High-resolution mapping of reproductive tract infections among women of childbearing age in Bangladesh: a spatial-temporal analysis of the demographic and health survey

Chenyang Feng,Yingsi Lai,Zhicheng Du,Jing Liao,Tingting Zhao,Yuheng Ling,Ruixue Li,Abu Ahmed Shamim,Rubee Dev,Md Barkat Ullah,Mengjie Li,Yuantao Hao,Yijing Wang

doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10360-4

Abstract

BackgroundReproductive tract infections (RTIs) have become major but silent public health problems devastating women’s lives in Bangladesh. Accurately and precisely identifying high-risk areas of RTIs through high-resolution risk maps is meaningful for resource-limited settings.MethodsWe obtained data reported with RTI symptoms by women of childbearing age in the years 2007, 2011 and 2014 from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. High-spatial Environmental, socio-economic and demographic layers were downloaded from different open-access data sources. We applied Bayesian spatial-temporal models to identify important influencing factors and to estimate the infection risk at 5 km spatial resolution across survey years in Bangladesh.ResultsWe estimated that in Bangladesh, there were approximate 11.1% (95% Bayesian credible interval, BCI: 10.5–11.7%), 13.9% (95% BCI: 13.3–14.5%) and 13.4% (95% BCI: 12.8–14.0%) of women of childbearing age reported with RTI symptoms in 2007, 2011 and 2014, respectively. The risk of most areas shows an obvious increase from 2007 to 2011, then became stable between 2011 and 2014. High risk areas were identified in the southern coastal areas, the western Rajshahi Division, the middle of Khulna Division, and the southwestern Chittagong Division in 2014. The prevalence of Rajshahi and Nawabganj District were increasing during all the survey years.ConclusionThe high-resolution risk maps of RTIs we produced can guide the control strategies targeted to priority areas cost-effectively. More than one eighth of women of childbearing age reported symptoms suggesting RTIs and the risk of RTIs varies in different geographical area, urging the government to pay more attention to the worrying situation of female RTIs in the country.

Highlights

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) have become major but silent public health problems devastating women’s lives in Bangladesh
Generally referring to women aged 15–49 years old, are the most susceptible group to RTIs, as they are in child-bearing period and have frequent sexual life [7, 8]
We aimed to apply geostatistical models to estimate the spatial-temporal distribution of RTIs at high spatial resolution in Bangladesh, based on both the survey data from Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Programs in the years 2007, 2011 and 2014, and other datasets with environmental, climatic and socioeconomic information, providing policy makers with disease distribution data for this period, in order to inform interventions, and to provide a basis for future RTI research

Summary

Introduction

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) have become major but silent public health problems devastating women’s lives in Bangladesh. Female reproductive tract infections (RTIs), playing an important role on reproductive health, become a major public health concern, in developing countries where they are endemic [3]. Women RTIs refer to endogenous, iatrogenic or sexually transmitted infections affecting the reproductive tract of women. They usually originate in the lower reproductive tract (e.g., vaginitis or cervicitis) and may produce symptoms such as abnormal vaginal discharge, genital pain, itching and burning feeling with urination [4,5,6]. RTIs become major but silent public health problems devastating women’s lives. Untreated infections increase the risk of other diseases, such as acquiring and transmitting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, chronic lower abdominal pain, emotional distress social rejection of women and cervical cancer [10]

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Results

Conclusion