Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract Background Following the mass influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh in 2017, makeshift settlement camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf have been overburdened, leading to livelihood challenges for both Rohingya and host communities. The humanitarian crisis has had adverse effects o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16964-2 |
| _version_ | 1797451202705752064 |
|---|---|
| author | Sameen Nasar A. S. M. Nadim Saifa Raz Abdul Jabbar Muhammad Riaz Hossain Bachera Aktar M Shafiqur Rahman Sabina Faiz Rashid |
| author_facet | Sameen Nasar A. S. M. Nadim Saifa Raz Abdul Jabbar Muhammad Riaz Hossain Bachera Aktar M Shafiqur Rahman Sabina Faiz Rashid |
| author_sort | Sameen Nasar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Following the mass influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh in 2017, makeshift settlement camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf have been overburdened, leading to livelihood challenges for both Rohingya and host communities. The humanitarian crisis has had adverse effects on vulnerable populations, which include older people, persons with disabilities, adolescents, and single female household heads. Using a subset of a larger dataset on households with most vulnerable groups in both communities, we analysed the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on the livelihood of single female household (HH) heads. Methods A cross-sectional household roster survey was designed to collect data from households with most vulnerable groups (MVGs) of host and Rohingya communities from December 2020 to March 2021; 11 host community villages and 10 Rohingya camps purposively selected as per the affiliated intervention of the project. The paper analysed quantitative and qualitative data from the sub-group of single female household heads without any income/low income. Participants were surveyed for their socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19 experiences and knowledge, food security situation, social experiences and mental health using PHQ-2 test for depression. Results We surveyed 432 single female HH heads. Support during the pandemic was reported to be low, with less than 50% of HHs reporting relief meeting their needs; only 36% and 15% of these HHs received rations in camps and host communities respectively. Loan facilities were mostly unavailable and there were reported insufficiencies in food consumption. Over 50% of respondents tested positive on the PHQ-2, a scale used to screen for depression. Further analyses indicates that having a chronic health issue (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.33–3.66) was positively associated with the PHQ-2 score for Rohingya single females. For host single females, having an ill member in the HH (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02–2.08) and the inability to save before the pandemic (OR 1.57 95% CI 1.11–2.23) increased the odds of screening positive for depression. Conclusion Our study findings revealed insufficiencies with economic opportunities and food security for single female-headed households, as well as a high rate of positive screening for depression amongst this population. These findings call for a more in-depth understanding of the needs of this group. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:51:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-89fa50e458a34f288d07b5aa1af0af03 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:51:24Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-89fa50e458a34f288d07b5aa1af0af032023-11-26T14:27:14ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582023-10-0123111410.1186/s12889-023-16964-2Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemicSameen Nasar0A. S. M. Nadim1Saifa Raz2Abdul Jabbar3Muhammad Riaz Hossain4Bachera Aktar5M Shafiqur Rahman6Sabina Faiz Rashid7BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversitySave the ChildrenBRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversityBRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversityBRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversityBRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversityBRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversityBRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC UniversityAbstract Background Following the mass influx of Rohingya refugees into Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh in 2017, makeshift settlement camps in Ukhiya and Teknaf have been overburdened, leading to livelihood challenges for both Rohingya and host communities. The humanitarian crisis has had adverse effects on vulnerable populations, which include older people, persons with disabilities, adolescents, and single female household heads. Using a subset of a larger dataset on households with most vulnerable groups in both communities, we analysed the effect of the pandemic and lockdown on the livelihood of single female household (HH) heads. Methods A cross-sectional household roster survey was designed to collect data from households with most vulnerable groups (MVGs) of host and Rohingya communities from December 2020 to March 2021; 11 host community villages and 10 Rohingya camps purposively selected as per the affiliated intervention of the project. The paper analysed quantitative and qualitative data from the sub-group of single female household heads without any income/low income. Participants were surveyed for their socio-demographic characteristics, COVID-19 experiences and knowledge, food security situation, social experiences and mental health using PHQ-2 test for depression. Results We surveyed 432 single female HH heads. Support during the pandemic was reported to be low, with less than 50% of HHs reporting relief meeting their needs; only 36% and 15% of these HHs received rations in camps and host communities respectively. Loan facilities were mostly unavailable and there were reported insufficiencies in food consumption. Over 50% of respondents tested positive on the PHQ-2, a scale used to screen for depression. Further analyses indicates that having a chronic health issue (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.33–3.66) was positively associated with the PHQ-2 score for Rohingya single females. For host single females, having an ill member in the HH (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02–2.08) and the inability to save before the pandemic (OR 1.57 95% CI 1.11–2.23) increased the odds of screening positive for depression. Conclusion Our study findings revealed insufficiencies with economic opportunities and food security for single female-headed households, as well as a high rate of positive screening for depression amongst this population. These findings call for a more in-depth understanding of the needs of this group.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16964-2Humanitarian crisesHumanitarian healthSingle female household headsLivelihoodMental healthBangladesh |
| spellingShingle | Sameen Nasar A. S. M. Nadim Saifa Raz Abdul Jabbar Muhammad Riaz Hossain Bachera Aktar M Shafiqur Rahman Sabina Faiz Rashid Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic BMC Public Health Humanitarian crises Humanitarian health Single female household heads Livelihood Mental health Bangladesh |
| title | Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the Rohingya and host communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | livelihood challenges of single female household heads in the rohingya and host communities in cox s bazar bangladesh during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Humanitarian crises Humanitarian health Single female household heads Livelihood Mental health Bangladesh |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16964-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sameennasar livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT asmnadim livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT saifaraz livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT abduljabbar livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT muhammadriazhossain livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT bacheraaktar livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT mshafiqurrahman livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic AT sabinafaizrashid livelihoodchallengesofsinglefemalehouseholdheadsintherohingyaandhostcommunitiesincoxsbazarbangladeshduringthecovid19pandemic |