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Trends in mass media exposure upon women: A review of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Yasmin Jahan, SM Atiqur Rahman, Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, Sajeda Chowdhury, KATM Ehsanul Huq, and Md Moshiur Rahman
Source: Global Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 6(2)
Topic(s): Mass media
Women's status
Country: Asia
  Bangladesh
Published: MAR 2017
Abstract: Background With the rapid advancement of technology, mass media acquired widespread exposure upon major portion of the world population. The overall media platform has smooth access into peoples’ everyday lifestyle through routine tele transmission of all the existing media (such as broadcast, print, digital, outdoor media etc.). Mass media platform is one of the few most powerful influential factors causing dynamic behavioral changes. Objective To assess mass media exposure and it’s changing trends in Bangladesh using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) from 1993- 94 to 2014. Methods The study used data from the published reports of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS 1993-1994 to BDHS 2014). Results In the years of 1999-2000, 2004, 2007, 2014 women aged 20-24 years (41%, 54%, 56%, 57% respectively) have passed more time watching television in weekly basis than the other age groups. Higher percentage was observed among the educated women than uneducated from 1999-2000 to 2014 who has made access to all three media (television, radio and newspaper) at least once a week. Proportion of women who had accessed all three media at least once a week was much higher in the highest quintile families than the lowest quintile families and more exposure in urban women than the rural women. The region-wise coverage was higher in 1999-2000 in case of Chittagong (5.2%), Dhaka (4.7%), Khulna (5.1%), Rajshahi (3.1%), and Sylhet (3.9%) division with access to all three media at least once a week except Barisal division. Conclusion Findings show higher percentage of television watching tendency among comparatively more educated and economically flourished urban women. Therefore, the major policy challenge addressees the need for designing of communications strategies targeting the less privileged, rural and illiterate people who constitute the majority of population in Bangladesh.
Web: http://gjmedph.com/uploads/R1-Vo6No2.pdf