Assessment of the association between health problems and cooking fuel type, and barriers towards clean cooking among rural household people in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries, households mainly use solid fuels like wood, charcoal, dung, agricultural residues, and coal for cooking. This poses significant public health concerns due to the emission of harmful particles and gases. To address these issues and support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopting cleaner cooking fuels like electricity and gas are acknowledged as a viable solution. However, access to these cleaner fuels is limited, especially in rural areas. METHODS: This study conducted a face-to-face survey with 1240 individuals in rural Bangladesh to explore the link between health issues and cooking fuel type, as well as barriers to transitioning to clean cooking. Using a convenient sampling technique across four divisions/regions, the survey gathered socio-demographic and health data, along with information on clean cooking barriers through a semi-structured questionnaire. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were then employed to identify significant associations between cooking fuel type and health problems. RESULTS: The study revealed that a majority of participants (73.3%) relied on solid fuel for cooking. The use of solid fuel was significantly correlated with factors such as lower education levels, reduced family income, location of residence, and the experience of health issues such as cough, chest pressure while breathing, eye discomfort, diabetes, asthma, and allergies. Economic challenges emerged as the foremost obstacle to the adoption of clean cooking, accompanied by other contributing factors. CONCLUSION: The use of solid fuel in rural Bangladeshi households poses substantial health risks, correlating with respiratory, eye, cardiovascular, and metabolic issues. Lower education and income levels, along with specific residential locations, were associated with higher solid fuel usage. Economic challenges emerged as the primary obstacle to adopting clean cooking practices. These findings emphasize the need for implementing strategies to promote clean cooking, address barriers, and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goal targets for health and sustainable energy access in Bangladesh.

Depression among Bangladeshi diabetic patients: a cross-sectional, systematic review, and meta-analysis study.

AIM: This study aims to assess the prevalence and associated factors of depression among diabetic patients in a cross-sectional sample and perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the extant studies to date. METHODS: A face-to-face semi-structured interview of established diabetic patients was conducted in four districts of Bangladesh between May 24 to June 24, 2022, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) was used to detect depression. PRISMA guidelines were followed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis, with Bangladeshi articles published until 3rd February 2023. RESULTS: The prevalence of depression among 390 diabetic patients was 25.9%. Having secondary education and using both insulin and medication increased the likelihood of depression, whereas being a business professional and being physically active reduced the likelihood of depression. The systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that the pooled estimated prevalence of depression was 42% (95% CI 32-52%). Females had a 1.12-times higher risk of depression than males (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.25, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Two-fifths of diabetic patients were depressed, with females at higher risk. Since depression among diabetic patients increases adverse outcomes, improved awareness and screening methods should be implemented to detect and treat depression in diabetic patients.

Factors affecting variability in gaseous and particle microenvironmental air pollutant concentrations in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools.

School-age children are particularly susceptible to exposure to air pollutants. To quantify factors affecting children's exposure at school, indoor and outdoor microenvironmental air pollutant concentrations were measured at 32 selected primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. Real-time PM10 , PM2.5 , NO2, and O3 concentrations were measured in 76 classrooms and 23 non-classrooms. Potential explanatory factors related to building characteristics, ventilation practice, and occupant activities were measured or recorded. Their relationship with indoor measured concentrations was examined using mixed linear regression models. Ten factors were significantly associated with indoor microenvironmental concentrations, together accounting for 74%, 61%, 46%, and 38% of variations observed for PM2.5 , PM10 , O3, and NO2 microenvironmental concentrations, respectively. Outdoor concentration is the single largest predictor for indoor concentrations. Infiltrated outdoor air pollution contributes to 90%, 70%, 75%, and 50% of PM2.5 , PM10 , O3, and NO2 microenvironmental concentrations, respectively, in classrooms during school hours. Interventions to reduce indoor microenvironmental concentrations can be prioritized in reducing ambient air pollution and infiltration of outdoor pollution. Infiltration factors derived from linear regression models provide useful information on outdoor infiltration and help address the gap in generalizable parameter values that can be used to predict school microenvironmental concentrations.

Prevalence and associated factors of cigarette smoking and substance use among university entrance test-taking students: A GIS-based study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have examined substance use and smoking behavior among adolescents and university students. However, little is known about these behaviors among students undergoing university entrance tests, a critical transition period from adolescence to adulthood. The entrance test can significantly affect students' mental health, potentially leading to substance use. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of cigarette smoking and substance use among students taking these exams and the associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on September 4th and 11th, 2022 to collect data from 1,480 university entrance test-taking students using a convenience sampling technique. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS software. Besides, GIS mapping was used to visualize the distribution of substance use and smoking behavior across districts via ArcGIS. RESULTS: The study found a 10% prevalence of current tobacco smoking and 4% substance use. Females (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.38-2.85), urban residence (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.42-2.88), repeater (OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.02-2.06), anxiety (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10-2.19), burnout (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.00-2.12), and suicidal behavior (OR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.03-2.40) were the significant factors for cigarette use. Whereas the urban residence (OR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.11-3.31), anxiety (OR = 2.47, 95% CI: 1.45-4.20), and suicidal behavior (OR = 2.76; 95% CI: 1.55-4.92) significantly increased the risk of substance use. GIS analysis revealed males varied in substance use and females in tobacco smoking by district. Repeat test-takers were associated with district variations in both smoking and substance use. CONCLUSIONS: Educational institutions, public health authorities, and policymakers must implement mental health support and substance use prevention programs for students. Integrating mental health education, providing resources, and enforcing regulations can promote healthier coping strategies and reduce substance use risks among students.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding air pollution and health effects among general people: A multi-divisional cross-sectional study in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with more than one-third of its people living in cities, and its air quality is among the worst in the world. The present study aimed to measure knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) towards air pollution and health effects among the general population living in the large cities in Bangladesh. METHODS: A cross-sectional e-survey was conducted between May and July 2022 among eight divisions in Bangladesh. A convenience sampling technique was utilized to recruit a total of 1,603 participants (55.58% males; mean age: 23.84 ± 5.93 years). A semi-structured questionnaire including informed consent, socio-demographic information, as well as questions regarding knowledge (11-item), attitudes (7-item) and practice (11-item) towards air pollution, was used to conduct the survey. All analyses (descriptive statistics and regression analyses) were performed using STATA (Version 15.0) and SPSS (Version 26.0). RESULTS: The mean scores of the knowledge, attitudes, and practice were 8.51 ± 2.01 (out of 11), 19.24 ± 1.56 (out of 21), and 12.65 ±5.93 (out of 22), respectively. The higher scores of knowledge, attitudes, and practice were significantly associated with several socio-demographic factors, including educational qualification, family type, residential division, cooking fuel type, etc. CONCLUSIONS: The present study found a fair level of knowledge and attitudes towards air pollution; however, the level of practice is not particularly noteworthy. The finding suggests the need to create more awareness among the general population to increase healthy practice to reduce the health effects of air pollution.

Exploring mental health literacy among prospective university students using GIS techniques in Bangladesh: an exploratory study.

Prospective university students experience substantial academic stressors and psychological vulnerabilities, yet their mental health literacy (MHL) remains inadequately explored. This study investigates four dimensions of MHL - help-seeking behaviors, stigma, knowledge about mental health and understanding of mental illnesses. Besides, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques are employed to analyze spatial disparities in MHL, which is the first in the context of MHL research. A total of 1,485 students were assessed for sociodemographic characteristics, admission-related variables, health behaviors and family histories of mental health issues. Data were analyzed using SPSS and ArcGIS software. Multivariable linear regression analyses unveiled predictors of the MHL dimensions, with gender, family income, admission test performance, smoking, alcohol and drug use, physical and mental health history, current depression or anxiety and family history of mental health and suicide incidents emerging as common predictors. GIS analysis unraveled notable regional disparities in MHL, particularly in knowledge of mental health and mental illness, with northern and some southern districts displaying higher literacy levels. In conclusion, these findings accentuate significant gender and sociodemographic inequalities in MHL among prospective university students, highlighting the imperative for targeted interventions to enhance MHL and foster mental well-being in this cohort.

Relative contributions of ambient air and internal sources to multiple air pollutants in public transportation modes.

Commuters are often exposed to relatively high air pollutant concentrations in public transport microenvironments (TMEs) because of their proximity to emission sources. Previous studies have mainly focused on assessing the concentrations of air pollutants in TMEs, but few studies have distinguished between the contributions of ambient air and internal sources to the exposure of commuters to air pollutants. The main objective of this study was to quantify the contributions of ambient air and internal sources to the measured particulate matter and gaseous pollutant concentrations in selected TMEs in Hong Kong, a high-rise, high-density city in Asia. A sampling campaign was conducted to measure air pollutant concentrations in TMEs in Hong Kong in July and November 2018 using portable air quality monitors. We measured the concentrations of each pollutant in different TMEs and quantified the infiltration of particulate matter into these TMEs. The double-decker bus had the lowest particulate matter concentrations (mean PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations of 5.1, 9.5, and 13 µg/m3, respectively), but higher concentrations of CO (0.9 ppm), NO (422 ppb), and NO2 (100 ppb). For all the TMEs, about half of the PM2.5 were PM1 particles. The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) subway system had a PM2.5/PM10 ratio of about 0.90, whereas the PM2.5/PM10 ratio was about 0.60-0.70 for the other TMEs. The MTR had infiltration factor estimates <0.4 for particulate matter, lower than those of the double-decker bus and minibus. The MTR had the highest contribution from internal sources (mean PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations of 4.6, 13.4, and 15.8 µg/m3, respectively). This study will help citizens to plan commuting routes to reduce their exposure to air pollution and help policy-makers to prioritize effective exposure reduction strategies.

Combined effects of increased O3 and reduced NO2 concentrations on short-term air pollution health risks in Hong Kong.

The reduction of NOx emissions in a VOC-limited region can lead to an increase of the local O3 concentration. An evaluation of the net health effects of such pollutant changes is therefore important to ascertain whether the emission control measures effectively improve the overall protection of public health. In this study, we use a short-term health risk (added health risk or AR) model developed for the multi-pollutant air quality health index (AQHI) in Hong Kong to examine the overall health impacts of these pollutant changes. We first investigate AR changes associated with NO2 and O3 changes, followed by those associated with changes in all four AQHI pollutants (NO2, O3, SO2, and particulate matter (PM)). Our results show that for the combined health effects of NO2 and O3 changes, there is a significant reduction in AR in urban areas with dense traffic, but no statistically significant changes in other less urbanized areas. The increase in estimated AR for higher O3 concentrations is offset by a decrease in the estimated AR for lower NO2 concentrations. In areas with dense traffic, the reduction in AR as a result of decreased NO2 is substantially larger than the increase in AR associated with increased O3. When additionally accounting for the change in ambient SO2 and PM, we found a statistically significant reduction in total AR everywhere in Hong Kong. Our results show that the emission control measures resulting in NO2, SO2, and PM reductions over the past decade have effectively reduced the AR over Hong Kong, even though these control measures may have partially contributed to an increase in O3 concentrations. Hence, efforts to reduce NOx, SO2, and PM should be continued.

Air quality and synergistic health effects of ozone and nitrogen oxides in response to China's integrated air quality control policies during 2015-2019.

O3 pollution had been worsening in mainland China in the past decade, posing significant human health challenges. The NOx control would trigger increasing O3 concentrations in response to a series of released China emission reduction policies. This study used sensitivity analysis methodology to explore the effectiveness of integrated sectoral emission control policies that have been expanded throughout China. Air quality and synergistic health effects of O3 and NO2 were investigated to obtain an in-depth understanding of the O3 control, especially under a VOC-limited regime. The findings demonstrated that although the NOx-titration effect triggered an increase in O3, the combined health effects of two pollutants tended to improve in most regions of China under a VOC-limited regime. The region-based annual average NO2 concentrations exhibited a larger reduction in Hong Kong (HK) than in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone (PRD EZ). The short-term measures led to substantial health benefits for Shenzhen and HK. The sectoral emission controls demonstrated a considerable health improvement for the major PRD EZ cities. Joint national control efforts confined the domain-wide health risks below the safety line in China. National cooperative efforts in China could avoid more than 1.5-2% of the emergency hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases attributed to NO2 and O3 exposure. The observed O3 increases due to the NOx-titration effect for calculating the integral health effects of emission control on concentration reduction called for simultaneously strengthened controls on both NOx and VOC in areas subject to a VOC-limited regime.

Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 transmission in 190 countries from 23 January to 13 April 2020.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of four types of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to contain the time-varying effective reproduction number (Rt) of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: This study included 1,908,197 confirmed COVID-19 cases from 190 countries between 23 January and 13 April 2020. The implemented NPIs were categorised into four types: mandatory face mask in public, isolation or quarantine, social distancing and traffic restriction (referred to as mandatory mask, quarantine, distancing and traffic hereafter, respectively). RESULTS: The implementations of mandatory mask, quarantine, distancing and traffic were associated with changes (95% confidence interval, CI) of -15.14% (from -21.79% to -7.93%), -11.40% (from -13.66% to -9.07%), -42.94% (from -44.24% to -41.60%) and -9.26% (from -11.46% to -7.01%) in the Rt of COVID-19 when compared with those without the implementation of the corresponding measures. Distancing and the simultaneous implementation of two or more types of NPIs seemed to be associated with a greater decrease in the Rt of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that NPIs can significantly contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Distancing and the simultaneous implementation of two or more NPIs should be the strategic priorities for containing COVID-19.

Meteorological factors and COVID-19 incidence in 190 countries: An observational study.

Novel corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which first emerged in December 2019, has become a pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the associations between meteorological factors and COVID-19 incidence and mortality worldwide. This study included 1,908,197 confirmed cases of and 119,257 deaths from COVID-19 from 190 countries between 23 January and 13 April, 2020. We used a distributed lag non-linear model with city-/country-level random intercept to investigate the associations between COVID19 incidence and daily temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. A series of confounders were considered in the analysis including demographics, socioeconomics, geographic locations, and political strategies. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the robustness of the associations. The COVID-19 incidence showed a stronger association with temperature than with relative humidity or wind speed. An inverse association was identified between the COVID-19 incidence and temperature. The corresponding 14-day cumulative relative risk was 1.28 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20-1.36] at 5 °C, and 0.75 (95% CI, 0.65-0.86) at 22 °C with reference to the risk at 11 °C. An inverse J-shaped association was observed between relative humidity and the COVID-19 incidence, with the highest risk at 72%. A higher wind speed was associated with a generally lower incidence of COVID-19, although the associations were weak. Sensitivity analyses generally yielded similar results. The COVID-19 incidence decreased with the increase of temperature. Our study suggests that the spread of COVID-19 may slow during summer but may increase during winter.

Self-perception of physical health conditions and its association with depression and anxiety among Bangladeshi university students.

BACKGROUND: Self-perception of physical health conditions is associated with depression and anxiety. Although some recent studies revealed a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among Bangladeshi university students, no study has yet investigated the link between self-perception of physical health and these common psychological disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of self-perception of physical health conditions with depression and anxiety among university students in Dhaka, Bangladesh. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and November 2017 among 897 undergraduate students of Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression analysis were used to examine the association between the variables. RESULTS: 13.9% of the respondents had poor self-rated health (SRH) and 49.9% had self-rated body image (SRBI) dissatisfaction. 25.6% of the students reported to be overweight/obese whereas 18.7% to be underweight. Poor and moderate SRH was found to be significantly associated with students' depression (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 6.700; 95% CI: 3.821-11.749 and AOR: 2.155; 95% CI: 1.582-2.934) and anxiety (AOR: 4.365; 95% CI: 2.599-7.332 and AOR: 1.776; 95% CI: 1.270-2.484). Furthermore, SRBI dissatisfaction, underweight SRBI, overweight/obese SRBI, low blood pressure and hypertension were also significantly linked with students' depression and anxiety. CONCLUSION: Students dissatisfied with their physical health status had higher chances to suffer from depression and anxiety. The findings of this study would create room for further research and could be used to design a comprehensive health program for young students.

A mechanism-based parameterisation scheme to investigate the association between transmission rate of COVID-19 and meteorological factors on plains in China.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which first emerged in Hubei province, China, has become a pandemic. However, data regarding the effects of meteorological factors on its transmission are limited and inconsistent. A mechanism-based parameterisation scheme was developed to investigate the association between the scaled transmission rate (STR) of COVID-19 and the meteorological parameters in 20 provinces/municipalities located on the plains in China. We obtained information on the scale of population migrated from Wuhan, the world epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, into the study provinces/municipalities using mobile-phone positioning system and big data techniques. The highest STRs were found in densely populated metropolitan areas and in cold provinces located in north-eastern China. Population density had a non-linear relationship with disease spread (linearity index, 0.9). Among various meteorological factors, only temperature was significantly associated with the STR after controlling for the effect of population density. A negative and exponential relationship was identified between the transmission rate and the temperature (correlation coefficient, -0.56; 99% confidence level). The STR increased substantially as the temperature in north-eastern China decreased below 0 °C (the STR ranged from 3.5 to 12.3 when the temperature was between -9.41 °C and -13.87 °C), whilst the STR showed less temperature dependence in the study areas with temperate weather conditions (the STR was 1.21 ± 0.57 when the temperature was above 0 °C). Therefore, a higher population density was linearly whereas a lower temperature (<0 °C) was exponentially associated with an increased transmission rate of COVID-19. These findings suggest that the mitigation of COVID-19 spread in densely populated and/or cold regions will be a great challenge.

Retracted Human Health Risk of Chromium Intake From Consumption of Poultry Meat and Eggs in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Heavy metals contamination of food is a serious threat. Long term exposure may lead to human health risks. Poultry and eggs are a major source of protein, but if contaminated by heavy metals, have the potential to lead to detrimental effects on human health. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to determine chromium concentrations in poultry meat (flesh and liver) and eggs collected from poultry farms in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to calculate the daily intake of chromium from the consumption of poultry meat and eggs for adults, and to evaluate their potential health risk by calculating the target hazard quotients (THQ). METHODS: All samples of poultry feed, meat (flesh and liver) and eggs were analyzed by a graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS) (GFA- EX- 7i Shimadju, Japan). RESULTS: Chromium concentrations were recorded in the range of not detected (ND) to 1.3926±0.0010 mg kg-1 and 0.0678±0.0001 mg kg-1 to 1.3764±0.0009 mg kg-1 in the liver of broiler and layer chickens, respectively. Chromium concentrations were determined in the range of 0.069±1.0004 mgkg-1 to 2.0746±0.0021 mg kg-1 and 0.0362±0.0002 mg kg-1 to 1.2752±0.0014 mg kg-1 in the flesh of broiler and layer chicken, respectively. The mean concentration of chromium in eggs was 0.2174-1.08 mg kg.-1 The highest concentration of chromium 2.4196±0.0019 mg kg-1 was found in egg yolk. Target hazard quotients values in all poultry flesh, liver and eggs samples were less than one, indicating no potential health risks to consumers. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated daily intake values of chromium were below the threshold limit. Thus, our results indicate that no adverse health effects are expected as a resultof ingestion of chicken fed with tannery waste. ETHICS APPROVAL: This study was approved by the Biosafety, Biosecurity & Ethical Committee of Jahangirnagar University.

Health Risk Assessment of Pesticide Residues via Dietary Intake of Market Vegetables from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The present study was designed to assess the health risk of pesticide residues via dietary intake of vegetables collected from four top agro-based markets of Dhaka, Bangladesh. High performance liquid chromatography with a photo diode array detector (HPLC-PDA) was used to determine six organophosphorus (chlorpyrifos, fenitrothion, parathion, ethion, acephate, fenthion), two carbamate (carbaryl and carbofuran) and one pyrethroid (cypermethrin) pesticide residues in twelve samples of three common vegetables (tomato, lady's finger and brinjal). Pesticide residues ranged from below detectable limit (<0.01) to 0.36 mg/kg. Acephate, chlorpyrifos, ethion, carbaryl and cypermethrin were detected in only one sample, while co-occurrence occurred twice for fenitrothion and parathion. Apart from chlorpyrifos in tomato and cypermethrin in brinjal, all pesticide residues exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL). Hazard risk index (HRI) for ethion (10.12) and carbaryl (1.09) was found in lady's finger and tomato, respectively. Rest of the pesticide residues were classified as not a health risk. A continuous monitoring and strict regulation should be enforced regarding control of pesticide residues in vegetables and other food commodities.

Retraction: Adyel et al. Health Risk Assessment of Pesticide Residues via Dietary Intake of Market Vegetables from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Foods 2013, 2, 64-75.

The following article [1], doi: 10.3390/foods2010064, website: http://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/2/1/64, has been retracted by the authors because of some major errors in broad field of pesticide residues identification and concentrations. During random cross check retention time of pesticides by HPLC did not match with the standards of detected pesticides. As a result concentration of all detected pesticides, maximum residue limits (MRLs) and health risk assessments were changed. All these errors made the article [1] as a wrong one. All authors have confirmed that the reported results produced using quite inappropriate procedures. As first author herein, I take full responsibility for the retraction of our experiments and any other errors in its contents, and would like to offer my apologies on behalf of my co-authors to the readership of Foods for any inconveniences caused by this retraction.