Pediatric Health, Climate Perceptions, and School Absenteeism Across Three Regions of Bangladesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Yoon Sik Jung, Sakila Afroz, Sadia Samad Mow, Xingyan Wang, Caroline Sarpy, Md Fuadul Islam, Md Nazmul Husain, Md Shahadat Hossain, Al Romana Sania, Md Golam Mostofa, Quazi Quamruzzaman and Maitreyi Mazumdar ()
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Yoon Sik Jung: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Sakila Afroz: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Sadia Samad Mow: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Xingyan Wang: Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Caroline Sarpy: Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Md Fuadul Islam: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Md Nazmul Husain: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Md Shahadat Hossain: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Al Romana Sania: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Md Golam Mostofa: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Quazi Quamruzzaman: Dhaka Community Hospital Trust, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh
Maitreyi Mazumdar: Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: Children remain underrepresented in environmental health studies, and evidence on how climate-related exposures affect pediatric health and school absenteeism is limited. This pilot cross-sectional study reports pediatric symptoms, school attendance, and perceptions of climate change among 300 Bangladeshi children ages 6–12 years old in three sites: Barhatta, Galachipa, and Sarankhola. Health status, climate-related perception, and educational disruption were assessed with validated questionnaires. Clinical staff measured peak expiratory flow rate, hemoglobin, and blood lead concentrations. Rash (48%), asthma (21%), and positive screening for epilepsy (17%) were most prevalent in Sarankhola. Mean hemoglobin was lower in Sarankhola (11.0 g/dL) than in the other sites. Awareness of climate change was 100% in Galachipa and Sarankhola, while 32% in Barhatta, with television and health workers being the common sources of information. Almost one in every three children missed at least three days of school in the last month with illness, climate-related emergencies, and unexpected school closures being frequent causes. These findings indicate that Bangladeshi children, especially those living in coastal areas, face the health and educational risks related to climate change, and that longitudinal and environmental monitoring studies are needed.

Keywords: climate change; public health; Bangladesh; environmental health; environmental exposure; blood lead; epilepsy; school absenteeism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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