Malabika Sarker
http://hdl.handle.net/10361/7215
2024-03-29T14:58:37Z
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Utilization of mobile phones for accessing menstrual regulation services among low-income women in Bangladesh: a qualitative analysis
http://hdl.handle.net/10361/9672
Utilization of mobile phones for accessing menstrual regulation services among low-income women in Bangladesh: a qualitative analysis
Messinger, Chelsea Jordan; Mahmud, Ilias; Kanan, Sushama; Jahangir, Yamin Tauseef; Sarker, Malabika; Rashid, Sabina Faiz
Background: As many as one-third of all pregnancies in Bangladesh are unplanned, with nearly one-half of these pregnancies ending in either menstrual regulation (MR) or illegal clandestine abortion. Although MR is provided free of charge, or at a nominal cost, through the public sector and various non-profits organizations, many women face barriers in accessing safe, affordable MR and post-MR care. Mobile health (mHealth) services present a promising platform for increasing access to MR among low-income women at risk for clandestine abortion. We sought to investigate the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding mHealth of both MR clients and formal and informal sexual and reproductive healthcare providers in urban and rural low-income settlements in Bangladesh. Methods: A total of 58 interviews were conducted with MR clients, formal MR providers, and informal MR providers in four low-income settlements in the Dhaka and Sylhet districts of Bangladesh. Interview data was coded and qualitatively analysed for themes using standard qualitative research practices. Results: Our findings suggest that low-income MR clients in Bangladesh have an inadequate understanding of how to use their mobile phones to obtain health service information or counselling related to MR, and correspondingly low levels of formal or informal mHealth service utilization. Few were aware of any formal mHealth services in place in their communities, despite the fact that providers stated that hotlines were available. Overall, MR clients expressed positive opinions of mHealth services as a means of improving women's access to affordable and timely MR. Formal and informal MR providers believed that mobile phones had benefits with respect to information dissemination and making appointments, but emphasized the necessity of in-person consultations for effective sexual and reproductive healthcare. Conclusions: We report low utilization yet high acceptability of mHealth services among low-income MR clients in Bangladesh. Expanding formal and informal mHealth services targeted towards MR - and increasing publicity of these services in low-income communities - may help increase timely access to accurate MR information and formal providers among women at risk for clandestine abortion. While expanding formal and informal mHealth services for SRHR in Bangladesh may be useful in disseminating information about MR and connecting women with formal providers, in-person visits remain necessary for adequate treatment.
This article was published in the Reproductive Health [© 2017 The Author(s).] and the definitive version is available at: http://doi.org/110.1186/s12978-016-0274-1 The Journal's website is at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28088232
2017-01-14T00:00:00Z
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Cultural attitudes toward postpartum depression in Dhaka, Bangladesh
http://hdl.handle.net/10361/9625
Cultural attitudes toward postpartum depression in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Williams, Anaise; Sarker, Malabika; Ferdous, Syeda Tahmina
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, yet in many cultures, it remains unaddressed and unacknowledged. Postpartum depression is particularly delicate because of its association with gender and expectations of motherhood. This ethnographic study in Dhaka, Bangladesh sought to understand local perceptions of postpartum depression and cultural influences around mental health care seeking. The results describe the role of culture and stigma in the conceptualization of mental health within both the community and medical spheres. Mental health continues to be unacknowledged and neglected in Bangladeshi communities. We recommend community-based psychosocial programming for new mothers living in slums.
This article was published in the Medical Anthropology: Cross-Cultural Studies in Health and Illness [© 2017 Taylor & Francis] and the definitive version is available at: http://doi.org/10.1080/01459740.2017.1318875 The Journal's website is at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01459740.2017.1318875
2017-05-15T00:00:00Z
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Perceptions of quality across the maternal care continuum in the context of a health financing intervention: Evidence from a mixed methods study in rural Malawi
http://hdl.handle.net/10361/9624
Perceptions of quality across the maternal care continuum in the context of a health financing intervention: Evidence from a mixed methods study in rural Malawi
Kambala, Christabel; Lohmann, Julia; Mazalale, Jacob; Brenner, Stephan; Sarker, Malabika; Muula, Adamson Sinjani; De Allegri, Manuela
Background: In 2013, Malawi with its development partners introduced a Results-Based Financing for Maternal and Newborn Health (RBF4MNH) intervention to improve the quality of maternal and newborn health-care services. Financial incentives are awarded to health facilities conditional on their performance and to women for delivering in the health facility. We assessed the effect of the RBF4MNH on quality of care from women's perspectives. Methods: We used a mixed-method prospective sequential controlled pre- and post-test design. We conducted 3060 structured client exit interviews, 36 in-depth interviews and 29 focus group discussions (FGDs) with women and 24 in-depth interviews with health service providers between 2013 and 2015. We used difference-in-differences regression models to measure the effect of the RBF4MNH on experiences and perceived quality of care. We used qualitative data to explore the matter more in depth. Results: We did not observe a statistically significant effect of the intervention on women's perceptions of technical care, quality of amenities and interpersonal relations. However, in the qualitative interviews, most women reported improved health service provision as a result of the intervention. RBF4MNH increased the proportion of women reporting to have received medications/treatment during childbirth. Participants in interviews expressed that drugs, equipment and supplies were readily available due to the RBF4MNH. However, women also reported instances of neglect, disrespect and verbal abuse during the process of care. Providers attributed these negative instances to an increased workload resulting from an increased number of women seeking services at RBF4MNH facilities. Conclusion: Our qualitative findings suggest improvements in the availability of drugs and supplies due to RBF4MNH. Despite the intervention, challenges in the provision of quality care persisted, especially with regard to interpersonal relations. RBF interventions may need to consider including indicators that specifically target the provision of respectful maternity care as a means to foster providers' positive attitudes towards women in labour. In parallel, governments should consider enhancing staff and infrastructural capacity before implementing RBF.
This article was published in the BMC Health Services Research [© 2017 BioMed Central Ltd.] and the definitive version is available at: http://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-017-2329-6 The Journal's website is at: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-017-2329-6
2017-06-08T00:00:00Z
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Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Asia: a systematic review
http://hdl.handle.net/10361/9604
Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Asia: a systematic review
Hossain, Mohammad Didar; Ahmed, Helal Uddin; Jalal Uddin, M. M.; Chowdhury, Waziul Alam; Iqbal, Mohammad Shamim; Kabir, Razin Iqbal; Chowdhury, Imran Ahmed; Aftab, Afzal; Datta, Pran Gopal; Rabbani, Golam; Hossain, Saima Wazed; Sarker, Malabika
Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The prevalence of ASD in many South Asian countries is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review available epidemiological studies of ASD in this region to identify gaps in our current knowledge. Methods: We searched, collected and evaluated articles published between January 1962 and July 2016 which reported the prevalence of ASD in eight South Asian countries. The search was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines. Results: We identified six articles from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka which met our predefined inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of ASD in South Asia ranged from 0.09% in India to 1.07% in Sri Lanka that indicates up to one in 93 children have ASD in this region. Alarmingly high prevalence (3%) was reported in Dhaka city. Study sample sizes ranged from 374 in Sri Lanka to 18,480 in India. The age range varied between 1 and 30 years. No studies were found which reported the prevalence of ASD in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. This review identifies methodological differences in case definition, screening instruments and diagnostic criteria among reported three countries which make it very difficult to compare the studies. Conclusions: Our study is an attempt at understanding the scale of the problem and scarcity of information regarding ASD in the South Asia. This study will contribute to the evidence base needed to design further research and make policy decisions on addressing this issue in this region. Knowing the prevalence of ASD in South Asia is vital to ensure the effective allocation of resources and services.
This article was published in the BMC Psychiatry [© 2017 The Author(s)] and the definitive version is available at : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1440-x The Journal's website is at https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-017-1440-x
2017-08-01T00:00:00Z