Dataset Information

Gender specific differences in COVID-19 knowledge, behavior and health effects among adolescents and young adults in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

ABSTRACT: On March 24, 2020 India implemented a national lockdown to prevent spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among its 1.3 billion people. As the pandemic may disproportionately impact women and girls, this study examines gender differences in knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and preventive behaviors, as well as the adverse effects of the lockdown among adolescents and young adults. A mobile phone-based survey was implemented from April 3-22, 2020 in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among respondents randomly selected from an existing cohort study. Respondents answered questions related to demographics, COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and preventive behaviors practiced, and impacts on social, economic and health outcomes. Descriptive analyses and linear probability regression models were performed for all participants and separately for men and women. A total of 1,666 adolescents and young adults (18-24 years old) were surveyed; 70% were women. While most participants had high awareness of disease symptoms and preventive behaviors, there was variation by gender. Compared to men, women were seven percentage points (pp) less likely to know the main symptoms of COVID-19 (coeff = -0.071; 95% confidence interval: -0.122 - -0.021). Among women, there was variation in knowledge by education level, urban residence, and household wealth. Women were 22 pp less likely to practice key preventive behaviors compared to men (coeff = -0.222; 95% CIL -0.263, -0.181). Women were also more likely to report recent depressive symptoms than men (coeff = 0.057; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.109). Our findings underscore that COVID-19 is already disproportionately impacting adolescent girls and young women and that they may require additional targeted, gender-sensitive messaging to foster behavior change. Gender-sensitive information campaigns and provision of health services must be accessible and provide women and girls with needed resources and support during the pandemic to ensure gains in public health and gender equity are not lost.

SUBMITTER: Pinchoff J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7746145 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Gender specific differences in COVID-19 knowledge, behavior and health effects among adolescents and young adults in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

Pinchoff Jessie J Santhya K G KG White Corinne C Rampal Shilpi S Acharya Rajib R Ngo Thoai D TD

PloS one 20201217 12

On March 24, 2020 India implemented a national lockdown to prevent spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among its 1.3 billion people. As the pandemic may disproportionately impact women and girls, this study examines gender differences in knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and preventive behaviors, as well as the adverse effects of the lockdown among adolescents and young adults. A mobile phone-based survey was implemented from April 3-22, 2020 in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar among responde ...[more]

PMID: 33332461

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Project description:BackgroundPoor nutritional status and educational outcomes are associated with adverse health consequences throughout the life course.ObjectivesWe examined the associations of sex, iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation, deworming, and dietary diversity with nutritional status and learning outcomes among Indian adolescents.MethodsData of 12 035 adolescents from two rounds (2015-16 and 2018-19) of the Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults surveys in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India were used. Multivariate linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate the prospective relationships of explanatory variables in the first round of the survey with nutritional status (ie, hemoglobin, BMI- and height-for-age z-scores, and incidence of anemia, stunting, and underweight) and learning outcomes (ie, reading proficiency, math proficiency, and school dropout) in the second round of the survey. The multivariable models were adjusted for a range of confounders, clustering by the population sampling unit and sampling weights.ResultsGirls had a lower hemoglobin (adjusted mean difference (aMD) = -2.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -2.20, -1.94; P < 0.001) and height-for-age z-score (aMD = -0.45; 95% CI = -0.53, -0.38; P < 0.001) and higher BMI-for-age z-score (aMD = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.27, 0.44; P < 0.001) compared to boys. Girls had poorer reading (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.70, 0.95; P = 0.01) and math proficiency (adjusted odds ratio aOR = 0.36; 95% CI = 0.31, 0.42; P < 0.001), and increased risk of school dropout (aOR = 1.65; 95% CI = 1.40, 1.95; P < 0.001) than boys. Receiving IFA tablets was not significantly associated with hemoglobin levels of adolescents overall, however we noted a significant beneficial relationship among girls (aMD = 0.41; 95% CI = 0.00, 0.82) but not among boys (aMD = 0.02; 95% CI = -0.38, 0.43) (P for interaction = 0.09). Receiving IFA tablets was positively associated with reading proficiency (aOR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.07, 2.01; P = 0.02), math proficiency (aOR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.16, 1.98; P < 0.001) and a reduced risk of school dropout (aOR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.54, 0.96; P = 0.03). Deworming was not associated with nutritional status and learning outcomes. Diverse dietary intake was positively associated with hemoglobin, height-for-age z-score and math proficiency, and a reduced risk of school dropout in adolescents.ConclusionIntegrated nutritional and health interventions and strengthening the existing nutrition supplementation program are critical to address adolescents' nutritional needs and improve educational outcomes.

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Dataset Information

Gender specific differences in COVID-19 knowledge, behavior and health effects among adolescents and young adults in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

Publications

Gender specific differences in COVID-19 knowledge, behavior and health effects among adolescents and young adults in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, India.

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