title: Relationship between income generating activities of rural women and their reproductive health behavior in Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of the study was to find out the effects of income generating activities of rural women and their reproductive health behavior (contraceptive use) in Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study using a multi-stage sampling technique was carried out among 200 married rural women in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire on socioeconomic factors, income generating activities, women's empowerment in mobility, decision making and reproductive health behavior in terms of contraceptive use, number of children and desire for more children. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between income generating activities and contraceptive use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost half (45.5%) of the participants were involved in income generating activities. A great majority (63.9%) worked year-round, two-thirds (75.0%) earned cash for their family and 21.3% were engaged in poultry farms. Women aged 26-35 years, members of any non-governmental organization and from a poor family were more likely to be engaged in income generating activities (≤0.001). Highly educated women worked more than their less educated counterparts and the opposite was true for their husbands (≤0.001). Almost half of the women (45.0%) did not use any contraceptive. Contraceptive use was significantly higher among working women (73.4%) than with non-working women (33.0%). Women engaged in income generating activities were more likely to use contraceptives compared to non-working women (odds ratio 5.6, 95% confidence interval 3.1-7.0, ≤0.001).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Income generating activities seem to empower women, increase their likelihood of using contraception and are one of the key issues for changing the life of rural women in Bangladesh.
authors.affiliation: Center for Control of Chronic Diseases, icddr,b, 68, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. shariful.islam@icddrb.org.
authors.forename: Sheikh Mohammed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shariful Islam
authors.affiliation: Center for Communicable Diseases, icddr,b, 68, Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Sarani, Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh. akm_mainuddin@icddrb.org.
authors.forename: Akm
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mainuddin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001459:Bangladesh; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012945:Social Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014933:Women's Rights; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asia; Health Promotion; Health Scientist; Sexual Health; Women's Health