Impact of socio-economic, demographic and cultural factors on the development of children’s mental health: a cross-sectional study in Bangladesh

Mental health in childhood brings up the state of a child's emotional and psychological well-being, encompassing their ability to navigate challenges, form relationships, and get by stressors, laying the foundation for their future mental and emotional resilience. This cross-sectional study, conducted between December 1, 2023, and February 1, 2024, intended to identify the substantial risk factors of children's mental health (CMH) development in Bangladesh. The data were collected using two-phase sampling through a questionnaire filled out by trained interviewers. To test the normality of the dependent variable, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests were applied, and the tests confirmed the non-normality assumption (P < 0.05) of the study variables. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were applied as bivariate analyses, and generalized gamma regression was performed to determine the significant risk factors of mental development. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were the measuring parameters of the risk factors of CMH. The results revealed that early childhood disease (OR 0.9537, CI 0.93-0.97, p = 0.000769), monthly family income (OR 0.9247, CI 0.87-0.98, p = 0.015046), and providing supplementary food sometimes (OR 1.0583, CI 1.02-1.09, p = 0.001819) were significant socio-economic factors influencing CMH. Among demographic factors, gender (OR 0.9693, CI 0.94-0.99, p = 0.025684) and division (OR 1.0496, CI 1.007-1.09, p = 0.021429) showed significant associations. Additionally, child opportunities to play outside (OR 0.9451, CI 0.91-0.98, p = 0.007235), which may be shaped by cultural attitudes toward child supervision, gender roles, and norms around outdoor activity, was also found to be significantly associated with children's mental health. The results of this study would assist policymakers to take initiatives in mental health development including the funding of interventions so that children in Bangladesh can achieve their developmental potential.