Afiaz Awan, Biswas Raaj Kishore
Institute of Statistical Research and Training, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research Centre, School of Aviation, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BMJ Open. 2021 Apr 15;11(4):e042134. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042134.
Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) has become a growing public health concern in many low-income and middle-income nations for its association with several health risks. This study observed types of menstrual absorbents used among women in Bangladesh and analysed the associated sociodemographic factors with the hypothesis that mass media can increase awareness regarding MHM. The study includes recommendations for possible intervention strategies designed to address this lack of awareness.
The analysis used the data from the nationally representative Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 that employed a two-stage, stratified cluster sampling approach, with a study sample of 54 242 women aged between 15 and 49 years. A generalised linear model was fitted to the data adjusting for survey weights and cluster/strata variations along with bivariate analyses and spatial mapping.
Only a quarter of women (24.3%) used modern absorbents for MHM with most resorting to unhygienic traditional practices. Spatial distribution showed that the use of modern absorbent of MHM was limited to the major cities. The women who had mobile phones and regular access to the media were nearly 43% (adjusted OR (AOR) 1.43 with 95% CI 1.33 to 1.54) and 47% (AOR 1.47 with 95% CI 1.35 to 1.60) more likely to use the modern absorbents of MHM, respectively. Furthermore, educated women living in urban solvent households with educated house heads were also found to use modern absorbents of MHM.
There appeared to be scope for interventions through a combined national effort to raise awareness using multifaceted media channels regarding MHM among women in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals 3.7 and 6.2 of addressing women's healthcare and hygiene needs.
在许多低收入和中等收入国家，月经卫生管理（MHM）因其与多种健康风险相关联，已成为一个日益受到关注的公共卫生问题。本研究观察了孟加拉国女性使用的月经吸收用品类型，并分析了相关的社会人口学因素，假设大众媒体可以提高对月经卫生管理的认识。该研究包括针对解决这种认识不足问题的可能干预策略的建议。
分析使用了2019年具有全国代表性的孟加拉国多指标类集调查的数据，该调查采用两阶段分层整群抽样方法，研究样本为54242名年龄在15至49岁之间的女性。对数据拟合了广义线性模型，对调查权重以及聚类/分层差异进行了调整，并进行了双变量分析和空间映射。
只有四分之一的女性（24.3%）使用现代吸收用品进行月经卫生管理，大多数人采用不卫生的传统做法。空间分布表明，月经卫生管理现代吸收用品的使用仅限于主要城市。拥有手机且经常接触媒体的女性使用月经卫生管理现代吸收用品的可能性分别高出近43%（调整后的比值比（AOR）为1.43，95%置信区间为1.33至1.54）和47%（AOR为1.47，95%置信区间为1.35至1.60）。此外，还发现生活在城市有经济能力家庭且户主受过教育的受过教育的女性也使用月经卫生管理现代吸收用品。
通过全国共同努力使用多方面媒体渠道提高女性对月经卫生管理的认识，似乎有进行干预的空间，以便实现可持续发展目标3.7和6.2，即满足妇女的医疗保健和卫生需求。
