Workers In Bangladesh Research Articles

The impact of paid employment on women's empowerment: A case study of female garment workers in Bangladesh

The role of the Ready-made Garment (RMG) sector in transforming the lives of working women in Bangladesh has been controversial. This study examines the impact of paid employment in the RMG sector on the empowerment of its female workers. The fieldwork includes semi-structured interviews with female garment workers to explore their lived experiences and views. The primary qualitative data analysis draws principally on Kabeer's (1999) three inter-related dimensions (resources, agency, and achievements) of empowerment. The main findings of the research are that women with access to employment opportunities in this sector have become economically empowered and independent. The higher economic capacity gives them greater autonomy and makes them confident to make some household and strategic life choices. Increased access to public spaces and consciousness about their right to make life choices have boosted their self-esteem. The study concludes that paid employment in the RMG sector has a significant positive impact on the economic, social, and psychological empowerment of female workers in the readymade garments sector. However, some critical constraints in the sector continue to limit their potential for being further empowered. The findings offer valuable insights for practitioners and policymakers.

Effects of leadership styles and motivational factors on worker engagement: an empirical study on the ready-made garments industry in Bangladesh

This study inspects the effects of motivational factors (intrinsic and extrinsic) and leadership styles (transformational and transactional) on worker engagement in the ready-made garments industry of Bangladesh. The paper is based on Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory. The study adopted a quantitative technique and used SPSS to analyse the data assembled from a valid sample of 387 workers in Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry. The findings show that extrinsic motivational factors positively correlate with worker engagement more than intrinsic motivational factors. Consequently, transformational leadership is positively associated with worker engagement more than transactional leadership among the workers in the ready-made garments industry of Bangladesh. In conclusion, it is suggested that the industry should focus more on the transformational leadership style compared to the transactional leadership style and workers have to be motivated to increase productivity in this specific industry.

Workplace Violence Among Health Care Professionals in Public and Private Health Facilities in Bangladesh.

Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of workplace violence (WPV), its associated factors and explore the experiences of healthcare workers. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study design used a nationally representative sample of 1,081 healthcare workers covering eight administrative divisions of Bangladesh. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the adjusted effect of independent factors on WPV among healthcare workers. Results: Of the participants, 43% (468) experienced some form of WPV. Of those, 84% reported experiencing nonphysical violence, and 16% experienced physical violence in the past year. About 65% of victims claimed no action was taken to investigate the incident, and 44% reported no consequence for perpetrators. Four factors: being married (AOR = 1.63; CI: 1.12–2.39); public sector healthcare worker (AOR = 2.74; CI:1.99–3.76); working in an emergency department (AOR = 2.30; CI:1.03–5.12); and undertaking shift work (AOR = 1.52; CI: 1.10–2.11) were found to be significantly associated with WPV. One-third of the participants were worried about violence in their workplace. Conclusion: WPV is highly prevalent among healthcare workers in Bangladesh. Formal guidelines for reporting and managing WPV are urgently needed at the individual, hospital, and national levels.

The Pattern of Occupational Skin Diseases among Construction Workers in Bangladesh

Objective: In this study our main goal is to evaluate the Pattern of occupational skin diseases among construction workers in Bangladesh. Method: This experimental and observational study was carried out at the tertiary medical college and hospital, from January 2017 to June 2019. Randomly 400 construction workers were selected from 50 construction areas situated in different cities in Bangladesh were selected as a study population. Results: During the study, all working fields are dirty or unhealthy and 3.50% of workers involved in wet works or washing, 20.75% In brick/stone works, 30.75% in cement works, 11.50% in metal work/welding, 15.25% in tar/pitch works, 8.00% in wood works and 10.25% in sand/mud works. Out of all skin diseases, (37.39%) patients were suffering from contact dermatitis, among which 28.15% was irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and 9.24% allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Other skin diseases were acne (14.29%), seborrheic dermatitis (10.92%), burn/scald (5.46%), accidental injury (7.14%), scabies (23.53%), fungal infection (Dermatophytosis/pityriasis versicolor/candidiasis) (23.53%), palmoplantar keratoderma (13.87%), lichen simplex chronicus (3.78%), pyoderma (4.20%), photodermatitis (2.52%) and urticaria (2.52 %). Among all construction workers 60% have at least one form of skin disease and rest of the workers were not found to have any skin disease. Conclusion: From the study we can conclude that, contact dermatitis is the most common and other skin diseases include fungal infection, scabies and acne. ¬ese occupational skin diseases may be prevented by providing improved work place, protective means, health education, adequate health services and improving professional skills.

Personal Safety and Fear of Sexual Harassment among Female Garment Workers in Bangladesh.

Personal safety and fear of sexual harassment may discourage women from participating at work and in public life, limiting their life opportunities. The study proposed to determine personal safety and fear of sexual harassment among female garment workers in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 201 female garment workers from Dhaka and Chittagong cities. Participants were selected using snowballing sampling techniques with the data collected by using anonymised questionnaires. The Pearson product–moment correlation and analysis of variance were employed using SPSS version 27.0. Results showed that 25% of the participants perceived that they were most likely to be sexually harassed by their manager and 25% never felt safe going to work. Age and the marital status of the participants were significantly associated with personal safety and fear of sexual harassment (p < 0.05). The correlation analysis found a significant positive correlation between personal safety and the fear of sexual harassment [r (201) = 0.85 **, p < 0.05], among the participants. A deep commitment from leadership with cooperation at all levels of the organisations is required to address these acts of violence and organisational conditions, rather than a form of unreflective compliance or a ‘gender-neutral’ approach that fails to recognise individual needs and maintain gender inequality.

Risking Lives to Save Others During COVID-19: A Focus on Public Health Care Workers in Bangladesh and Egypt.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been spreading around the world, causing a major public health crisis that has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Street-level bureaucrats­—health workers, teachers, street cleaners, police officers­, and so forth—are at the forefront in fighting against the pandemic. Of these, public health care workers, due to the nature of their involvement, should know and understand why they are risking their lives to save others during this pandemic. Based on the preliminary data gleaned from interviews with public health care workers in Bangladesh and Egypt, this ongoing research suggests they are risking their lives for reasons such as altruistic behavior, service to profession, adherence to bureaucratic accountability, and a desire to help mankind. The findings contribute to the existing literature about street-level bureaucratic behavior in atypical times such as these of the pandemic. This study is unique in that it comprehends that public health care workers of two culturally and geographically distinct countries are risking their lives for the same public-spirited cause.

Mandatory employer-sponsored health financing scheme for semiformal workers in Bangladesh: An experimental assessment

In this study, we present findings from an experimental evaluation of a mandatory employer-sponsored health insurance scheme in Bangladesh. We randomly introduced the scheme to female artisans to understand the impacts on healthcare utilisation, expenditure and subjective well-being using both survey and administrative data. Our findings suggest that the scheme broke even; however, it covered only six percent of the overall health expenditure and 16 percent of the hospitalisation costs. We find higher inpatient care utilisation, particularly among women, and in favour of empanelled hospitals causally associated with the intervention, consistent with the design of the scheme. We do not find significant healthcare savings or improvement in subjective well-being, consistent with low coverage. The findings suggest the scheme to be financially sustainable and it changes the healthcare seeking behaviours as the scheme incentivises. However, meaningful savings and protection against catastrophic health expenditures will require a higher level of coverage.

Assessment of heavy metal contamination and health risk from indoor dust and air of informal E-waste recycling shops in Dhaka, Bangladesh

With the digital revolution across the world, including in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Bangladesh, the global burden of electronic waste (e-waste) is increasing. Consequently, the environmental and human health implications of informal e-waste recycling practices in LMICs are becoming a cause for concern. Here we report the indoor dust and air contamination from e-waste derived heavy metals in the e-waste recycling shops in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Representative heavy metals including Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Mn were measured in dust and air samples collected from three different e-waste shops located in two different sites in Dhaka. Concentrations of these heavy metals were found to be as much as orders of magnitude higher in the e-waste sites than in areas with no e-waste recycling activities. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) calculated for these metals also indicated moderate to severe pollution of the e-waste shops, especially for Pb and Cu. The calculated health quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) for these metals indicate towards potential severe health risk of the workers due to the release and exposure to Pb from the e-wastes. These results emphasize the need for more direct evidence of contaminant exposure, body burden, and health impacts of the e-waste workers in Bangladesh, along with the need for interventions to ensure the health and safety of these workers.

The Ready Made Garments (RMG) Workers’ Gender Ratio in Bangladesh

It has been widely acknowledged that female workers account for 80% of the Ready Made Garments (RMG) industry’s workforce in Bangladesh but a number of studies estimated different male to female workers’ ratios ranging from 35: 65 to 55:45. To contribute to such debate, this paper leverage the data of the ‘Mapped in Bangladesh’ (MiB) project. While the objective of the MiB project is to enable transparency and accountability in the RMG sector by providing the industry stakeholders accurate, updated and authentic factory data collected through the factory census method and published in a digital map; this paper aims to shed light on the male to female ratio of workers employed in the RMG factories of Bangladesh is not 20:80, but it is 42:58 according to the findings from MiB data. Presenting such data, the study seeks to discuss how factory issues can influence the gender composition of RMG Workers. These issues such as factory locations, factory type, factory size and production sections are important to understand the challenges of future research addressing the gender composition of RMG workers in Bangladesh.

Influential Factors Under Labor Law Adhere to ILO: An Analysis in the Fish Farming Industry of Bangladesh

This article evaluates different factors under the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006 for promoting work satisfaction in the fish farming workers in Bangladesh. How far does this industry comply with standard labor laws adheres to international labor policy, and promotion of labor rights is another focus of this study. This study shows that yearly increment, overtime payment, weekly holiday, amount of compensation, appointment by appointment letter, and job security significantly influence the fish farming workers’ minds in Bangladesh. The Qualitative part of the study finds that the State must protect the workers’ rights by enacting a standard labor policy that adheres to international instruments, which it is unwilling to do so. This study helps in evaluating the opinion of the fishers’ work satisfaction as well as policy planning for the development of the fish farming industry. It will add value by creating awareness of labor rights in the Asian developing setting.

Review of Socio-economic Conditions of Bidi Workers in Bangladesh: Perspective Haragachh, Rangpur

The government is trying to discourage smoking through various programs, and at the same time is generating huge revenue from this sector. Basically, it is a contradiction. This research is also discouraging the bidi industry. According to the REOBTB (2019) report, the number of bidi workers in the country is 1,34,926, of which 54,694 are engaged in permanent production and excluding the number of children, this number stands at 47,918 with an average monthly income of Tk 1,982. According to the report, the total number of bidi industries in the country is 198. Every year a large number of bidis and cigarettes are produced from these factories which contribute to our national economy. It is very sad but true that, every year a large number of Bidi workers are suffering from complex diseases, which is having a massive negative impact on the national health sector. As a result, it is now more important to assess the socio-economic conditions of these workers properly. Out of the 198 bidi industries in the country, 53 are located in the Rangpur district. As a result, in order to engage the people of the region in sustainable development, it is necessary to properly assess the socio-economic status of this huge number of bidi workers and adopt a proper action plan based on those results. The objective of this study is to assess the socio-economic status of bidi industry workers, Haragachh, Rangpur. Primary and secondary data are used in this research work. Numerical analysis is given priority in the study. A structured questionnaire is used for the purpose of data collection. The results of the study said that, if child labor is not stopped in time, it will be difficult to achieve the SDG goal by 2021-2025. It is a matter of sorrow that no worker bears an appointment letter. As a result, they may face legal complications at any time. At the same time, the health risks in the factory are extremely high. It is time to reduce the health risks of this huge number of bidi workers and take necessary actions to ensure their rights.&#x0D; -------------------------------------&#x0D; বিড়ি ও বিড়িশ্রম উভয়ই স্বাস্থের জন্য ক্ষতিকর। সরকার নানান কর্মসূচির মাধ্যমে ধূমপানকে নিরুৎসাহিত করার চেষ্টা করছে, এবং একইসাথে এই খাত থেকে প্রচুর রাজস্বও আদায় করছে। এটা পরস্পরবিরোধীতা। দি রেভিনিউ অ্যান্ড এমপ্লয়মেন্ট আউটকাম অব বিড়ি ট্যাক্সেশন ইন বাংলাদেশ (২০১৯) শীর্ষক গবেষণা প্রতিবেদনে বলা হয়েছে, দেশে বিড়ি শ্রমিকের সংখ্যা ১,৩৪,৯২৭জন, যার মধ্যে স্থায়ী উৎপাদন কাজে নিয়োজিত শ্রমিকের সংখ্যা ৫৪,৬৯৪জন এবং শিশুর সংখ্যা বাদ দিলে এই সংখ্যা দাঁড়ায় ৪৬৯১৬জন যাদের মাসিক গড় আয় ১৯৭২টাকা। প্রতিবেদনে আর বলা হয়েছে, দেশে মোট বিড়িশিল্পের সংখ্যা ১৯৮টি। বিবিসি (২০২০) এক প্রতিবেদনে বলেছে, বর্তমানে দেশে বিড়িশিল্পের বাজার প্রায় ২০০০ কোটি টাকার এবং তা ক্রমাগত বাড়ছে। বাজার হিসেবে যা পৃথিবীর ৮ম। প্রতিদিন সরকার এই খাত থেকে ২০ কোটি টাকা রাজস্ব আয় করে। কিন্তু দুঃখজনক হলেও সত্যি, প্রতিবছর বিড়িশ্রমিকদের একটি বড় অংশ জটিল রোগে আক্রান্ত হচ্ছে, যা জাতীয় স্বাস্থ্যখাতে ব্যাপক নেতিবাচক প্রভাব ফেলছে। ফলে সামগ্রিকভাবে এইখাত জাতীয় অর্থনীতিতে নীট কতটুকু ইতিবাচক অগ্রগতি ঘটাচ্ছে তা নিঃন্দেহে গবেষণার দাবি রাখে। কিন্তু তারচেয়েও গুরুত্বপূর্ণ হয়ে পড়েছে আমাদের বর্তমান বিড়িশ্রমিকদের ভালোথাকা—মন্দথাকার বিষয়টি। এই খাতের সাথে প্রত্যক্ষ ও পরোক্ষভাবে কয়েক লক্ষ মানুষ জড়িত। ফলে এইসব বিড়িশ্রমিকদের আর্থ—সামাজিক অবস্থা সঠিকভাবে নিরুপণ করা প্রতিদিন অধিকতর গুরত্বপূর্ণ হয়ে উঠছে।

Assessing vulnerability of informal floating workers in Bangladesh before and during COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-method analysis

PurposeGlobally, a myriad of floating workers is in grave jeopardy due to the ceasing of employment opportunities that resulted from the mobility restriction during the Covid-19. Despite the global concern, developing countries have been suffering disproportionately due to the dominance of informal workers in their labour market, posing the necessity to campaign for the immediate protection of this vulnerable population. This paper analyses various dimensions of the vulnerability of urban floating workers in the context of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. In reference to International Labour Organization's (ILO) “Decent Work” concept, this paper endeavours to examine floating workers' vulnerability using the insider-outsider framework in context to Covid-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, data were collected before the pandemic to assess the vulnerability of the informal floating workers. Later, we extended the study to the second phase during the Covid-19 pandemic to understand how pandemic affects the lives and livelihood of floating workers. In phase one, data were collected from a sample of 342 floating workers and analysed based on job security, wages, working environment, psychological wellbeing and education to understand the vulnerability of floating workers. In phase two, 20 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted, followed by thematic analysis to explore how the pandemic affects the existing vulnerability of floating workers.FindingsVarious social protection schemes were analysed to evaluate their effectiveness in reducing the vulnerability of floating workers facing socio-economic crises. The study has found that the pandemic has multiplied the existing vulnerability of the floating workers on many fronts that include job losses, food crisis, shelter insecurity, education, social, physical and mental wellbeing. In response to the pandemic, the Government stimulus packages and Non-government Covid-19 initiatives lack the appropriate system, magnitude, and focus on protecting the floating workers in Bangladesh.Practical implicationsThis paper outlines various short-term interventions and long-term policy prescriptions to safeguard floating workers' lives and livelihood from the ongoing Corona pandemic and unforeseen uncertainties.Originality/valueThis paper is the first of its kind that aims at understanding the vulnerability of this significant workforce in Bangladesh, taking the whole picture of Government and Non-government initiatives during Covid-19.

Life of the Bangladeshi construction workers: an insight observation from the reality of the quality of an isolated community

PurposeConstruction workers contribute significantly to the economic development of a country, but the working conditions and the living standard for construction workers in Bangladesh are inhumane. This study aims to focus on the actual scenario of the quality of work-life (QWL) of the construction workers who work without meeting basic human needs.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, researchers used a mixed-method approach. An inclusive one-to-one (F to F) interview has operated at the beginning of the research; later on, focus group discussion (FGD) and a structured questionnaire have been used to investigate the construction workers' QWL workers in Bangladesh.FindingsThe findings showed that construction workers are highly dissatisfied with their position, working hours and leaves, payment system, accommodation, food, sanitation and drinking water, education, leisure, entertainment and religious freedom, health safety and security. Consequently, that hinders the natural growth of the said sector where there is no initiative to implement these rights.Practical implicationsBased on this study's findings, the construction industry's higher authority can make some policies to make workers' lives a little happier. Besides, this study will play a vital role in improving academic literature regarding the workers' current condition in Bangladesh's construction industry.Originality/valueTo best the authors' observation, this is the first study in the Emerald Insight publishers on the overall inhuman quality of construction workers' work-life in Bangladesh.

Psychological impact of COVID -19 pandemic on frontline health care workers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia symptoms among frontline health workers during the corona virus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic in Bangladesh and to compare these between medical and allied health workers. We conducted a cross-sectional survey between June and August 2020. A total of 479 health care professionals participated in the study. Anxiety and depression were measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was measured by primary care post-traumatic stress disorder score (PC-PTSD score), and insomnia was measured by Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). We performed logistic regression to assess risk factors associated with psychological symptoms. Overall, prevalence of anxiety, depression, PTSD and insomnia symptoms were 17.6%, 15.5%, 7.6% and 5.9%, respectively. Compared to allied health workers, doctors had significantly higher prevalence of symptoms of anxiety: doctor versus allied health care worker; 21.1% vs 06%, (OR= 4.19; 95% CI= 1.88-9.35; p &lt;0.001); depression: 18% vs 6.8%, (OR= 2.99; 95% CI= 1.40-6.42; p 0.005); PTSD: 9.4% vs 1.7%, (OR= 5.96; 95% CI= 1.41-25.11; p 0.015) and insomnia: 7.4% vs 0.9%, (OR= 9.22; 95% CI= 1.24-68.4; p 0.03),respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed pre-existing medical illness as a predictor of anxiety (OR= 2.85; 95% CI= 1.71-4.76; p &lt;0.001) and depressive symptoms (OR= 2.29; 95% CI= 1.39-3.77; p 0.001). Working more than 6(six) weeks in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals was significantly associated with PSTD symptoms (OR= 2.83; 95% CI= 1.35-5.93; p 0.006) and insomnia (OR= 2.63; 95% CI= 1.15-6.02; p 0.022). Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia among Bangladeshi frontline health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. BSMMU J 2021; 14 (COVID -19 Supplement): 22-29

Sexual exploitation of trafficked children: Survey evidence from child sex workers in Bangladesh

Human trafficking is a serious humanitarian problem. Using a nationally representative survey of Bangladeshi child sex workers and an instrumental variable model, we examine the working conditions of trafficked child sex workers and how they differ from those of nontrafficked child sex workers. We find that the victims trade sex with 190 percent more clients at a 67.8 percent lower wage and are more exposed to violence, leading to sickness, such as fever and headache. However, the differences in the prevalence of STDs and injury are insignificant presumably because the owners have an incentive to protect the victims from STDs. These findings suggest that evaluating sex workers’ working conditions by the prevalence of STDs alone may underestimate the severity of the exploitation of victims. Furthermore, conducting an empirical analysis without distinguishing between trafficked and nontrafficked workers, as performed in previous studies, leads to misunderstandings regarding the sex industry. We also contribute to the literature concerning the worst form of child labor by providing the first rigorous evidence of the working conditions of child sex workers. Finally, four implications for practitioners are discussed.

Condom use, symptoms of suggestive sexually transmitted infections, and health care seeking among female sex workers in Bangladesh.

This article presents a mixed-method cross-sectional study reporting condom use, sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptoms, and care seeking of female sex workers (FSWs) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. A survey of 1228 FSWs, in-depth interviews (n = 24), and key informants' interviews (n = 26) were used for data collection. Among the 1228 FSWs included in this study, 50% of them were illiterate and 39.3% were married, and their mean age was 27.1years. The consistent use of condoms was reported by 75.6% of the FSWs, 88.7% reported having STI symptoms in the last 6 months, while 91.8% visited one of the drop-in centers for services. FSWs without formal education had lower odds of using condoms consistently (AOR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55-0.95), and those working elsewhere than in the streets showed higher odds (AOR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.23-2.15) to use condoms. Stigma to access health care services, poor knowledge about STI/HIV, and low perceived risk were mentioned as causes of having STI symptoms in the survey as well as in qualitative in-depth interviews. Self-reported condom use, STI symptoms, and care-seeking practices were found to be high among the FSWs. Inconsistent condom use and a high number of sex partners could be the reasons for high levels of STI symptoms. Innovative objectively verifiable approaches should be tested to collect condom use data.

Impact of Testing on Sexually Transmitted Infections among Female Brothel Sex Workers in Bangladesh: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Past studies that have designed interventions to reduce the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have typically provided onsite treatment to sex workers who tested positive, which were expensive and difficult to implement. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an intervention which tested for STIs and provided information on the closest treatment facility on reducing the prevalence of STIs among female brothel-based sex workers (BSWs) in Bangladesh. The study adopted a pre-post interventional design as well as a randomized controlled study design. A baseline sample and follow-up urine sample were collected to evaluate the prevalence of STIs among participants in the treatment, but not control group. A baseline survey and interviews were also conducted for both the groups. The study found a nonsignificant reduction from baseline to follow-up in STI prevalence among intervention participants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.45). However, the participants in the intervention group were significantly more likely to have a repeat client (aOR: 1.60; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.29) and nonsignificantly less likely to engage with a client suspected of having an STI (aOR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.00) than participants in the control group. The intervention testing of STIs and providing information to the positive cases about nearest treatment facilities were not effective in reducing the prevalence of STIs among BSWs. Further study of the clinical and behavioral impacts of such efforts to reduce STIs among BSWs is warranted.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

AimsFrontline health care workers exposed to COVID-19 patients could be at increased risk of developing psychological issues. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of mental health-related problems, specifically depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and insomnia among health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh and to compare these between medical and allied health care professionals.MethodThis cross-sectional survey was conducted using Google Form then subsequent telephone interview between June and August 2020. Using random sampling, a total of 479 health care professionals participated in the study. We collected data on demographics. Anxiety and depression were measured using 4 items Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), PTSD was measured using 4 items Primary Care (PC)-PTSD-Screen, and insomnia was measured by using a 7-item Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess risk factors associated with mental health symptoms.ResultOverall, 17.6% of frontline health workers had symptoms of anxiety, 15.5% had depression symptoms, 7.6% had PTSD symptoms and 5.9% had symptoms of insomnia. Compared to allied health professionals (n = 113, 24%), doctors (n = 366, 76%) had significantly higher prevalence of anxiety: 21.1% vs 06%, (OR = 4.19; 95% CI = 1.88–9.35; p-value &lt;0.001); depression: 18% vs 6.8%, (OR = 2.99; 95% CI = 1.40–6.42; p-value 0.005); PTSD: 9.4% vs 1.7%, (OR = 5.96; 95% CI = 1.41–25.11; p-value 0.015) and insomnia: 7.4% vs 0.9%, (OR = 9.22; 95% CI = 1.24–68.4; p-value 0.03). Logistic regression analysis showed that pre-existing medical illness has significantly more risks of developing symptoms of anxiety (adjusted OR = 2.85; 95% CI = 1.71–4.76; p-value &lt;0.001) and depression (OR = 2.29; 95% CI = 1.39–3.77; p-value 0.001). Having a postgraduate degree (adjusted OR = 6.13; 95% CI = 1.28–29.28; p-value 0.023) and working in secondary care setting (adjusted OR = 3.08; 95% CI = 1.18–8.02; p value 0.021) have significant predictors of developing anxiety symptoms among health workers. Those who had worked more than 6 weeks in COVID-19 dedicated hospitals had risk of developing symptoms of PSTD (OR = 2.83; 95% CI = 1.35–5.93; p value 0.006) and insomnia (OR = 2.63; 95% CI = 1.15–6.02; p value 0.022).ConclusionOur study demonstrated a high prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia among Bangladeshi frontline health workers (particularly among doctors) during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent need to address the mental health needs of frontline health workers.Funding: Medical Research Council, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Study of Age-Related Finger Span and Hand Grip Strength of Adult Female Garment Workers in Bangladesh

Background: Age related hand anthropometry is important for the effective designing of dimensionally compatible hand tools, gloves, machine access spaces and hand-held devices. The present study was designed to measure and compare finger spans and the hand grip strength of both hands of adult female garment workers of different age groups in Bangladesh and to establish correlation between finger spans and the hand grip strength of same hand.&#x0D; Materials and methods: The study was a descriptive, observational and cross sectional in nature with some analytic component; carried out in the Department of anatomy, Chittagong Medical College, Chattogram, from January 2015 to December 2015. A purposive non random convenient sampling was done to select 300 female garment workers, age ranging from 21-35 years. Hand grip strength and 5 finger spans were measured. ANOVA test was performed to correlate of finger spans and hand grip strength of different age groups.&#x0D; Results: Difference of hand grip strength with age showed significant in both hands. Difference of finger spans with age showed non-significant. There was positive correlation between finger spans and hand grip strength of the same hand.&#x0D; Conclusion: Study of age related anthropometric measurements of hand can play an important role to design same workplace, same hand tools, and same access spaces for the hand of the age group (21-35) years of adult female garment workers in Bangladesh and increase the usage of human resources.&#x0D; Chatt Maa Shi Hosp Med Coll J; Vol.20 (1); January 2021; Page 62-66

Psychological impact of COVID-19 among frontline financial services workers in Bangladesh

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide both physically and mentally. In resource-strapped countries, high levels of psychological distress caused by fear of getting infected with the deadly disease has been observed in densely populated communities and among frontline workers (e.g., healthcare workers and retail employees), who provide services without wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment. This study assessed the level of psychological distress among bank employees, who are also essential frontline workers. Data were collected from 120 bank employees by using a predesigned survey questionnaire consisting of Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) questions. Nine out of ten respondents indicated that they were likely to experience mild to severe psychological distress, and 86.6% felt vulnerable to having close contact with a carrier of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus. The Chi-square test results indicated that married employees (36.37 vs 32.16) and those assigned in bank branches (36.34 vs 33.25) had a higher likelihood of experiencing psychological distress than those who were not married and those assigned in head offices, respectively. To address this issue, health policymakers and bank regulatory authorities must develop mental health interventions, treatments, and guidelines specific for bank employees.