Search

Child labour remains a widespread problem in the world today. Although, child labour can have positive effects in some situations, it has negative effects on health and development of the children. Thus, the purpose of the study is to identify the determinants of child labour in agriculture sector and its socio-economic correlates. The data have been collected using purposive sampling process from two districts of Rajshahi division, Bangladesh by schedule questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analysis has been used to measure the individual impact on the determinants of child labour and socio-economic correlates. In the study areas, male children (90.20%) are more visible than that of female (9.80%) and those children are working more times in agriculture sector violating working laws and regulations due to poverty and family requirements. Empirical results show that if the fathers are employed in agriculture, it raises the probability that a child would work on that sector. The presence of very young child labour, parents’ willingness to invest them for their financial security and payment of loan, and three-fourth child labour had been enforced by the poverty; they did not get enough food and regular payment coupled with low labour cost. Since these children are a part of the young adults who constitute the major sector of Bangladeshi population, it follows that their health status should be a major concern for the community, policy makers and development planners.

AbstractTuberculosis (TB) is a social disease and several socio-economic factors have significant effects on TB. The aim of this study is to assess the factors associated with the Pulmonary TB (PTB). A cross-sectional study was carried out at Rajshahi City, Bangladesh and 384 TB patients were interviewed through a structured questionnaire. Univariate analysis was used to find out the percentage distributions of the variables. Chi-square test was performed to find out the association between dependent and independent variables. Binary logistic regression analysis was carried out to evaluate the effects of selected socio-economic determinant factors of PTB patients. Among 384 TB patients, 74% were PTB and 26% were extra-pulmonary TB patients. Chi-square test identified that the respondents sex, age, educational status, family income, area of living, types of house, cooking facility, smoking, drug addiction, duration of suffering, and body mass index (BMI) are significantly association with PTB. Finally, binary logistic regression analysis identified that age, area of living, cooking facility, smoking status, drug addiction, duration of suffering, and BMI have significant effects on PTB. Therefore, Bangladesh National TB Control Program (NTP) can implement key actions to improve outcomes and case detection among risk groups.

AbstractThe main purpose of this study is to observe the influencing factors on infant and child mortality of suburban and rural areas of Rajshahi District, Bangladesh. Primary data have been used to examine the differential patterns of infant and child mortality. A multivariate technique is employed to investigate the effects of those variables both socioeconomic and demographic on infant and child mortality. The study results reveal that several socioeconomic, demographic and health related variables affect on infant and child mortality. Multivariate analysis results indicate that the most significant predictors of neonatal, post-neonatal, and child mortality levels are immunization, ever breastfeeding, mother’s age at birth and birth interval. Again, the risk of child mortality is 78.20% lower among the immunized child than never immunized child and also the risk of neonatal mortality is 57.70% lower after a birth interval of 36 months and above than under 18 months. Parents’ education, toilet facilities and treatment places are significant predictors during neonatal and childhood period but father’s occupation is significant at post-neonatal periods. For instance, risk of neonatal mortality is 31.40% lower among the women having primary education and 52.30% lower among the women having secondary and higher education than those having no education. It is observed that the risk of child mortality 32.00% lower among the household having hygienic toilet facility than those who have not such facilities. Similarly, risk of child mortality decreased with increased female education and wider access to safe treatment places. So, attention should be given to female education and expansion of public health system for reducing the risk of infant and child mortality.