title: A Comparative Study on Knowledge about Reproductive Health among Urban and Rural Women of Bangladesh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the level of knowledge on reproductive health among urban and rural women of selected area of Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross-sectional study was undertaken among 200 women selected purposively from different rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. Data were collected using a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire by face to face interview. Knowledge level was analyzed according to poor, moderate and good knowledge by pre-defined knowledge scoring.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age of the respondents was 26 years and majority (66%) of them was housewives. Most of them (61%) had completed their primary level education. Around three-fourth of them belongs to lower-middle income group. Overall level of reproductive health knowledge was more evident among urban reproductive aged women than rural counterparts (p < 0.001). Moreover, significant knowledge gap was found regarding family planning (p = 0.005), care during pregnancy (p < 0.001), safe motherhood (p = 0.002), newborn care (p = 0.009) and birth spacing (p <0.001) between urban and rural women. Family members were the major source of information in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A wide knowledge gap was found between Bangladeshi urban and rural respondents regarding their reproductive behaviors. Government and concerned organizations should promote and strengthen various health education programs to focus on reproductive health, especially among reproductive aged women in rural area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Public Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS) Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Monoarul
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion & Health Education, Bangladesh University of Health Science (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Sharmin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hossain
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Promotion & Health Education, Bangladesh University of Health Science (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Kazi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rumana Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, State University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Taslima
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Hasina Akhter
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive and Child Health, Bangladesh University of Health Sciences (BUHS), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Jesmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Akter
keywords: Knowledge; Reproductive Health