Health and wellbeing of indigenous older adults living in the tea gardens of Bangladesh

Abstract

Background There are currently 1.5 million indigenous people in Bangladesh, constituting 1.8% of the total population and representing one of the country’s most deprived communities. This study explores the health status and quality of life along with their determinants among indigenous older people in Bangladesh in order to fill the knowledge and evidence gap on this topic. Methods A mixed-methods approach was deployed in October 2019 in the Sylhet division of Bangladesh which involved a cross-sectional survey among 400 indigenous older adults (200 males, 200 females) from 8 tea gardens using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Ten in-depth interviews were also conducted with providers of the tea garden health facilities. Descriptive analysis, multiple logistic and multi-nominal linear regression were performed to explore associated factors around health and quality of life. Results Of the total respondents, the majority (79.5%) had chronic diseases, with visual difficulty being predominant (74%) among the conditions. Almost all (94%) of the respondents experienced delays in receiving treatment and poverty was identified by most (85%) as the primary cause of those delays. Extreme age, being male, living alone and low family income were significantly associated with suffering from chronic conditions. Furthermore, having a chronic condition and extreme age were found to be significantly associated with a low quality of life. Health service providers identified lack of logistical support in the health facilities, the economic crisis and lack of awareness as the major causes of poor health status and poor health seeking behaviour of the indigenous older adults. Conclusion Indigenous older men in extreme old age are more vulnerable to adverse health conditions and poor quality of life. Health literacy and health seeking behaviour is poor among indigenous older adults generally and there is a huge gap in the health services and social supports available to them.

Modifications of Traditional Formulas to Estimate and Project Dependency Ratios and Their Implications in a Developing Country, Bangladesh

“…However, there are other small-scale surveys on older adults (≥ 60 years) which have been addressing aging and health aspects in Bangladesh (Tareque et al, 2013 a, 2013b ; Tareque et al, 2014 , 2015a , 2015b ). These studies showed the prevalence of multimorbidity in older adults ranges from 56 to 80%, with hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and visual impairment being predominant (Rahman et al, 2021 ; Sara et al, 2018 ). Women (versus men) reported a higher disability, with 34.8% of women aged 60–64 years with at least one disability (Tareque et al, 2017 , 2013a , 2013b ).…”

Prevalence and determinants of antibiotics self-medication among indigenous people of Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

“…These ethnic groups have long maintained isolation from the general population, putting them at a disadvantage in obtaining healthcare facilities. As a consequence, their overall health status remains poorer compared with non-indigenous people 34–36. There is not sufficient information regarding antibiotics usage, including SMA, among this community of more than 2 million people.…”

Exploring barriers to accessing healthcare services for older indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tract, Bangladesh

“…Through a comprehensive literature review, we found several relevant studies on healthcare challenges faced by indigenous populations in Bangladesh. These included research by Saha et al (2022) [43] , on the prevalence of self-medication and its impact among indigenous communities in the Chittagong hill track area, Rahman et al (2021) [44] , on the health status and quality of life of older indigenous individuals in the Sylhet region, studies on the challenges of maternal healthcare access for indigenous women [45] and research by Lewis and Myhra (2018) on healthcare disparities in rural areas affecting indigenous populations [46] .…”