Quality of life (QoL) focuses on a person’s ability to live a fulfilling life. It helps in determining successful aging in the elderly population. Because of a scarcity of information regarding predictors of QoL in the elderly population in developing countries, this study was undertaken to assess the overall QoL and its predictors in the elderly population in an urban setting of Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study, 275 participants were enrolled by systematic sampling at the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data were collected by using a pretested semi-structured standard questionnaire for QoL (OPQOL-35). Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the association between QoL and sociodemographic factors. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to identify predictors of QoL, after controlling for potential confounders. The median age of the participants (n = 275) was 65 years (range, 60 to 85; 25th and 75th percentile, 60 and 68, respectively). The majority (78%) of them were married, and 20% were widowed or divorced. The median score of QoL was 113 (25th and 75th percentile, 101 and 124, respectively). Most of the participants had very poor (bad as can be) or poor (bad) QoL. Only 7.3% were observed to have “good” QoL (scores 140 or more). Females had significantly poorer QoL scores compared to males (p < 0.001). Age, gender, educational status, smoking, and sleep duration significantly predicted QoL in a multiple regression analysis. In conclusion, the QoL of the elderly individuals in Bangladesh was very poor or poor. Future research should focus on service-oriented interventions, especially targeting women. Counseling elderly people to enhance their quality of life may include improving sleep patterns, healthy diets, regular exercise, and caring for their mental health.

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious global health problem contributing significantly to disability and death. No systematic review existed on epidemiology of TBI in South Asia, where accurate data were essential for planning healthcare policy and injury prevention programs. Methods This systematic review adhered to PRISMA guideline and received registration from PROSPERO (CRD42022364511). This review included observational from 1 January 1950 to 28 December 2024. A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar and included studies fulfilling predetermined criteria. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated by Methodological Evaluation of Observational Research (MORE) checklist and result were presented as narrative synthesis. Findings Analysis of 130 studies reported a high incidence of TBI in South Asia primarily from road traffic accidents (RTAs). Prevalence ranged from 8.4% to 95.9%, with elevated case fatality and mortality rates. RTAs, falls and assaults were the leading cause of severe TBI. Adult males aged 21-30 years showed highest risk. Conclusion The results highlighted urgent necessity for standardized case definitions, improved data collection, and strengthened healthcare capacity in South Asia. Further research is required to understand long-term consequences and guide evidence-based public health responses.

Low back pain (LBP) is common among adolescent cricketers, often due to repetitive lumbar stress. This study investigated LBP among 450 adolescent cricketers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh, considering a range of factors, including sociodemographic characteristics, game-related activities, preventive practices, and LBP-related history. Various ML algorithms applied to LBP severity classification included K-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, and Support Vector Machine (SVM). LBP severity was categorized into three classes as no pain, mild pain, and moderate pain because there was an insufficient amount of data for the severe pain category. The SVM using the sigmoid kernel of the models considered gave the best performance as it produced the best performance metrics of test accuracy (87.6%), precision (90%), recall (87.6%), and F1-score (87.1%). In addition, regression analysis was also applied to identify the predictors of LBP. Key correlates included female gender (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.52), higher educational attainment (e.g., undergraduate: AOR = 5.38), elevated family income (e.g., > 60,000 BDT: AOR = 4.36), longer weekly practice duration (>20 hours: higher prevalence of 81.7%), inconsistent warm-up (often/sometimes: AOR = 12.48-14.07) and cool-down practices (sometimes: AOR = 2.86), and prior LBP history (AOR = 6.92), all significantly associated with increased LBP risk (p < 0.05). The findings show the importance of early intervention and prevention protocols for minimizing LBP occurrence among junior cricket players. In short, this work demonstrates the effectiveness of ML and regression models for ascertaining sports injury patterns of risk, data-informed prevention and management protocols, and providing a foundation for future studies on this subject. Limitations include the exclusion of a severe pain category due to insufficient data, which reduces the model's capacity to triage urgent cases requiring immediate intervention.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling joint condition that leads to extreme morbidityand quality of life impairment, particularly among older adults. This study aimed to investigate the socio-demographic factors and comorbid conditions influencing the severity of symptoms of knee OA using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Data were derived from 622 patients across 9 months from the major healthcare facilities of Dhaka. This study found age, sex, educational status, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were predictors for the severity of symptoms of OA of the knee. Female participants were more prone to have severe symptoms compared to males, and those who were more than 70-years-old were at greater risk of severe symptoms. Low educational status, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and CVD were also predictors for severe OA of the knee. Age (p < 0.001), obesity (p < 0.001), and diabetes (p < 0.001) were the best predictors of severity of symptoms based on the multinomial logistic regression analysis. The findings from the study highlighted the associated factors of knee OA and the need for integral healthcare measures that address both the socio-economic and the physical determinants. Focused interventions need to be employed, particularly for high-risk groups such as the elderly, women, and the comorbid, to minimize the incidence of OA of the knee and maximize the outcomes for patients in settings such as that of Bangladesh, where resources may not be available.

Bangladesh is experiencing rapid urbanization and a growing elderly population, particularly in urban areas. Cognitive decline, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to dementia, is a prevalent issue among elderly populations globally. Understanding the current state of cognitive functioning in this demographic is essential for informing effective healthcare plans and programs. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of cognitive decline and its associated factors among urban-dwelling elderly adults in Bangladesh, using the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) to assess cognitive function. This cross-sectional study employed systematic random sampling among 150 elderly participants (aged 60–85 years) from the outpatient department of the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The mean age of participants was 67.41 ± 6.31 years, with a male predominance (53.3%). Cognitive function was impaired in a majority of participants, with 53.3% classified as having dementia, 38.7% with MNCD, and only 8% showing normal cognitive function. Significant predictors of cognitive function included age (r = -0.451, P < 0.001), educational level (P = 0.009), and diabetes (P = 0.038). Female participants had lower mean cognitive function scores compared to males (21.16 ± 5.25 vs. 22.03 ± 4.36, P = 0.271). Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent among elderly individuals in urban Bangladesh, with age, educational level, and diabetes being key predictors. These findings highlight the need for public health interventions and policies focused on early screening and targeted healthcare for cognitive decline in this demographic.

Quality of life (QoL) focuses on a person’s ability to live a fulfilling life. In the elderly population, it helps in determining successful aging. Because of a scarcity of information regarding predictors of QoL in the elderly population in developing countries, this study was undertaken to assess the overall QoL and its predictors in the elderly population in an urban setting of Bangladesh. In this cross-sectional study, 275 participants were enrolled by systematic sampling at the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data were collected by using a pretested semi-structured standard questionnaire for QoL (OPQOL-35). Pearson’s correlation was used to assess the association between QoL and sociodemographic factors. The Chi-square test was done for assessing the statistical significance between categorical variables. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to identify predictors of QoL, after controlling for potential confounders. The median age of the participants (n = 275) was 65 years (range, 60 to 85; 25th and 75th percentile, 60 and 68, respectively). The majority (78%) of them were married and 20% were widowed or divorced. The median score of QoL was 113 (25th and 75th percentile, 101 and 124, respectively). Most of the participants had a very poor (bad as can be) or poor (bad) QoL. Only 7.3% were observed to have “good” QoL (scores 140 or more). Females had significantly poorer QoL scores compared to males (p = 0.01). Educational status, marital status, body mass index and sleep duration significantly predicted QoL in a multiple regression analysis. In conclusion, the QoL of the elderly individuals in Bangladesh was very poor or poor. Future research should focus on service-oriented interventions, especially targeting women. Counseling of elderly people for enhancing their quality of life may include improving sleep patterns, healthy diets, regular exercise, and caring for their mental health.