Socio-economic inequality in anaemia among men in India: a study based on cross-sectional data

Ram

PLOS Glob Public Health

et al. 2022

Anaemia among men is a significant health issue which has not been given due importance. Only a handful of studies have captured the prevalence of anaemia among men. There is dearth of evidence base on anaemia among men in India. Therefore, this study attempts to fill this research gap by examining the socioeconomic, geographic, health-related, and behavioural differentials of anaemia among rural men in India. We analysed a cross-sectional sample of 61,481 men aged between 15–54 and living in rural areas from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), conducted in 2019–21. Bivariate statistics and multivariable logistic regression were employed to assess the factors associated with anaemia. In rural India, three out of ten men were found to be anaemic. Older men [49–54 years] (Odds Ratio: 1.10, 95% CI, 1.00–1.21), men without a formal education (OR: 1.36, 95% CI, 1.26–1.47), those from Scheduled Tribes (OR: 1.48, 95% CI, 1.39–1.58) and men who belonged to the poorest wealth quintile (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.25–1.35) had a higher risk of anaemia. Men who were underweight were more likely to be anaemic (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.30–1.43). When compared to the central region, men from the eastern (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.39–1.55) parts of India had higher a risk of anaemia. The findings suggest the need to recognise anaemia among men as a public health issue. When developing policy, significant variation in socioeconomic, geographic, health-related, and behavioural factors must be taken into account. Men should also be screened on a regular basis in order to reduce the national burden of anaemia.

Section: Plos Global Public Healthsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and determinants of anaemia among men in rural India: Evidence from a nationally representative survey

Ram

PLOS Glob Public Health

et al. 2022

“…On the y-axis, the cumulative proportion of outcome variables (cognitive impairment) is plotted against the increasing percentage of the population ranked by the socioeconomic indicator (wealth index) on the x-axis to generate the concentration curve [ 38 ]. Such curves show whether or not socioeconomic inequality in the outcome variable (on the x-axis) prevails, with the index value being negative if the curve is above the line of equality (45-degree line), indicating that the outcome variable is disproportionally concentrated among the poor, and vice versa [ 39 , 40 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing socioeconomic inequalities in cognitive impairment among older adults: a study based on a cross-sectional survey in India

2022

Background The rapidly aging population is a major concern for countries, especially where cognitive health in older age is poor. The study examined the socioeconomic and health-related factors associated with cognitive impairment among older adults and the contribution of those factors to the concentration of low cognitive functioning among older adults from economically poor households. Methods Data this study were derived from the “Building Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India” (BKPAI) survey, which was carried out in seven major states of India. The effective sample size for the analysis was 9176 older adults aged 60 years and above. Results from descriptive and bivariate analysis were reported in the initial stage. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the associations. Additionally, the concentration index and concentration curve were used to measure socioeconomic inequality in cognitive impairment among older adults. Wagstaff decomposition was employed to explore the key contributors in the concentration index. Results Nearly 60% of older adults suffered from cognitive impairment in the study. The likelihood of cognitive impairment were higher among older adults with a low level of self-perceived income sufficiency [coefficient: 0.29; confidence interval (CI): 0.07- 0.52] compared to older adults with higher levels of perceived income status. Older adults with more than 10 years of schooling were less likely to be cognitively impaired [coefficient: -1.27; CI: − 1.50- -1.04] in comparison to those with no education. Cognitive impairment was concentrated among older adults from households with the lowest wealth quintile (concentration index (CCI): − 0.10: p < 0.05). Educational status explained 44.6% of socioeconomic inequality, followed by 31.8% by wealth status and 11.5% by psychological health. Apart from these factors, difficulty in instrumental activities of daily living (3.7%), caste (3.7%), and perceived income sufficiency to fulfil basic needs (3.0%) explained socioeconomic inequality in cognitive impairment among older adults. Conclusions Findings suggest that older adults with lower perceived income, lower levels of education, poor physical and mental health, and poor physical and social resources were more likely to be cognitively impaired. Education, wealth and psychological health are major contributors in socioeconomic inequality in late-life cognitive impairment, which may be target areas in future policy formulation to reduce the inequality in cognitive impairment in older Indian adults.

“…The range of C-index lies between − 1 to + 1. If the curve displays above the line of equality, the value of C-index is negative and indicates a disproportionally concentration of inequality among the poor [ 45 , 46 ]. If the curve falls below the line of equality, the value of C-index is positive, demonstrating a disproportionally concentrated inequality among the rich.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of low birth weight and its associated determinants in Bangladesh

Alam

Islam²,

Maniruzzaman³

et al. 2022

PLoS ONE

Background and objective Low birth weight (LBW) is a major risk factor of child mortality and morbidity during infancy (0–3 years) and early childhood (3–8 years) in low and lower-middle-income countries, including Bangladesh. LBW is a vital public health concern in Bangladesh. The objective of the research was to investigate the socioeconomic inequality in the prevalence of LBW among singleton births and identify the significantly associated determinants of singleton LBW in Bangladesh. Materials and methods The data utilized in this research was derived from the latest nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2017–18, and included a total of 2327 respondents. The concentration index (C-index) and concentration curve were used to investigate the socioeconomic inequality in LBW among the singleton newborn babies. Additionally, an adjusted binary logistic regression model was utilized for calculating adjusted odds ratio and p-value (<0.05) to identify the significant determinants of LBW. Results The overall prevalence of LBW among singleton births in Bangladesh was 14.27%. We observed that LBW rates were inequitably distributed across the socioeconomic groups (C-index: -0.096, 95% confidence interval: [-0.175, -0.016], P = 0.029), with a higher concentration of LBW infants among mothers living in the lowest wealth quintile (poorest). Regression analysis revealed that maternal age, region, maternal education level, wealth index, height, age at 1st birth, and the child’s aliveness (alive or died) at the time of the survey were significantly associated determinants of LBW in Bangladesh. Conclusion In this study, socioeconomic disparity in the prevalence of singleton LBW was evident in Bangladesh. Incidence of LBW might be reduced by improving the socioeconomic status of poor families, paying special attention to mothers who have no education and live in low-income households in the eastern divisions (e.g., Sylhet, Chittagong). Governments, agencies, and non-governmental organizations should address the multifaceted issues and implement preventive programs and policies in Bangladesh to reduce LBW.