Dataset Information

Differences in the acceptance of wife abuse among ethnic minority Garo and Santal and mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT: Studies on wife abuse in Bangladesh predominantly include the mainstream Bengali population, although there are at least 27 ethnic minority communities including a few 'female-centered' matrilineal groups living in the country. This study explored ethnic differences in the attitudinal acceptance of wife abuse among matrilineal ethnic minority Garo, patrilineal ethnic minority Santal, and mainstream patriarchal Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh. Adopting a cross-sectional design, the study included 1,929 women and men randomly selected from 24 Garo, Santal, and Bengali villages. Multivariate Poisson regression was performed to predict the number of contextual events, where the respondents attitudinally endorsed wife abuse. Of the sample, 33.2% were from Garo, 33.2% from Santal, and 33.6% from the Bengali communities. The acceptance of wife abuse was high in the sample; specifically, 34.1% of the respondents accepted physical wife abuse, 67.5% accepted emotional abuse, and 71.6% accepted any abuse (either physical or emotional) at least on one contextual reason provided in a 10-item scale. The mean for accepting any abuse was 3.0 (SD = 2.8), emotional abuse 2.3 (SD = 2.2), and physical abuse 0.8 (SD = 1.4). The study showed that the rates of accepting any abuse and physical abuse were respectively 16% and 56% lower among Garo as well as 14% and 33% lower among Santal than that of the Bengali community. Data also revealed that individual level factors like younger age, higher education, prestigious occupation as well as family level factors such as higher income, female mobility, and female family authority were inversely associated with the acceptance of wife abuse in the sample. It appears that the gender regime of a society has a great influence on the attitudes toward wife abuse. We argue that a comprehensive socio-cultural transformation of the patriarchal societies into a gender equal order is imperative for the prevention of widespread wife abuse in the country.

SUBMITTER: Karim R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7386579 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Differences in the acceptance of wife abuse among ethnic minority Garo and Santal and mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh.

Karim Rabiul R Habib Tanzima Zohra TZ Arefin Sadequl S Rahman Hafijur H Rahman Suchona S Swahnberg Katarina K

PloS one 20200728 7

Studies on wife abuse in Bangladesh predominantly include the mainstream Bengali population, although there are at least 27 ethnic minority communities including a few 'female-centered' matrilineal groups living in the country. This study explored ethnic differences in the attitudinal acceptance of wife abuse among matrilineal ethnic minority Garo, patrilineal ethnic minority Santal, and mainstream patriarchal Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh. Adopting a cross-sectional design, the study ...[more]

PMID: 32722707

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Project description:Studies on marital violence (MV) in Bangladesh have primarily focused on the women of the mainstream Bengali people, although half of the population is men, and there are also ethnic minority communities with diverse gender constructions. The current study examined the gender differences in MV among the matrilineal ethnic minority Garo, patrilineal ethnic minority Santal, and the patrilineal mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh. Adopting a cross-sectional design, we randomly included 1,929 currently married men and women from 24 villages. We used cross-tabulations as well as multivariate logistic regressions to estimate the ethnic and gender differences in MV. Data revealed that women were widely exposed to different types of MV, while only a few men experienced such abuses. It showed that 95.6% of the women experienced emotional abuse, 63.5% physical abuse, 71.4% sexual abuse, and 50.6% poly-victimization, whereas these rates were quite low among the men (emotional = 9.7%, physical = 0.7%, sexual = 0.1%). No men reported poly-victimization. The odds ratio (OR) for emotional, physical, and sexual MV were respectively, 184.44 (95% CI = 93.65-363.24, p<0.001), 449.23 (95% CI = 181.59-1111.35, p<0.001), and 2789.71(95% CI = 381.36-20407.08, p<0.001) for women compared to men. Data further revealed that matrilineal Garo women experienced less MV (emotional = 90.7%, physical = 53.4%, sexual = 64.0%, poly = 38.8%) than the patrilineal Santal (emotional = 99.4%, physical = 67.3%, sexual = 71.3%, poly = 53.9%) and Bengali women (emotional = 96.6%, physical = 69.6%, sexual = 78.8%, poly = 58.9%). Multivariate regressions also showed that the Bengali society perpetrated more physical (OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.27-2.85, p = 0.002) and sexual (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.34-3.10, p = 0.001) MV than the Garo society. It appears that MV is largely a gendered issue in the country. Though both women and men can be the victims of MV, the nature/extent of victimization noticeably differs according to the social organization. Matrilineal society appears to be less abusive than the patrilineal one. Interventions aimed to prevent domestic violence in rural Bangladesh should take these findings into account.

Project description:This study examined how different forms of childhood family victimization are associated with the attitudinal (not actual action) refusal of wife abuse among women and men in rural Bangladesh. It included 1,929 randomly selected married women and men. Of the sample, 31.3% (Men = 49.3%, Women = 13.5%) attitudinally refused overall wife abuse, 38.5% (Men = 53.2%, Women = 23.8%) refused emotional abuse, 67.0% (Men = 82.5%, Women = 51.6%) refused physical abuse, 78.0% (Men = 88.6%, Women = 67.4%) refused abuse on wife's disobeying family obligations, and 32.3% (Men = 50.3%, Women = 14.6%) refused abuse on challenging male authority. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the odds ratio (ORs) of the attitudinal refusal of overall wife abuse were 1.75 (p = .041) for the childhood non-victims of emotional abuse and 2.31 (p < .001) for the victims of mild emotional abuse, compared to the victims of severe emotional abuse. On the other hand, the ORs of the overall refusal of abuse were 1.84 (p = .031) for the non-victims of physical abuse and 1.29 (p = .465) for the victims of mild physical abuse, compared to the childhood victims of severe physical abuse. Data further revealed that the childhood non-victimization of physical abuse increased all types of attitudinal refusal of wife abuse, e.g., emotional abuse, physical abuse, abuse on disobeying family obligations, and abuse on challenging male authority. Compared to the childhood experiences of severe emotional abuse, data also indicated that childhood exposure to mild emotional abuse might increase the attitudinal refusal of wife abuse on a few issues, e.g., abuse on disobeying family obligations, abuse on challenging male authority, and physical abuse. It appeared that childhood experiences of family victimization greatly influence different types of attitudinal refusal of wife abuse. We argue that the issue of childhood victimization should be brought to the forefront in the discourse. We recommend that state machinery and social welfare agencies should expend significant efforts to stop child abuse within the family and in other areas of society in rural Bangladesh.

Project description:ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptance and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in rural Bangladesh.DesignThis was a cross-sectional study conducted between June and November 2021.SettingThis study was conducted in rural Bangladesh.ParticipantsPeople older than 18 years of age, not pregnant and no history of surgery for the last 3 months were eligible to participate.Primary and secondary outcomesThe primary outcomes were proportions of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and roll-out participation among the rural population. The secondary outcome was identification of correlates which contributed to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and roll-out participation. Χ2 tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify relevant correlates such as sociodemographic factors, clinical conditions and COVID-19-related factors.ResultsA total of 1603 participants were enrolled. The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was very high (1521/1601, 95%), and half of the participants received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Majority of participants wanted to keep others safe (89%) and agreed to the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines (88%). To fulfil the requirement of online registration for the vaccine at the time, 62% of participants had to visit an internet café and only 31% downloaded the app. Over half (54%) of participants were unaware of countries they knew and trust to produce the COVID-19 vaccine. Increased age, being housewives, underweight and undergraduate education level were associated with vaccine acceptance, while being female, increased age and being overweight/obese were associated with vaccine uptake. Trust in the health department and practical knowledge regarding COVID-19 vaccines were positively associated with both vaccine acceptance and uptake.ConclusionThis study found a very high COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in rural Bangladesh. Policymakers should support interventions aimed at increasing vaccine and general health literacy and ensure ongoing vaccine supply and improvement of infrastructure in rural areas.

Project description:BackgroundMother-to-child transmission (MTCT) is one of the main transmission routes of HIV, and the probability of MTCT can be dramatically reduced with comprehensive interventions. In southwest and western regions in China, the level of development in rural areas is relatively backwards and retains some original features, which also increases the difficulty of controlling infectious diseases. The Liangshan Prefecture started the prevention of MTCT programme in 2009. However, the implementation of the programme is not ideal, and the coverage of HIV testing is still low. Many Yi (local major ethnicity) women did not take antenatal care (ANC) and just gave birth to their babies at home for a variety of reasons.MethodsWomen with pregnancy history in the last 5 years were recruited from two townships based on cluster sampling. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data. Descriptive analysis was performed to describe demographic characteristics, history of pregnancy and ANC uptake, knowledge of and attitudes towards ANC. Multivariable analysis was used to identify factors associated with uptake of ANC.ResultsAmong 538 women who completed the questionnaires, 77.9% knew that ANC was necessary during and after pregnancy. However, only 24.2% actually accessed ANC. Almost all women (94.6%) expressed their willingness to receive ANC for pregnancy but barriers towards actual uptake of ANC existed including shyness, lack of independence and unavoidable cost. Multivariate analysis showed that no experience of living outside of Zhaojue for more than 6 months, higher number of births, not knowing the necessity of ANC during pregnancy and not knowing the government's promotion policies for ANC were associated with lack of ANC uptake.ConclusionAlthough ethnic minority women in rural Liangshan expressed strong intention to use ANC, actual uptake of ANC was low. Knowledge of ANC and HIV prevention for MTCT should be improved among this population, and efforts should be made to help them overcome barriers to accessing ANC.

Project description:BackgroundThe indigenous Garo is a close-knit matrilineal-matrilocal community. This community's expectant mothers receive less antepartum biomedical care, making them prone to maternal mortality. This study developed a conceptual framework to explore how the external environment, personal predispositions, enabling components and perceived antepartum care needs influence and generate a gap in antepartum biomedical care uptake.MethodsThe author used qualitative data from the study area. The data were collected through conducting 24 semi-structured interviews with purposively selected Garo women. After transcribing the data, the author generated the themes, grouped them into two broader domains, and analyzed them using the grounded theory approach.ResultsThe emergent themes suggest adding the external environment (i.e., healthcare facilities' availability and services and culturally relevant healthcare services) to Anderson's behavioral model to understand indigenous women's antepartum care uptake disparity. Antepartum care uptake disparities arise when Andersen's behavioral model's other three drivers-personal predisposition, enabling components, and needs components-interact with the external environment. The interplay between enabling resources and the external environment is the conduit by which their predispositions and perceived needs are shaped and, thus, generate a disparity in antepartum care uptake. The data demonstrate that enabling resources include gendered power dynamics in families, home composition and income, men's spousal role, community practices of maternal health, and mother groups' and husbands' knowledge. Birth order, past treatment, late pregnancy, and healthcare knowledge are predispositions. According to data, social support, home-based care, mental health well-being, cultural norms and rituals, doctors' friendliness, affordable care, and transportation costs are perceived needs.ConclusionsGaro family members (mothers/in-laws and male husbands) should be included in health intervention initiatives to address the problem with effective health education, highlighting the advantages of biomedical antepartum care. Health policymakers should ensure the availability of nearby and culturally appropriate pregnancy care services.

Project description:Objectives To explore the perspectives of ethnic minority community leaders in relation to: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their communities; and their community’s perception, understanding and adherence to government guidelines on COVID-19 public health measures. Design A phenomenological approach was adopted using qualitative semistructured interviews. Settings Community organisations and places of worships in the West Midlands, England. Participants Community leaders recruited through organisations representing ethnic minority communities and religious places of worship. Results A total of 19 participants took part. Participants alluded to historical and structural differences for the observed disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Many struggled with lockdown measures which impeded cultural and religious gatherings that were deemed to be integral to the community. Cultural and social practices led to many suffering on their own as discussion of mental health was still deemed a taboo within many communities. Many expressed their community’s reluctance to report symptoms for the fear of financial and physical health implications. They reported increase in hate crime which was deemed to be exacerbated due to perceived insensitive messaging from authority officials and historical racism in the society. Access and adherence to government guidelines was an issue for many due to language and digital barriers. Reinforcement from trusted community and religious leaders encouraged adherence. Points of support such as food banks were vital in ensuring essential supplies during the pandemic. Many could not afford or have access to masks and sanitisers. Conclusion The study highlights the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ethnic minority communities. Government agencies and public health agencies need to integrate with the community, and community leaders can enable dissemination of key messages to deliver targeted yet sensitive public health advice which incorporates cultural and religious practices. Addressing the root causes of disparities is imperative to mitigate current and future pandemics.

Project description:Background:Vitamin D deficiency is common among women of reproductive age (WRA) in Bangladesh, but the causes remain unclear. Objective:To explain the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in WRA in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we compared the vitamin D status of pregnant women with that of their husbands and between pregnant and nonpregnant states. Methods:This study was an observational substudy of the Maternal Vitamin D for Infant Growth trial conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Women (n = 1300) were enrolled in the second trimester of pregnancy and randomly assigned to 1 of 5 arms consisting of different doses of vitamin D supplements or placebo, with 1 arm continuing supplementation until 6 mo postpartum. A subgroup of trial participants and their husbands with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration measurements (n = 84), and placebo-group trial participants with serum 25(OH)D measured in the second trimester of pregnancy and 6 mo postpartum (n = 89) were studied using linear mixed-effects regression models. Results:The mean ± SD plasma 25(OH)D in pregnant women in the second trimester was 23 ± 11 nmol/L. Adjusting for age and season, 25(OH)D of pregnant women was 30 nmol/L lower (95% CI: -36, -25 nmol/L) than that of men. Only 9% of total variance in 25(OH)D was explained by factors shared by spousal pairs. Selected nonshared factors (BMI, time spent outdoors, involvement in an outdoor job, sunscreen use) did not explain the association of sex with 25(OH)D. Adjusting for age, season, and BMI, 25(OH)D was similar during pregnancy and 6 mo postpartum (mean difference: -2.4 nmol/L; 95% CI: -5.3, 0.4 nmol/L). Conclusions:In Dhaka, WRA have substantially poorer vitamin D status than men. Variation in 25(OH)D is not greatly influenced by determinants shared by spouses. Measured nonshared characteristics or pregnancy did not account for the gender differential in 25(OH)D. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01924013.

Dataset Information

Differences in the acceptance of wife abuse among ethnic minority Garo and Santal and mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh.

Publications

Differences in the acceptance of wife abuse among ethnic minority Garo and Santal and mainstream Bengali communities in rural Bangladesh.

Similar Datasets

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