Project report
Bangladesh: COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices & Needs—Responses from three rounds of data collection among adolescent girls in districts with high rates of child marriage
Amin, Sajeda, Rob, Ubaidur, Ainul, Sigma, Hossain, Md. Irfan, Noor, Forhana Rahman et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001The Population Council Bangladesh conducted three rounds of phone surveys between April and September 2020 to understand how COVID-19 affected adolescent girls in districts with high rates of child marriage. Researchers interviewed 479 girls aged 12–15 who were participating in a skills-building program designed to reduce child marriage by increasing school attendance. The surveys assessed girls' knowledge about COVID-19, their attitudes and practices during lockdown and social distancing, and their evolving needs as restrictions changed.
Key points
- First survey conducted April 20–30, 2020 during nationwide lockdown among programme participants with contact phone numbers
- Second survey conducted June 12–22, 2020 after lockdown ended but before virtual skills sessions were introduced
- Third survey conducted September 5–11, 2020 to track changes over time
- Participants were girls ages 12–15 from three districts: Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, and Sherpur
- Program targeted girls in high child marriage districts with focus on school attendance and grade progression
Limitations
This report describes the survey methodology and setup but does not provide the actual findings or outcomes from the three rounds of data collection. We cannot determine what the girls' knowledge, attitudes, or practices were, nor what their needs turned out to be.
Abstract
From April 20–30, 2020, during a nationwide lockdown, the Population Council Bangladesh conducted the first round of a rapid phone-based survey on COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The survey randomly selected girls who had provided phone numbers during enrollment in a skills-building program that began before the pandemic. The survey’s objective was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent lives and to design programs that would contribute to protecting girls and meet social distancing guidelines imposed by the government. Phone interviews were conducted with 479 girls living in the districts of Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, and Sherpur who were participants in a program focused on reducing child marriage by increasing school attendance and grade progression among girls ages 12–15. A follow-up survey was conducted from June 12–22, 2020, prior to the introduction of virtual skills sessions as school closure and social distancing protocols were in effect. The nationwide lockdown had been withdrawn by that time. A third round of remote data collection took place September 5–11, 2020. This brief presents the findings and comparisons from the three rounds of phone surveys.