Socioeconomic and Demographic Disparities in Knowledge of Reproductive Healthcare among Female University Students in Bangladesh.
BACKGROUND
Reproductive health (RH) is a critical component of women's health and overall well-being around the world, especially in developing countries. We examine the factors that determine knowledge of RH care among female university students in Bangladesh.


METHODS
Data on 300 female students were collected from Rajshahi University, Bangladesh through a structured questionnaire using purposive sampling technique. The data were used for univariate analysis, to carry out the description of the variables; bivariate analysis was used to examine the associations between the variables; and finally, multivariate analysis (binary logistic regression model) was used to examine and fit the model and interpret the parameter estimates, especially in terms of odds ratios.


RESULTS
The results revealed that more than one-third (34.3%) respondents do not have sufficient knowledge of RH care. The χ (2)-test identified the significant (p < 0.05) associations between respondents' knowledge of RH care with respondents' age, education, family type, watching television; and knowledge about pregnancy, family planning, and contraceptive use. Finally, the binary logistic regression model identified respondents' age, education, family type; and knowledge about family planning, and contraceptive use as the significant (p < 0.05) predictors of RH care.
Knowledge of RH care among female university students was found unsatisfactory. Government and concerned organizations should promote and strengthen various health education programs to focus on RH care especially for the female university students in Bangladesh.
Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
Md Nazrul
MN
Islam Mondal
Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
Md Monzur Morshad
MM
Nasir Ullah
Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
Md Nuruzzaman
MN
Khan
Department of Social Work, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
Mohammad Zamirul
MZ
Islam
Department of Statistics, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh.
Md Nurul
MN
Islam
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Rajshahi Medical College, Rajshahi 6200, Bangladesh.
Sabiha Yasmin
SY
Moni
Hobby Center for Public Policy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-5021, USA.
Md Nazrul
MN
Hoque
Population Council, Gulshan, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh.
Md Mashiur
MM
Rahman
Bangladesh; Contraceptive Use; Family Planning; Female University Students; Reproductive Health Care; Women’s Health