This article explores the hypothesis that interspousal communication on family planning significantly influences the use of contraceptive method in Bangladesh using the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed in the study. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis. Both cross-sectional and fixed-effect binary logistic regression models yielded quantitatively important and statistically reliable estimates of the positive effect of husband-wife discussion on family planning on the current use of contraceptive method. Son preference, current residence, region, and visitations by family planning workers are also important determinants of contraceptive use. Programs should be undertaken on behalf of the government to involve men in family planning to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate at the point that needs to achieve the replacement level of fertility in Bangladesh.

This study examined knowledge, attitude, prevalence, and factors affecting cigarette smoking among male students of a university in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 474 students in 2009. Both quantitative and qualitative statistics were employed to examine the relationship between smoking and sociopsychological factors. Overall, 36.1% of the students were currently smoking. Significantly, more nonsmokers than smokers showed negative attitudes toward smoking and positive attitudes toward tobacco-controlling measures. Age, study streams and year, mother's education and occupation, monthly expenditure, and father's smoking appeared as important determinants of students' smoking. A multivariate logistic regression analysis yielded significantly (P < .001) increased risk of smoking among students of the Law and Shariah Faculty (odds ratio [OR] = 38.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.56-228.82), third-year students (OR = 7.18, 95% CI = 2.56-20.17), and urban residents (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.26-3.63). There is an urgent need for health promotion and anti-tobacco education in building a tobacco-free nation.

This study examined socioeconomic differentials of tobacco consumption and its effect on illicit drug use among rural men, extracting data from the 2004 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Overall, 58.4% of the respondents consumed tobacco either by smoking or chewing. Smoking bidi (33.9%) and cigarette (23.6%) were the most prevalent forms of tobacco use. The prevalence of illicit drug use was 3.5%. The predominant illicit drug used was ganja (2.3%). Socioeconomic and behavioral factors such as age, education, religion, marital status, premarital and extramarital sexuality, and having STDs were found to be significantly (P<.001) associated with tobacco consumption. Multivariate logistic regression analyses yielded significantly (P<.001) increased risk of illicit drug use for different forms of tobacco consumption, for young age, premarital and extramarital sexuality, and non-Muslims. Appropriate measures should be undertaken to prevent smoking and illicit drug use for a healthy Bangladesh.

In this paper we attempt to study the levels, trends and determinants of aciolescent fertility in Bangladesh using 2004 B(ing1adesh Hecrlth and Demogrfphic Szl~vey data. In assessing the net eflects of'socioeconomic factors on jkrtilifi! we apjllied Mzrltiple Classification Analysis (MCA) technique. The stu<~ rlncovered the fact that teenage motherhood is highly cherished among the Bangladeshi adolescents since three-fourths births and two-thirds of recent pregnancies were wanted or planned. The findings show that one-tlzird (32.7%) of (111 adolescents had initiated childbearing and among the women 79% e.rperienced pcirentkood bjl age 19. Besides, more than two-thirds ever married c~dolescents had begun childbearing in the country -57% of'adolescents hove crlr-ecz~+ given birth and rrrzother 10.0% became pregnant for first time by that c~ge. The present study reveals that edz~cntion of cozlple, jknznle age at $rst mnrriclge; socioeconomic stat~ls anri child mortalio~ n~nterialize as cieternzinants ofadolescent~fertility. The study also exhibits that the ntiolescents nccounteci for 23% in TFR clnd 35% in TMFR of'the countly in 2004. These estimates indicate that the TFR in Barzgladesli is greatly controlled by the cldolescents. The high rure of ado/escent jerti/i@ in Bangladesh is an ndverse to achieve tlie clpprosirnate repI(1cement level offertilip (2.2) by the year 201.5 as a millennium (ievelopment goal of B~angludesh.

This paper preliminarily discusses about the determinants of reservation wage for graduates in Bangladesh. The researchers discussed several models in order to identify the common factors which determine the reservation wage of the tertiary graduates in Bangladesh. All these models are multiple linear regression models. Data was collected on both employed and unemployed individuals across the country who graduated from different private and public universities. Initially the researchers investigated the following factors: socio-economic status (Parental income), selection of occupation, duration of unemployment, difference between actual and reservation wage, managerial level of job, sources of different media of job applications (both formal and informal) and in the revised phase of the model the researchers discovered that that inclusion of &lsquo;previous working experience&rsquo; made a significant difference in the relationship among dependent and independent variables. One noticeable difference in the findings of the current researchers compared to those who worked on the same topic earlier was: positive relationship between duration of unemployment and reservation price of the graduates. The researchers further explored reasons of this above result theoretically. Finally, the researchers accepted the following variables (rejected as null hypothesis) as significant factors (Socio-economic background, difference between actual salary and reservation price, managerial level of job, media of job applications in terms of formal or informal, previous working experience) to influence the graduate reservation wage in Bangladesh (in the alternatives). Additionally, the researchers also explained why&rsquo; duration of unemployment&rsquo; was not selected as a crucial determinant in the current paper. Finally the researchers prescribed some positive solutions on how firms in Bangladesh could deal with the increasing demand of wage premiums from high skilled graduates and what the possible consequences are if they failed to do so.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;