Factors associated with generalised anxiety disorder and depression among adults living with diabetes and hypertension comorbidity in rural Bangladesh: findings from a cross-sectional study.

Objective: The rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including mental health disorders (MHDs) such as anxiety and depression, poses a significant public health challenge globally. Evidence suggests that both diabetes and hypertension, the two most prevalent NCDs, are linked to a higher prevalence of MHDs. However, there is a lack of evidence on prevalence of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and depression among adults living with both diabetes and hypertension in Bangladesh.

Income-based inequalities in risk factors of NCDs and inequities of preventive care services amongst 202,682 adults: a cross-sectional study of South Asia Biobank.

Background: There is scant research examining income-based inequalities in risk factors of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and inequities of preventive care services across the South Asian population.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 202,682 adults aged 18 or above in four South Asian countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. We combined South Asia Biobank (SAB) surveillance data with environmental mapping exposure and 24-h dietary recall to estimate income-based inequalities using concentration curves and concentration indices (CI) that measure the magnitude and directional inequality effects.

Quantification of regional variation in ultra-processed food consumption and its sociodemographic correlates across Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka: insights from the South Asia Biobank.

Background: Sales of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are rising in South Asia, yet UPF consumption and its sociodemographic determinants remain largely unknown. We aimed to quantify UPF consumption and investigate its sociodemographic correlates in four countries of South Asia.

Methods: Between January 2020 and September 2022, the South Asia Biobank recruited 63,914 participants aged 18 years or older who were resident in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and North and South India, and self-reported as being of South Asian ethnicity.

Evaluation of a multicomponent child development intervention delivered through the government health system: a feasibility study.

Introduction: Small efficacy trials have demonstrated that multicomponent interventions can improve early child development. We evaluated the large-scale delivery of a multicomponent intervention delivered by government health workers throughout a rural subdistrict in northwestern Bangladesh.

Methods: We evaluated a group-based, multicomponent intervention with a curriculum covering responsive parenting, caregivers' mental health, lead exposure prevention strategies at the household level, water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition.

Perspective: Growth Monitoring and Promotion as an Opportunity to Improve Early Childhood Development.

Growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) visits provide a frequent contact point with caregivers, which can be an opportunity for the promotion of early child development (ECD). Using a combination of quantitative analyses of longitudinal and cross-sectional data and a review of the literature, we investigated whether the GMP platform could improve ECD by identifying children at risk of poor development and delivering responsive parenting education to caregivers of young children. Cross-sectional and lagged regression analyses and area under the receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that growth indices were not accurate predictors of concurrent and later child development.

Measurement of Heavy Metals in Commercially Available Soybean and Palm Oils and Relevant Health Risk Assessment in Bangladesh.

Background: Soybean and palm oils are widely consumed in Bangladesh.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the levels of heavy metals and estimate their health risks in nationally representative samples of branded and unbranded soybean and palm oils sold in retail stores in Bangladesh.

Methods: A total of 1,521 soybean and palm oil samples were collected from eight administrative divisions.

Infant and young child feeding practices and factors associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among ultra-poor slum mothers of Bangladesh.

BackgroundAppropriate infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices, including early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF), are necessary for the optimal development of children and the reduction of child mortality and morbidity. There is a paucity of IYCF data from the ultra-poor children living in the slums of Bangladesh.AimTo explore IYCF practices in slums in Bangladesh and identify factors associated with EIBF.

Spatial Distribution and Potential Health Risks of Arsenic (As) and Associated Metals (Fe and Mn) in the Coastal Accreted Land of Meghna River Estuary and Their Implication on the Agricultural Aspects.

Arsenic (As),iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) pollution in the coastal areas of Bangladesh are severe problems. by shallow wells in the agricultural lands is the primary source of these metals. Being a part of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (GBM) Delta, the coastal accreted land of the Meghna River estuary has experienced a series of erosion and accretion phenomena and deposited a vast amount of sediments along with potentially toxic elements.

Socio-demographic factors associated with mental health disorders among rural women in Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Introduction: In Bangladesh, the reported prevalence of mental disorders among adults varies from 6.5% to 31.0%.

Managing pre and postpartum mental health issues of refugee women from fragile and conflict-affected countries: A systematic review.

Objective: Refugee or immigrant women residing in conflict prone countries portray elevated mental health related vulnerabilities during their peripartum periods and require effective interventions for improved maternal and child well-being. The objective of this systematic review is to generate evidence on effective interventions for managing peripartum mental health issues among refugee women from conflicted settings.

Study Design: Systematic review.

Distribution and disparities of healthy lifestyles and noncommunicable diseases risk factors between men and women aged 20-59 years in Bangladesh: Evidence from a nationwide survey.

Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are public health threats globally and recognized impediments to socioeconomic development. This study aimed to identify the prevalence and clustering of NCDs risk factors among Bangladeshi men and women aged 20-59 years using nationally representative data.

Methods: This study was conducted in 82 rural, nonslum urban, and slum clusters across all eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh using multistage cluster sampling.

Policy implementation and recommended actions to create healthy food environments using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI): a comparative analysis in South Asia.

Background: The increasing prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in South Asia is concerning, with type 2 diabetes projected to rise to 68%, compared to the global increase of 44%. Encouraging healthy diets requires stronger policies for healthier food environments.

Methods: This study reviewed and assessed food environment policies in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from 2020 to 2022 using the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) and compared them with global best practices.

Unhealthy Food and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption Among Bangladeshi Elderly People and Their Sociodemographic Determinants: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Savory crispy or fried snack (SCFS), sugary snack (SS), and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption are associated with a higher prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases. So, we estimated the consumption of SCFS, SS, and SSB among elderly males and females in Bangladesh. We also reported the factors associated with their consumption using data from a nationwide cross-sectional study.

Unhealthy Foods and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Consumption Among Bangladeshi Adolescents and Their Sociodemographic Determinants: Findings From a Nationally Representative Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Consumption of savory crispy or fried snacks (SCFS), sugary snacks (SS), and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) is associated with an increased prevalence of obesity and noncommunicable diseases. We aimed to estimate the consumption of SCFS, SS, and SSB among adolescent males and females in Bangladesh and to report the factors associated with their consumption using data from a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Methods: We interviewed 4,907 adolescent males and 4,865 females for the seven-day recall on intake of SCFS, SS, and SSB from 82 randomly selected clusters from rural, non-slum urban, and slum areas.

How does women's empowerment relate to antenatal care attendance? A cross-sectional analysis among rural women in Bangladesh.

Background: In South Asia, roughly half of women attend at least four antenatal care visits with skilled health personnel, the minimum number recommended by the World Health Organization for optimal birth outcomes. A much greater proportion of women attend at least one antenatal care visit, suggesting that a key challenge is ensuring that women initiate antenatal care early in pregnancy and continue to attend after their first visit. One critical barrier to antenatal care attendance may be that women do not have sufficient power in their relationships, households, or communities to attend antenatal care when they want to.

Implementing a group-based multi-component early child development intervention through the government health system in rural Bangladesh: A feasibility study.

Children in low- and middle-income countries face an increased risk of impaired cognitive development due to contaminated environments, poor nutrition, and inadequate responsive stimulation from caregivers. Implementing multi-component, community-level interventions may reduce these risks; however, there is little evidence supporting implementation of these interventions at scale. We assessed the feasibility of implementing a group-based intervention that included responsive stimulation, maternal and child nutrition, water and sanitation, and childhood lead exposure prevention through the government health system in Chatmohar, Bangladesh.

An Integrated Mother-Child Intervention on Child Development and Maternal Mental Health.

Objectives: To evaluate an integrated, low-cost, facility-based group intervention designed to promote child care, boost maternal mental-wellbeing, reduce harsh discipline, and improve children's health, nutrition, and early development.

Methods: In Dhaka, 30 neighborhood clusters of a low-income urban community were randomized to intervention or control groups. Mothers with children between 6 and 24 months (n = 300) who self-reported negative discipline were identified and enrolled.

Concurrent validity of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Inventory and the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development in rural Bangladesh.

Background: Reliable and valid measurement of early child development are necessary for the design of effective interventions, programs, and policies to improve early child outcomes. One widely used measure in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (Bayley-III). Alternatively, the Bangladeshi-adapted Ages and Stages Questionnaire Inventory (ASQ:I) can be administered more quickly, inexpensively, and with less training than the Bayley-III.

Implementation barriers and facilitators to a COVID-19 intervention in Bangladesh: The benefits of engaging the community for the delivery of the programme.

Background: BRAC (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), the largest NGO globally, implemented a community-based comprehensive social behavior communication intervention to increase community resilience through prevention, protection, and care for COVID-19. We conducted implementation research to assess fidelity and explore the barriers and facilitators of this intervention implementation.

Methods: We adopted a concurrent mixed-method triangulation design.

Negative regulation of salicylic acid-induced stomatal closure by glutathione in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a ubiquitous phenolic phytohormone that induces stomatal closure. Glutathione (GSH) negatively regulates stomatal closure induced by other plant hormones such as abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). However, the involvement of GSH in SA-induced stomatal closure is still unknown.

Malate induces stomatal closure via a receptor-like kinase GHR1- and reactive oxygen species-dependent pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana.

A primary metabolite malate is secreted from guard cells in response to the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) and elevated CO2. The secreted malate subsequently facilitates stomatal closure in plants. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of malate-induced stomatal closure using inhibitors and ABA signaling component mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Prevalence and socio-economic determinants of inadequate dietary diversity among adolescent girls and boys in Bangladesh: findings from a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Malnutrition among adolescents is often associated with inadequate dietary diversity (DD). We aimed to explore the prevalence of inadequate DD and its socio-economic determinants among adolescent girls and boys in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during the 2018-19 round of national nutrition surveillance in Bangladesh.