The Invisible Burden Gender Disparities and Their Cascading Impact on NCD Risks in Bangladeshi Women

Afroze, Farhana (2024): The Invisible Burden Gender Disparities and Their Cascading Impact on NCD Risks in Bangladeshi Women.

Abstract

Introduction: Bangladesh symbolizes how systematic gender bias impairs women's health. Economic instability, violence, mental health issues, and environmental vulnerability are all interconnected issues that exacerbate the socio-economic challenges women face in their day-to-day lives. Eventually, it makes women more vulnerable to developing non-communicable diseases. Objective: This study aims to establish causal links between poverty, gender disparity, and NCD risks in women. It is one of the first studies to execute machine learning techniques to explore the relationship between gender disparity and NCD mortality among Bangladeshi women. The paper evaluates the multidimensional aspect of gender norms that strain women's health. Methodology: data analysis was done using a synthetic dataset generated using GAN that mimics real-world datasets. OLS, random forest, lasso regression, and XGboost were employed for assessing research objectives. Results: The primary results identify income level as the main predictor of NCD mortality. Unemployment rate, unpaid domestic labor, and high stress levels are the secondary predictors. Conclusion: Addressing economic, socioeconomic, and cultural oppression is crucial for improving the country's health. The government and policymakers need to introduce gendered health policies to improve health equity in Bangladesh.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Gender Disparity, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Women's Health, Economic Instability, Poverty, Gender Bias, Machine Learning, Synthetic Data, OLS Regression, Random Forest, Lasso Regression, XGBoost, Unemployment, Domestic Labor, Mental Health, Stress, Health Equity, Policy Intervention, Bangladesh.
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Behavior; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I14 - Health and Inequality; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I18 - Government Policy ; Regulation ; Public Health; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I3 - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty > I32 - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J11 - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J12 - Marriage ; Marital Dissolution ; Family Structure ; Domestic Abuse; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J16 - Economics of Gender ; Non-labor Discrimination; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J1 - Demographic Economics > J18 - Public Policy

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