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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of school-going adolescents: insights from Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT: The pandemic has affected every walk of life, and mental health is no exception. Bangladesh has been operating under a resource crisis, and this crisis has incurred and is incurring a governance priority dilemma. Unending vacations of the educational institutions are taxing our students' mental serenity, and among those, adolescents are more vulnerable. Unending leaves of the educational institutions are taxing our students' mental peace, and among those, adolescents are more susceptible. Across the globe, a good number of studies have been performed, and Bangladesh is no exception. However, adolescents have received less attention in those studies, and this paper fills the gap. This explorative study opted for a qualitative method that covered data collection like in-depth interviews among 60 respondents. This study aims to simultaneously unveil the causes of mental dissonance among adolescents and the impact of infection prevention measures (e.g., lockdown) on adolescents' mental health in the capital city of Bangladesh. This study also recommends a possible way out of this crisis. The study revealed that prolonged school closure, fear of the disease, disruption in education, excessive use of digital devices, and the culture of ignoring adolescents' mental health are responsible for pausing detrimental effects on adolescents' mental health. Adolescents suffered from mental health issues like stress, anxiety, depression, and sleeping disorders during the lockdown.

SUBMITTER: Sifat RI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8963972 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of school-going adolescents: insights from Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

Sifat Ridwan Islam RI Ruponty Maisaa Mehzabin MM Rahim Shuvo Md Kawser MK Chowdhury Mehjabin M Suha Shidratul Moontaha SM

Heliyon 20220329 4

The pandemic has affected every walk of life, and mental health is no exception. Bangladesh has been operating under a resource crisis, and this crisis has incurred and is incurring a governance priority dilemma. Unending vacations of the educational institutions are taxing our students' mental serenity, and among those, adolescents are more vulnerable. Unending leaves of the educational institutions are taxing our students' mental peace, and among those, adolescents are more susceptible. Across ...[more]

PMID: 35368885

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Project description:The effects of COVID-19 are continuing to increase around the world as the pandemic claims thousands of lives. Bangladesh is no exception and has been greatly affected by SARS-CoV-2. Apart from the number of people who are or have been directly getting infected with this disease, millions of people are directly or indirectly facing many challenges to their livelihoods and the security of their food and nutritional supply, along with other societal issues created by the pandemic. In this study, a hybrid approach of online and telephone questionnaire surveys was used to investigate the food security of Dhaka city's inhabitants at household level. Approximately 80% of the respondents reported reduced income, and a quarter of respondents lost their jobs between March and June 2020. The frequency of fish consumption, an essential component of Bangladeshi diets, significantly reduced during the pandemic. This was especially apparent in affluent segments of the community. Out of the respondents, 75% reported an increase in the price of fish in Dhaka city. A range of coping strategies were observed: including decreasing the frequency of grocery shopping, shifting to online shopping, reducing consumption of high price commodities, reducing junk food consumption, cleaning fish and meat with hot water and vinegar, and increasing the consumption of protein and vitamin C rich food items. Prior to COVID-19, 80% of the households surveyed bought fish from wet markets. This number dropped to 45% during the pandemic. Many households substituted fish and meat with poultry, eggs and dried fish. About half of the households stockpiled rice, lentils and potatoes during the peak of the pandemic. However, if the pandemic lasts for a prolonged period, those living on low incomes in urban areas will experience some level of food insecurity from a reduced income or loss of work. Because of this, a large-scale sustainability policy should be undertaken to secure the food and nutritional security of low-income and middle-class household.

Project description:BackgroundCommon psychosocial health problems (PHPs) have become more prevalent among adolescents globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the psychosocial health of school-going adolescents has remained unexplored in Bangladesh due to limited research during the pandemic. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of PHPs (i.e., depression and anxiety) and assess associated lifestyle and behavioral factors among school-going adolescents in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among 3,571 school-going adolescents (male: 57.4%, mean age: 14.9±1.8 years; age range: 10-19 years) covering all divisions, including 63 districts in Bangladesh. A semi-structured e-questionnaire, including informed consent and questions related to socio-demographics, lifestyle, academics, pandemic and PHPs, was used to collect data between May and July 2021.ResultsThe prevalence of moderate to severe depression and anxiety were 37.3% and 21.7%, respectively, ranging from 24.7% in the Sylhet Division to 47.5% in the Rajshahi Division for depression, and from 13.4% in the Sylhet Division to 30.3% in the Rajshahi Division for anxiety. Depression and anxiety were associated with older age, reports of poor teacher cooperation in online classes, worries due to academic delays, parental comparison of academic performance with other classmates, difficulties coping with quarantine situations, changes in eating habits, weight gain, physical inactivity and having experienced cyberbullying. Moreover, being female was associated with higher odds of depression.ConclusionsAdolescent psychosocial problems represent a public health problem. The findings suggest a need for generating improved empirically supported school-based psychosocial support programs involving parents and teachers to ensure the well-being of adolescents in Bangladesh. School-based prevention of psychosocial problems that promote environmental and policy changes related to lifestyle practices and active living should be developed, tested, and implemented.

Project description:BackgroundChildren's screen time has substantially increased worldwide, including in Bangladesh, especially since the pandemic, which is raising concern about its potential adverse effects on their physical, mental, and social health. Parental supervision may play a crucial role in mitigating these negative impacts. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence assessing the relationship between parental screen time supervision and health outcomes among school children in Dhaka, Bangladesh.ObjectiveWe aimed to explore the association between supervised and unsupervised screen time on the physical, mental, and social health of school-going children in Dhaka, Bangladesh.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study between July 2022 and June 2024. A total of 420 children, aged 6-14 years, were enrolled via the stratified random sampling method across three English medium and three Bangla medium schools in Dhaka. Data were collected through a semistructured questionnaire; anthropometry measurements; and the Bangla-validated Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Scale, and Spencer Children Anxiety Scale (SCAS).ResultsA total of 234 out of 420 students (56%) used digital screen devices without parental supervision. We did not find a substantial difference in the duration of the daily mean use of digital devices among the supervised students (4.5 hours, SD 2.2 hours) and the unsupervised students (4.6 hours, SD 2.4 hours). According to the type of school, English medium school children had a mean higher screen time (5.46 hours, SD 2.32 hours) compared to Bangla medium school children (3.67 hours, SD 2.00 hours). Headache was significantly higher among the unsupervised digital screen users compared to those who used digital screens with parental supervision (175/336 students, 52.1% versus 161/336 students, 47.9%; P<.003). Moreover, students who used digital screens without parental supervision had poor quality of sleep. Behavioral problems such as conduct issues (119/420 students, 28.3%) and peer difficulties (121/420 students, 28.8%) were observed among the participants. However, when comparing supervised and unsupervised students, we found no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of these issues.ConclusionsThe findings of the study showed that the lack of screen time supervision is associated with negative health effects in children. The roles of various stakeholders, including schools, parents, policy makers, and students themselves, are crucial in developing effective guidelines for managing screen use among students. Further research is needed to demonstrate causal mechanisms; identify the best interventions; and determine the role of mediators and moderators in households, surroundings, and schools.

Project description:IntroductionInterventions aimed at promoting healthy eating habits in adolescence can help prevent chronic diseases and promote healthy ageing. The aim of this paper is to describe the fruit and vegetables consumption habits of adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh as well as to identify the socio-environmental, personal, and behavioral factors that influence these habits.Materials and methodsThe baseline data from an intervention study involving 823 grade ten students from two randomly selected secondary schools in a semi-urban area of Dhaka were analyzed. The intake of fruit and vegetables was measured in terms of serving size per day. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the ability of socio-environmental factors such as social support, perceived barriers, and living with patient with chronic diseases; personal factors such as knowledge, self-rated practice, behavioral intention, and body mass index; and behavioral factors such as physical activity, sedentary hours, and sleep duration to predict the level of daily fruit and vegetables intake, after controlling the effect of demographic characteristics of adolescents.ResultsThe average daily consumption of fruit and vegetables was 1.22 and 1.99 servings, respectively. Only one-fifth of the respondents (21%) reported eating five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Inaccessibility at home was reported as the most perceived barrier for both fruit and vegetables intake. Adolescents' higher fruit and vegetables intake was found to be associated with higher maternal educational attainment, more social support, adequate self-rated practice, positive behavioral intention, higher body mass index, better physical activity, and adequate daily sleeping.ConclusionThe findings revealed insufficient fruit and vegetables intake among adolescents in a semi-urban area of Bangladesh and associated socio-environmental, personal, and behavioral factors that were utilized in developing an intervention program for this transient age group.Trial registrationTrial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03975335) https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03975335 on June 01, 2019.

Project description:Objectives: Mental health problems are among the leading causes of health-related disability among children and adolescents worldwide. However, there is still a global challenge in terms of gathering consistent epidemiological information about the issue. The present study was designed to describe various mental health issues and factors associated with negative feelings among adolescents in Greater London. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, using a self-administered questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.742). A convenience sampling strategy was used to recruit participants who were school/college-attending adolescents, aged 11-19. A minimum sample size of 199 was required (95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error, and 15.3% population proportion). The study was conducted between February and April 2016 in Greater London. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including chi square, Spearman correlation, and binary logistic regression were used to identify the key findings. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v21. Results: A total of 526 out of 1,920 surveys were collected across 18 secondary schools and two colleges, giving a response rate of 27.4%. More than half of the adolescents reported to be either neutral (41.4%), sad (7.8%), or very sad (2.8%), whereas 48% reported to be either happy (35%) or very happy (13%). Difficulties in relationships and hectic schedules were among the most stressful situations affecting adolescents' mental health. Discrimination was identified as the main predicting factor with five-fold increase in odds of having negative mental health symptomatology. Other significant risk factors identified were age, gender, smoking, and health comorbidities. Conclusion: Discrimination was identified as the most predictive factor influencing negative symptomatology among the study cohort. The study had several limitations, most notably the use of a non-validated surrogate measure for mental health, in addition to the exclusion of adolescents aged 10-11 years, school/college dropouts and non-school-going adolescents. A similar study on a national scale is highly recommended to determine the real magnitude of the problem, which would be the starting point toward proper tackling of mental health issues and associated complexities among the adolescent population across England.

Project description:BackgroundAnxiety disorder is one of the emerging public health problems in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Likewise, in Bangladesh, a growing number of adolescents are experiencing such symptoms though we have very limited research evidence available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and the factors associated with this condition among urban, semi-urban, and rural school adolescents in Bangladesh.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used a two-stage cluster sampling procedure. A self-administered questionnaire was conveyed to 2355 adolescents from nine secondary schools of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Of the respondents, 2313 completed the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7). Besides, sociodemographic information, self-reported body image as well as modification of Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ) and WHO Global PA Questionnaire (GPAQ) were used to determine the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with anxiety among adolescents.ResultsA total of 20.1% of adolescents were experiencing moderate to severe anxiety; of them, a significantly higher proportion (49.9%) of female adolescents were suffering more than males (40.1%). Furthermore, age, student's grade, father's educational level, number of family members, and residential setting were found to be significantly associated with anxiety among adolescents. In terms of lifestyle factors, irregular physical activity (AOR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.05-1.63), high screen time (AOR: 1.51; 95% CI:1.21-1.88), sleep dissatisfaction (AOR: 3.79; 95% CI: 3.02-4.76), and underweight body image (AOR: 2.37; 95% CI:1.70-3.28) were found to be significantly associated with anxiety among school adolescents of urban, semi-urban, and rural residential settings.ConclusionsAnxiety is prevalent among urban, semi-urban, and rural school adolescents in Dhaka, Bangladesh. To lessen this prevalence of anxiety among Bangladeshi adolescents, evidence-based health programs- healthy school trials-and policies should therefore be taken based on the findings of this study.

Project description:Dengue, the most important mosquito-borne viral disease of humans is a recurring global health problem. In Bangladesh, dengue outbreaks are on the increase despite the efforts of government and it is not clear what the understanding of the general Dhaka population towards dengue fever is. Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) studies are essential guides in public health interventions. Hence, using KAP, this study aims to assess patient-perspectives with regards to factors associated with dengue, as well as investigate the associated factors between the two corporations in Dhaka. A Hospital-based cross-sectional study of 242 fever patients from two city-corporations in Dhaka (Dhaka North City Corporations, DNCC (n = 91, 37.6%) and Dhaka South City Corporation, DSCC (n = 151, 62.4%) was conducted using pre-tested KAP items. Wilcoxon's Rank Sum was used to determine the KAP by DNCC, DSCC and both corporations and multivariate Poisson regression analyses. The two corporations were analysed separately due to the differences in income distribution, concentration of slums, hospitals and clinics. The study found that more than half of the study population were knowledgeable about dengue (mean percentage scores was 52%), possess an appropriate and acceptable attitude towards the disease (69.2%), and about two thirds of the respondents (71.4%) engaged in practices towards its prevention. After adjusting for the potential cofounders, the factors associated with KAP about dengue fever varied between DNCC and DSCC; with duration of residency and use of mosquito nets were associated with knowledge in the north while income class and age were associated with knowledge and attitude in the south. In the pooled analysis (combining both corporations), knowledge of dengue was associated with good practice towards dengue fever among the respondents. The duration of residence in Dhaka (10+ years), not using mosquito nets and length of time spent in the hospital (7+ days) due to dengue, and decreased knowledge (Adjusted coefficient (β) = -0.01, 95%CI: -0.02, -0.01) were associated with attitude towards dengue in DNCC. On the other hand, middle-high income class, age (40+ years) and increased knowledge were associated with practice towards dengue in DSCC (β = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.03). Efforts to increase knowledge about dengue fever through education by the administrations of both corporations would benefit from targeting these high-risk groups for a more sustainable outcome.

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of school-going adolescents: insights from Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

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Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of school-going adolescents: insights from Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

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