Study Overview

In Bangladesh, adolescents, ages 10-19 years constitute over one-fifth of the total population. This large cohort of adolescents have special health needs, particularly in the area of sexual and reproductive health (SRH). However, SRH being a taboo topic in Bangladesh, is inadequately addressed by schools and families, leading to unmet SRH needs and adverse SRH outcomes among adolescents. Critical information on how different lifestyle factors change during adolescence as they grow-up and impact their SRHR outcomes, particularly among unmarried and early adolescents, is lacking in Bangladesh Adolescents Health and Wellbeing Survey (BAHWS) 2019-20 and a few other small-scale studies. So, to understand the SRH-related disease burden, risk factors and health outcomes among unmarried male and female adolescents and to generate evidence to inform policy and programmes current study is being taken. It was proposed to conduct a community-based observational prospective cohort study, using an existing demographic surveillance system of icddr,b situated in Baliakandi upazilla of Razbari district. The study will enrol 2500 unmarried male and female adolescents and will follow them for 24 months. To take into account the age, temporal and gender effects on adolescent knowledge, attitude and behaviours, we will include male and female adolescents, from three different age groups – 12 years, 14 years and 16 years. For females, three age cohorts (12, 14 and 16 years), will be taken whereas for males two age cohorts (14 and 16 years) will be considered. In each age cohort, 500 samples, a total of 2500 samples will be taken. Data will be collected every four-months (yearly in some cases) to document the SRH disease burden, and knowledge, attitude and practice on selected SRHR indicators and their changes over time. The study includes numerous measures across a spectrum of topics related to SRH of adolescents, including menstruation, mental health, violence, physical activity, nutrition, social connectedness and health information and service utilization patterns.