cancer-specific mutations. Originally described in melanoma, the mutations in TERT promoter have been shown to be common in certain other tumor types that include glioblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and bladder cancer. To fully define the occurrence and effect of the TERT promoter mutations, we investigated tumors from a well-characterized series of 327 patients with urothelial cell carcinoma of bladder. The somatic mutations, mainly at positions -124 and -146 bp from ATG start site that create binding motifs for E-twenty six/ternary complex factors (Ets/TCF), affected 65.4% of the tumors, with even distribution across different stages and grades. Our data showed that a common polymorphism rs2853669, within a preexisting Ets2 binding site in the TERT promoter, acts as a modifier of the effect of the mutations on survival and tumor recurrence. The patients with the mutations showed poor survival in the absence [hazard ratio (HR) 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-4.70] but not in the presence (HR 0.42, 95% CI 0.18-1.01) of the variant allele of the polymorphism. The mutations in the absence of the variant allele were highly associated with the disease recurrence in patients with Tis, Ta, and T1 tumors (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.11-3.08). The TERT promoter mutations are the most common somatic lesions in bladder cancer with clinical implications. The association of the mutations with patient survival and disease recurrence, subject to modification by a common polymorphism, can be a unique putative marker with individualized prognostic potential.

TERT promoter mutations in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

We screened promoter region of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) for activating somatic mutations in 188 tumors from patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Twelve tumors (6.4%) carried a mutation within the core promoter region of the gene. The mutations were less frequent in high grade tumors compared to low grade tumors [odds ratio (OR) = 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.03-0.72, p = 0.02]. Multivariate analysis for cause specific survival showed statistically significant poor outcome in patients with TERT promoter mutations [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.90, 95% CI = 1.13-7.39, p = 0.03]. A common polymorphism (rs2853669) within the locus seemed to act as a modifier of the effect of the mutations on patient survival as the noncarriers of the variant allele with the TERT promoter mutations showed worst survival (HR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.24-8.98, p = 0.02). We also measured relative telomere length (RTL) in tumors and difference between tumors with and without the TERT promoter mutations was not statistically significant. Similarly, no difference in patient survival based on RTL in tumors was observed. Our study showed a relatively low frequency of TERT promoter mutations in ccRCC. Nevertheless, patients with the mutations, particularly in the absence of the rs2853669 variant showed the worst disease-specific survival. Thus, it is possible that the TERT promoter mutations define a small subset of tumors with an aggressive behavior.

Mutations in TERT promoter and FGFR3 and telomere length in bladder cancer.

Mutations in the promoter of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) genes constitute the most recurrent somatic alterations in urothelial carcinoma of bladder. In this study, we screened DNA from 327 urothelial bladder carcinomas from well-documented patients, with different stages and grades and known TERT promoter mutational status, for FGFR3 alterations and measured relative telomere length (RTL). Although, the frequency of the TERT promoter mutations was higher than those in FGFR3; however, the alterations at the two loci occurred together more frequently than per chance [Odds ratio (OR) = 4.93, 95% CI = 2.72-8.92, p < 0.0001]. While tumors with TERT promoter and FGFR3 mutations had shorter RTL than those without mutations (p < 0.0001), the TERT promoter mutations in conjunction with the common allele of the rs2853669 polymorphism defined sub-group of patients with an observed decreased overall survival (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.00-4.61) and increased recurrence in patients with TaG1+TaG2 disease categories (OR = 3.68, 95%CI = 1.12-12.05). The finding of shorter telomeres in tumors with TERT promoter and/or FGFR3 mutations than without mutations implies mechanistic relevance of telomere biology in cancer progression. The observed association with recurrence and survival shows that the TERT promoter mutations can potentially be used as markers to refine selection of patients for different treatments. The overwhelming frequency of the TERT promoter mutations also represents a case for development of an eventual therapeutic target.

Population genetics of 17 Y-chromosomal STRs loci in Garo and Santal tribal populations in Bangladesh.

Allele frequencies and haplotype diversity of 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci included in Y-filer™ PCR amplification kit were studied in 120 Garo and 139 Santal male individuals residing in two distinct regions of Bangladesh. A total of 99 different haplotypes from Garo and 129 different haplotypes from Santal individuals were observed with a corresponding discrimination capacity (DC) of 0.825 and 0.928, respectively. A comparison of the studied data with the published data from Y-STR haplotype reference database (YHRD) based on AMOVA revealed that the Garo population is closely related to Tripuri population from Tripura, India and Santal population moderately close to Munda population from Jharkhand, India. The mainstream Bengali population resides at a significant genetic distance from these two studied populations.

Predictive factors of vaccination status, knowledge, attitudes, and practice towards prevention of hepatitis B infection among Bangladeshi people: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Infection with the hepatitis B virus is a serious public health problem that is growing all over the world. Therefore, in this context, there is no exception to public participation in disease burden reduction. Consequently, for the first time in Bangladesh, the current study aims to assess the level of vaccination status, knowledge, attitude, and practice of hepatitis B infection among general people. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between December 15, 2021, and January 17, 2022, including sociodemographic information as well as questions about vaccination status and knowledge, attitude, and practice related to hepatitis B. Data were analyzed using descriptive (frequency) and inferential statistics (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H, χ 2, binary logistic regression, and spearman's rho correlation coefficient). Results: Results indicated that about one-third (37.9%) of the 807 participants had received hepatitis B vaccine, with an overall mean score of 11.506 ± 5.403 for knowledge, 5.435 ± 1.038 and 4.252 ± 1.776 for attitude and practice, respectively. Risk factors related to vaccination were age, religion, educational qualification, occupation, residence area, marital status, comorbidity, and family member suffering from hepatitis B. Higher level of knowledge was significantly found among the young people aged between 10 and 29; had higher secondary or tertiary education (median = 13); were employed (median = 13.5, interquartile range [IQR] = 8); living in divisional city (median = 13, IQR = 7); were single (media = 13, IQR = 7); and whose family members were suffering from hepatitis B. Besides, poor practice was observed among those aged between 50 and higher (p = 0.004), had no formal education [p < 0.001), a retired or housewife (p < 0.001), divorced or widowed (p < 0.001), absence of comorbidity (p = 0.02), and whose family members were not infected with hepatitis B (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The results exposed that vaccination rates and preventative behavior are unsatisfactory, which will hinder efforts to eradicate hepatitis B worldwide by the year 2030.

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.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 among rural adolescents in Thakurgaon district, Bangladesh: an interview-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the understanding, opinions and actions concerning COVID-19, referred to as knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), among rural adolescents in Bangladesh. Additionally, the study aimed to identify the determinants that may influence adolescents' KAP. DESIGN: An interview-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: The study area was the Thakurgaon district, which was located in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 266 rural adolescents were selected using a non-probability (convenience sampling) technique. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sociodemographic characteristics, source of information, COVID-19-related KAP, and their associated factors. RESULTS: The majority of the respondents were females and reported that mass media (eg, television channels and papers) was the main source of information to learn about COVID-19. The mean score for knowledge was 7.15±3, whereas the scores were 10.5±2.8, and 8.78±2.66 for attitude and practice, respectively. Among the adolescents, only 11% had adequate knowledge, a positive attitude (27%) and good practices (31%). The predictive factors related to adolescents' knowledge and attitude were their religion, educational level and family income. Adolescents who were from the Islamic religion and who had secondary education were more knowledgeable and encompassed more positive attitudes. Besides, poor KAP towards COVID-19 was significantly higher among the participants with the lowest family income (less than 10 000 BDT). Moreover, their knowledge was significantly associated with their attitudes and practices. CONCLUSION: The study found that adolescents in rural areas lacked sufficient knowledge of COVID-19 and engaged in unsatisfactory preventative behaviour. Therefore, the development of effective health education programmes that incorporate consideration of KAP-modifying factors is needed. In addition, the result would be helpful for other similar types of pandemics.

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.

Suicidal behaviors and university entrance test-related factors: A Bangladeshi exploratory study.

PURPOSE: The present study is the first investigating unexplored psychological issues of university entrance test-taking students in Bangladesh. DESIGN AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study investigates suicidal behaviors and their socio-demographic, admission test-related, and psychopathological risk factors among a total of 911-Bangladeshi university entrance test-takers. FINDINGS: About 17.7% of the participants report suicidal thoughts, whereas it is 8.0% and 2.5% for suicide plans and suicide attempts, respectively. Significantly higher suicidal thought is observed in the repeat test-taking students compared to the first-time test-takers (20.7% vs. 14.6%, χ 2 = 5.669, p = 0.017), though the suicide plan and suicide attempt are not associated with student status. The suicidal thought risk factors include female gender, urban residence, satisfaction with the mock test, mental disorders etc. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The present findings warrant implementing initiatives for this suicide-prone cohort, especially for the test-failing students.

Facebook use and its predictive factors among students: Evidence from a lower- and middle-income country, Bangladesh.

Background: Facebook is a popular social networking site in the modern world. It has an adverse effect such as impairing daily health and psychological health and also interpersonal relationships when the use becomes problematic. Aims: To examine problematic Facebook use (PFU) and its predictors among Bangladeshi students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 601 Bangladeshi students and collected data related to socio-demographic information, behavioral health, internet use behavior, depression, anxiety and problematic Facebook use [assessed using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS)]. The data were analyzed using descriptive (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, correlations, and multivariable linear regression). Results: The results indicated that 29.1% of participants were problematic Facebook users (using cutoff ≥18 out of 30). Medical college students had higher mean score on PFU than other students (p < 0.001). In addition, the mean score of PFU was significantly higher among the students who were in a relationship (p = 0.001), did not engage in physical activity (p < 0.001), used the internet more than 5 h per day (p < 0.001), used social media (p < 0.001), and had depression or anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001). PFU was significantly associated with depression and anxiety among the whole sample. Predictive factors for PFU included relationship status, daily internet use time, gaming, social media use, depression, and anxiety. The model predicted almost 33.2% variance for PFU. Conclusions: Findings suggest interventions should be implemented for students with a special focus on medical students who had higher score of PFU than other types of students.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BMI: Its changes in relation to socio-demographic and physical activity patterns based on a short period.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a major threat to the world. The preventive strategies designed to minimize the virus transmission by remaining at home, being isolated, and keeping social distance, which would substantially reform people's lifestyle, physical activity, eating habits, etc. Consequently, those measures might create a disturbance in weight management and overweight. Therefore, how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the physical activities of individuals and its impacts on the Body Mass Index (BMI) is explored herein. METHODS: An online-based cross-sectional study collected data from 338 Bangladeshi adults in November 2020. The questionnaire included socio-demographics, health-related variables, physical activity-related variables, and diet measurement. Inferential statistics (i.e., chi-square test, McNemar test) were used to measure the associations between BMI and studied variables with a consideration of two scenarios ('before' and 'during' the pandemic inception), where p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Results showed that the prevalence of overweight was 30.5% 'before' the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased to 34.9% 'during' the pandemic; that means 4.4% of the participants significantly gained weight after the pandemic inception. There was no significant role of socio-demographic (e.g., gender, age, current residence, occupation) or physical activity-related factors (e.g., unavailability of outdoor space, not performing regular physical exercise, exercising with a partner) in changing the BMI status after the pandemic inception. However, following a proper diet plan during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed to decrease BMI status significantly. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that a minor portion of the participants reported increasing their overweight status after the pandemic inception, whereas having a proper diet plan during the pandemic can significantly decrease BMI status. Therefore, the importance of the appropriate diet plan should be considered while implementing any policies.

Predictive factors of insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: a GIS-based nationwide distribution.

BACKGROUND: In a densely populated country like Bangladesh, mental health-related burden and associated adverse outcomes are quite prevalent. However, exploration of sleep-related issues in general, and more specifically of insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic has been scarce and restricted to a single location. The present study investigated the prevalence of insomnia and its predictive factors in the general population, and included Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis to identify regional heterogeneities of insomnia in Bangladesh. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Information related to socio-demographics, knowledge of COVID-19, behaviors related to COVID-19, fear of COVID-19, and insomnia were included in a questionnaire, and coupled with GIS-based spatial analysis to identify regional susceptibility to insomnia. RESULTS: Approximately 30.4%, 13.1% and 2.8% of participants reported sub-threshold, moderate, and severe forms of insomnia, respectively. Independent predictive risk factors of insomnia symptoms included female gender, college education, urban residence, presence of comorbidities, using social media, taking naps during daytime, and fear of COVID-19. District-wide variations in the spatial distribution of fear of COVID-19 and insomnia were significantly associated. CONCLUSION: Insomnia is frequently present during a pandemic, and exhibits regional variability along with multifactorial determinants. These analytic approaches should enable improved detection and targeting of at-risk sectors of the population, and enable implementation of appropriate measures to ensure improved sleep quality.

Suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students: Prevalence and risk factors.

BACKGROUND: Bangladeshi university students are considered to be highly suicide-prone compared to other populations and cohorts. However, no prior epidemiological studies have assessed the suicidality (i.e., past-year suicidal ideation [SI], lifetime suicide plan [SP], and lifetime suicide attempt [SA]) among Bangladeshi students, including the variables such as past-year stressful life events and family mental health history. This is arguably a major knowledge gap in the country. Therefore, the present study investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors for suicidal behaviors among Bangladeshi university students. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing a convenience sampling method among a total of 1844 university students between October and November 2019. Data were collected based on the information related to socio-demographics, perceived health-related questions, past-year stressful life events, family mental health history, and suicidal behaviors (i.e., SI, SP, and SA). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data utilizing SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: The prevalence of past-year suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide plans, and suicide attempts were 13.4%, 6.0%, and 4.4%, respectively. Females reported significantly higher suicidal behavior than males (i.e., 20.6% vs.10.2% SI; 9% vs. 4.6% SP; and 6.4% vs.3.6% SA). Risk factors for SI were being female, year of academic study, residing in an urban area, using psychoactive substances, experiencing both past year physical and mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, experiencing campus ragging (i.e., senior students abusing, humiliating and/or harassing freshers or more junior students), experiencing family mental illness history, and having family suicide attempt history. SP was associated with several factors including being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substance, experiencing both past-year physical and mental illness, and experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events. Risk factors for SA were being female, year of academic study, using psychoactive substances, experiencing past-year mental illness, experiencing any type of stressful past-year life events, and having family suicide attempt history. CONCLUSIONS: University students appear to be a vulnerable group for experiencing suicidal behaviors. The present findings warrant rigorous action and early intervention programs such as counseling and other mental health professional services by university authorities. Longitudinal studies are highly recommended involving countrywide representative samples.

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.

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.

The role of sociodemographics, behavioral factors, and internet use behaviors in students' psychological health amid COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically impacted students' psychological well-being by interchanging their regular activities. Students are more engaged with online activities, which may affect their mental health. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the magnitude of psychological health of the Bangladeshi students, where the role of online use behaviors is also investigated. METHODS: An online-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between 7 October 2020 and 2 November, 2020 among Bangladeshi students utilizing a convenience sampling technique. The survey questionnaire included items concerning sociodemographics, behavior and health-related variables, online use behaviors, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to present the data (i.e., binary logistic regression was performed to examine the association between variables and hierarchical regression analysis was performed to predict the variance for depression and anxiety). RESULTS: Out of 601 included students, 260 and 196 students reported the symptoms of depression (43.3%) and anxiety (32.6%), respectively, where female students experienced a higher level of psychological problems. The psychological suffering was also significantly associated with medical college students, having an affair, less sleep time, not performing physical exercise, excessive internet use, and not watching news during online activities. After adjusting all of the studied variables in the hierarchical regression models, it explained 10% and 9.6% variance of depression and anxiety, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: During this pandemic situation, a relatively higher level of psychological complications was observed among the Bangladeshi students. Regrettably, any specific policy was absent in the country to assuage that outcome. Therefore, based on the study finding, a few strategies and policies were recommended that may be helpful to alleviate psychological issues among the students.