Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers
The rapid growth of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has transformed the country’s economy while also employing a predominantly female workforce. Companies have begun collaborating with NGOs to provide health messages to and expand health services for workers. This study evaluates the effect o...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2021.1991116 |
| _version_ | 1798014764871319552 |
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| author | Sara Chace Dwyer Md Irfan Hossain Ashish Bajracharya Aparna Jain |
| author_facet | Sara Chace Dwyer Md Irfan Hossain Ashish Bajracharya Aparna Jain |
| author_sort | Sara Chace Dwyer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid growth of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has transformed the country’s economy while also employing a predominantly female workforce. Companies have begun collaborating with NGOs to provide health messages to and expand health services for workers. This study evaluates the effect of the Health Enables Return (HER) health model’s approach of using peer health educators to deliver health messages and increased availability of health products. Using repeated cross-sectional data from female workers in HERhealth and comparison factories between May 2015 and March 2017, baseline (n = 1704) and endline (n = 1503) samples were matched on eight characteristics and then difference-in-differences estimations were used to determine the effect of the HERhealth model on knowledge and behaviours. The average changes over time in knowledge and behaviours were statistically different between the HERhealth and comparison factories. Knowledge of when a woman is at higher risk for pregnancy during her menstrual cycle increased from baseline to endline in both groups but was 12 percentage points greater in the HERhealth factories than in the comparison. An increase in family planning use among ever-married women was observed in the HERhealth factories but decreased in the comparison factories leading to a 12 percentage point difference-in-differences. The greatest effect of the HERhealth model was observed on women’s use of sanitary products for menstrual management which significantly increased in both groups, but the increase was 35% greater in the HERhealth factories. The HERhealth model is effective in increasing knowledge and in improving health behaviours when health products are available in factory infirmaries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:23:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-57abb81fba064334a3b8e6151578a3a3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2641-0397 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:23:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters |
| spelling | doaj.art-57abb81fba064334a3b8e6151578a3a32022-12-22T04:16:19ZengTaylor & Francis GroupSexual and Reproductive Health Matters2641-03972022-01-0129210.1080/26410397.2021.19911161991116Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workersSara Chace Dwyer0Md Irfan Hossain1Ashish Bajracharya2Aparna Jain3Population CouncilPopulation CouncilPopulation CouncilPopulation CouncilThe rapid growth of Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sector has transformed the country’s economy while also employing a predominantly female workforce. Companies have begun collaborating with NGOs to provide health messages to and expand health services for workers. This study evaluates the effect of the Health Enables Return (HER) health model’s approach of using peer health educators to deliver health messages and increased availability of health products. Using repeated cross-sectional data from female workers in HERhealth and comparison factories between May 2015 and March 2017, baseline (n = 1704) and endline (n = 1503) samples were matched on eight characteristics and then difference-in-differences estimations were used to determine the effect of the HERhealth model on knowledge and behaviours. The average changes over time in knowledge and behaviours were statistically different between the HERhealth and comparison factories. Knowledge of when a woman is at higher risk for pregnancy during her menstrual cycle increased from baseline to endline in both groups but was 12 percentage points greater in the HERhealth factories than in the comparison. An increase in family planning use among ever-married women was observed in the HERhealth factories but decreased in the comparison factories leading to a 12 percentage point difference-in-differences. The greatest effect of the HERhealth model was observed on women’s use of sanitary products for menstrual management which significantly increased in both groups, but the increase was 35% greater in the HERhealth factories. The HERhealth model is effective in increasing knowledge and in improving health behaviours when health products are available in factory infirmaries.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2021.1991116workplace programminggarment sectorworker healthfamily planningsexual and reproductive healthmenstrual hygienedifference-in-differences |
| spellingShingle | Sara Chace Dwyer Md Irfan Hossain Ashish Bajracharya Aparna Jain Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters workplace programming garment sector worker health family planning sexual and reproductive health menstrual hygiene difference-in-differences |
| title | Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers |
| title_full | Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers |
| title_fullStr | Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers |
| title_short | Reaching women at work with health programming in Bangladesh: results of difference-in-differences analysis among female factory workers |
| title_sort | reaching women at work with health programming in bangladesh results of difference in differences analysis among female factory workers |
| topic | workplace programming garment sector worker health family planning sexual and reproductive health menstrual hygiene difference-in-differences |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2021.1991116 |
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