Increased screen time and its association to migraine and tension-type headache: a cross-sectional investigation among Bangladeshi students.

Background: Increasing prevalence of screens among young people is a notable characteristic of the modern digital era. The study aimed to explore the prevalence and associated factors of migraine headache (MH) and tension-type headache (TTH) among Bangladeshi students continuing online education. Methods: A total of 771 students were selected conveniently and using the quota sampling method. A pretested semistructured and self-administered questionnaire containing the background information, Headache Screening Questionnaire-English Version, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing scale and Insomnia Severity Index was used for data collection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between different headaches and screen use. Results: The prevalence of MH, TTH and mixed headache (both MH and TTH) in the study population was 26.07%, 47.08% and 14.75%, respectively. Longer duration of online study (>12 months, adjusted ORs (AORs): 2.83, 95% CI 0 1.00 to 8.00), history of eye problem (AOR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.17), insomnia (AOR: 1.53, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.33) and moderate-to-severe depression (AOR: 2.35, 95% CI 1.55 to 3.56) were significantly associated with migraine headache. Conversely, longer duration of online study (>12 months, AOR: 2.87, 95% CI 1.40 to 5.86), moderate-to-severe depression (AOR=1.47, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.10) and use of multiple devices (AOR<1) for online study were significantly associated with TTH. In addition, longer duration of screen exposure (for >12 months, AOR: 4.56, 95% CI 0.99 to 20.93), moderate-to-severe depression (AOR: 2.25, 95% CI 1.37 to 3.72) and family history of headache (AOR: 2.66, 95% CI 1.65 to 4.29) were associated with mixed headache. Conclusion: Considering the current prevalence of TTH and MH among students and their relationship with screentime, providing health education on the proper use of electronic devices can be a promising strategy in mitigating the negative consequences.

The portrayal of antimicrobial resistance in Bangladeshi newspapers during 2010-2021: Toward understanding the narrative.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health crisis and around the last decade, newspapers were one of the main sources of public dissemination of information for so. This study highlights how Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers represented AMR-related news and how they created the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. METHODS: We conducted both quantitative and qualitative content analysis on 275 AMR-related news articles published in the twelve highest circulated dailies (January 2010 to September 2021). We divided the articles into report, opinion, and editorials and analyzed how their contents built the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. RESULTS: Bangladeshi newspapers reported misuse of antibiotics by the consumers the most (32.2%), followed by selling without prescriptions (29%), and over-prescription by the health providers (26.1%). There were hardly any news reports describing the impact of pharmaceutical companies in prescribing and selling antibiotics. Around 45% of the news articles were event-oriented. Moreover, they suggested inadequate recommendations to battle AMR. CONCLUSION: Valid, consistent, and reliable AMR news coverage can play a crucial role in creating mass awareness, making providers accountable, and supporting national action plan in mitigating AMR threat. The Bangladeshi journalists interested in reporting AMR-issues should focus on disseminating more Bangla articles with scientific information, and reporting causes and recommendations responsibly.

The association between body mass index and abdominal obesity with hypertension among South Asian population: findings from nationally representative surveys.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity with hypertension among the South Asian adults (18-69 years). METHODS: This study utilized the nationally representative WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance data (n = 24,413) from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Hypertension was defined as having a systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or higher, a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or higher, and/or taking antihypertensive medications. A waist circumference ≥ 90 cm in men and ≥ 80 cm in women was considered as abdominal obesity. BMI was categorized according to Asia-specific cutoff and overweight was defined as BMI of 23.0-27.5 kg/m2 and obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the association between BMI and abdominal obesity with hypertension. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported. RESULTS: Abdominal obesity increased the odds of hypertension 31%-105% compared to those who did not have abdominal obesity (OR: Afghanistan: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.27-3.31; Bangladesh: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.18-2.04; Bhutan: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.03-1.66; Nepal: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.31-2.18; Sri Lanka:1.55; 95% CI: 1.23-1.95). The odds increased among participants with both overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity. In all five countries under study, participants with both overweight and abdominal obesity (OR: Afghanistan: 2.75; 95% CI: 1.75-4.34; Bangladesh: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.90-3.37; Bhutan: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.64-3.00; Nepal: 2.08; 95% CI: 1.54-2.81; Sri Lanka: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.77-2.98), as well as those with obesity and abdominal obesity (OR: Afghanistan: 6.94; 95% CI: 4.68-10.30; Bangladesh: 2.95; 95% CI: 2.19-3.97; Bhutan: 3.02; 95% CI: 2.23-4.09; Nepal: 4.40; 95% CI: 3.05-6.34; Sri Lanka: 3.96; 95% CI: 2.94-5.32), exhibited higher odds of having hypertension as compared to participants with a normal BMI and no abdominal obesity. CONCLUSION: Having both abdominal obesity and overweight/obesity increased the odds of hypertension among South Asian adults. Preventing overweight/obesity and abdominal obesity is necessary for preventing the burden of hypertension in South Asia.

Covariates of Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and Burdens among the Caregivers of Hypertensive Patients.

Caregivers of hypertensive patients play a significant role in ensuring adequate patient care and lowering the risk of hypertension-relatedcomplications. Caregivers are ideal study subjects for identifying gaps in hypertension management. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of hypertensive patients' caregivers, to identify their extent of involvement in patients' care, and to assess their care-related attributes. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021 in the eight largest tertiary care medical college hospitals and all eight divisions of Bangladesh, with 949 caregivers enrolled. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire through snowball sampling and analyzed using a one-way ANOVA, independent-sample T-test, and chi-square test. Among the 949 interviewed caregivers, 541 (57.0%) were female, and 479 (50.5%) were aged 18 to 25 years. The percentage scores regarding overall knowledge, attitude, and practice of the caregivers were 54.83 ± 17.95, 47.95 ± 24.05, and 61.26 ± 17.50, respectively. Caregivers' education, history of hypertension, residence, age, relationship with the patient, occupation, and caregiving duration were significantly associated with the KAP scores. In addition, factors such as relationship with the patient, age, educational status, occupation, residence, and caregiving duration/day had significant correlations with all types of burden. Findings of this study suggest the necessity for awareness programs for the caregivers of hypertensive patients to diminish the gap in their KAP and improve their mental and physical health.

Patients' characteristics and 30-day mortality for those undergoing elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the surgical practice throughout the world, including elective surgical care. This study investigated the characteristics of patients undergoing elective surgery, the prevalence of COVID-19 infection, the surgical procedures performed, and 30-day mortality in general and pediatric surgical settings in selected tertiary-level hospitals in Bangladesh from November 2020 to August 2021. METHODS: This serial cross-sectional study included 264 patients scheduled for elective surgeries during the study period. All patients underwent COVID-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing within 24 hours before surgery. Data on age, sex, common comorbidities, surgical procedures, and 30-day mortality were collected and analyzed. Furthermore, comparisons were made between COVID-19 positive and negative patients. RESULTS: The prevalence of COVID-19 infection among patients was 10.6%. Older age, a history of major surgery within the last three months, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were significantly associated with COVID-19 infection. All COVID-19-negative patients underwent surgery, while only 46.4% of COVID-19-positive patients underwent surgery. The most common surgical procedures were related to the digestive system, breast, and urinary system. Only one patient (0.4%) died within 30 days after surgery among the COVID-19-negative patients, whereas two patients (7.1%) died among the COVID-19-positive patients: one before surgery and one after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable insights into the characteristics, burden of COVID-19 infection, and 30-day mortality of patients undergoing elective surgery in tertiary care centers in Bangladesh during the pandemic.

Limited diagnostic facilities impeding the therapeutic approach of Mucopolysaccharidosis in Bangladesh: a case report.

In resource-constrained settings, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a rare hereditary metabolic illness that frequently remains undiagnosed. We present a scenario that illustrates the challenges in diagnosing and managing MPS because of test inaccessibility, and we propose potential approaches to minimize the hurdles. We recommend that physicians anticipate a rare genetic disease, such as MPS, based on the clinical history findings from routine radiological investigations. Additionally, stakeholders should perform risk stratification and implement screening tests as soon as possible to ensure that patients are effectively enrolled in treatment programs.

Association between comorbidity and health-related quality of life in a hypertensive population: a hospital-based study in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is a known risk factor for several chronic conditions including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, little is known about its impact on Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the context of Bangladesh. This study aimed to evaluate the association of hypertension on HRQoL among Bangladeshi patients corresponding to the socio-demographic condition, comorbid conditions, treatment, and health outcomes. METHODS: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-tested structured questionnaire among patients with hypertension in 22 tertiary medical college hospitals in Bangladesh. The study recruited male and female hypertensive patients of age ≥18 years between July 2020 to February 2021 using consecutive sampling methods. Health related quality of life was measured using the widely-used index of EQ-5D that considers 243 different health-related attributes and uses a scale in which 0 indicates a health state equivalent to death and 1 indicates perfect health status. The five dimensions of the quality index included mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression. Ordered logit regression and linear regression models were used to estimate the predictors of comorbidity and HRQoL. RESULTS: Of the 1,912 hypertensive patients, 56.2% were female, 86.5% were married, 70.7% were either overweight or obese, 67.6% had a family history of hypertension, and 85.5% were on anti-hypertensive medication. Among the individuals with comorbidities, 47.6% had diabetes, 32.3% were obese, 16.2% had heart disease, 15% were visually impaired, and 13.8% were suffering from psychological diseases. HRQoL was found to be inversely proportional to the number of comorbidities. The most frequent comorbidities of diabetes and obesity showed the highest EQ- 5D mean utilities of 0.59 and 0.64, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalent comorbidities, diabetes and obesity were found to be the significant underlying causes of declining HRQoL. It is recommended that the comorbidities should be adequately addressed for better HRQoL. Special attention should be given to address mental health issues of patients with hypertension.

Mental health status of married women during COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: The uncontrolled spread of COVID-19 has demanded unparalleled measures, from the imposition of quarantine to the declaration as a public health emergency of international concern. COVID-19 poses a severe threat to our day-to-day life as well as physical and mental health. This study explores mental health status among married women that remain understudied in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 597 married women via face-to-face interview, maintaining all safety protocols. A semi-structured questionnaire was assembled that included socio-demographics and the DASS-21 scale. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were performed to examine the associations between variables. RESULT: Almost 35% of the respondents had stress, 20% had anxiety, and 44% had depression ranging from mild to extremely severe. Metropolitan city inhabitants, being housewives, higher educational status, number of children, financial condition, comorbidities, family members assistance in household activities, relocation during COVID-19, social media use, concern about family, infected family members, tendency to get COVID-19 updates had been found significant in multivariable and univariate regression analysis with depression, anxiety, and stress. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found high rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among the study participants. These findings provide us with an epidemiological picture of the mental health status of our target population that could be a key benchmark for identifying high-risk groups and developing policies as well. Results could also be used to formulate psychological interventions that might be helpful during the COVID-19 period and later.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 guidelines among students in Bangladesh.

This paper explores the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 guidelines among the students in Bangladesh. In achieving this objective, this paper used primary data collected from 1822 students wherein three different Likert scales and a one-way ANOVA test were used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) scores as well as mean differences with respect to different variables. This research reveals that the majority of students had a higher level of knowledge and a positive attitudes towards the COVID-19 guidelines. Contrarily, only 0.22 percent of students showed a strong compliance towards COVID-19 guidelines while the majority of students (60.54 percent) had rather poor adherence which is an alarming finding. Hence, reopening the educational institutions in Bangladesh amid this second wave of the pandemic is not advisable yet. Nevertheless, reinforcing the preventive measures through campaigns or online discussion is crucial to persuade people to follow the preventive guidelines. In addition to this, urgent vaccination of all students and teachers is highly recommended to contain this global disease in an attempt to reopen the on-campus education system as soon as possible.