Background: Food security and dietary diversity are essential determinants of maternal health, particularly among pregnant women in refugee populations who face heightened vulnerabilities due to displacement and inadequate living conditions. This study examines the impact of food security on dietary diversity and nutritional intake among pregnant Rohingya women residing in the makeshift camps of Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 96 pregnant Rohingya women from June to September 2022. Data were collected using structured questionnaires assessing socio-demographic characteristics, food security, and dietary diversity. Food security was evaluated using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), while dietary diversity was assessed through a 24-hour dietary recall and a 7-day food frequency questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 26) and Stata (Version 13), employing descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to examine associations. Results: Most participants (57.3%) were food secure, and 85.4% demonstrated high dietary diversity, consuming seven or more food groups. However, 21.9% of households experienced severe food insecurity, highlighting ongoing challenges in food access. The highest consumption was observed for starch, flesh foods, dark green leafy vegetables, and vitamin A-rich fruits and vegetables (99.0%), while dairy products (69.8%) and organ meat (34.4%) were consumed less frequently. Despite high dietary diversity, severe food insecurity persists, indicating gaps in food assistance programs. Conclusions: While food support programs appear to contribute to high dietary diversity among pregnant Rohingya women, severe food insecurity remains a significant concern. Strengthening food security interventions, improving access to diverse nutrient-rich foods, and integrating sustainable food assistance models are essential to addressing these challenges. Future research should explore long-term strategies to enhance food security and assess the impact of targeted nutritional interventions on maternal health outcomes in refugee settings.

Background: Proper umbilical cord care prevents neonatal infections and reduces neonatal mortality. Despite global recommendations for evidence-based cord care practices, traditional beliefs, and inadequate maternal knowledge often lead to unsafe practices, particularly in low-resource settings like Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the understanding of umbilical cord care among mothers of neonates in Sherpur District, Bangladesh, and identify factors associated with knowledge levels. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2020 at Sherpur Sadar Hospital. A total of 193 mothers of neonates were recruited using a non-randomized purposive sampling method. Data was collected through a pre-tested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Knowledge levels were categorized as "Good" (>6) or "Poor" (≤6) based on responses to 10 structured questions. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and crude odds ratios (COR), were performed to identify socio-demographic factors associated with knowledge levels. Results: Of the 193 participants, 48.7% demonstrated "Good" knowledge, while 51.3% had "Poor" knowledge. Education level (p = 0.01), occupation (p = 0.02), family type (p < 0.001), and family size (p = 0.04) were significantly associated with knowledge levels. Mothers with higher education and those from joint families exhibited better knowledge. However, 28.5% of respondents were unaware of the typical umbilical cord-shedding timeframe, and 44% could not identify signs of infection. Unsafe practices, such as using medications (14.5%) or hot compression (7.2%) for drying the cord, were reported. Conclusion: The study reveals significant gaps in maternal knowledge regarding umbilical cord care in Sherpur District, driven by socio-demographic disparities and cultural practices. Targeted health education programs, emphasizing evidence-based cord care practices and leveraging local social structures, are urgently needed to improve neonatal health outcomes in similar resource-limited settings. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions to inform policy and practice.

With an increasing diversity of learners in today’s educational set-ups, there is an insurmountable need to cater for individual differences including the cultural variations among learners. It is therefore necessary for educators to develop culturally responsive teaching that enhances intercultural competencies of learners. As educators strive to provide inclusive learning environments in which learners from diverse cultural backgrounds learn equitably, differentiated instruction becomes a practical tool. This paper explores how differentiated instruction can support and enhance culturally responsive teaching by examining how tailored instructional approaches can bridge cultural gaps and enhance educational outcomes. The aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how educators can effectively integrate differentiated instructional methodologies to achieve the goals of Culturally Responsive Teaching. The study used a descriptive survey design to determine the use of differentiated instruction by junior school teachers in Kenya and a systematic review of literature, practical examples, and studies on teachers’ practices in culturally responsive teaching. The study outcomes indicated that teachers used various differentiated instructional strategies with flexible grouping being the most commonly used strategy. However, there arises a concern, that teachers were not very familiar with cultural variations of learners in their classrooms even as they developed their differentiated instructional strategies. Literature provided the principles and practices of culturally responsive teaching. The combination of these results were used to formulate a conceptual framework for Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction (CRDI) that provides insights for practitioners to develop and implement culturally responsive differentiated instructional strategies. The study recommends that a framework to support teachers in the implementation of inclusive and equitable curriculum through CRDI be developed, CRDI be integrated into the teaching processes and the teachers be trained on providing for learner differences through CRDI.

Women must be aware of the risk factors of pregnancy complications and the negative maternal and fetal health consequences to take preventative measures and management strategies that will result in a successful pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the Level of Knowledge about obstetric warning signs and the associated factors among pregnant Saudi women attending antenatal care in a tertiary care maternity set-up in Riyadh City. Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained using a structured questionnaire from eligible pregnant women admitted to King Saud Medical City (KSMC) between August 2020 and March 2021. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Out of a minimum estimated sample size of 170, researchers recruited 362 participants. As observed, only 92 people, or 25.4%, had enough knowledge about various educational levels. The majority (91.2%) lived in villages, had no history of chronic disease (74.0%), and said that it took them at least 30 minutes to commute from their home to the hospital (69.3%). Two hundred two (55.7%) lacked appropriate knowledge, although most women (76.2%) had one to four pregnancies. Poor psychological health resulted from 37 people's (10.2%) inadequate Awareness. Even though 139 (38.4%) had spent more than 15 minutes receiving education from medical staff and 200 (61.5%) had attended the prenatal care clinic more than four times, most lacked adequate knowledge. The variables education level (P=0.000), working status (P=0.022), and place of residence (P=0.044) showed a statistically significant association with the knowledge level, also only education level statistically significantly affected the likelihood of knowledge gaps. In conclusion, early identification of obstetric warning signs and associated risk factors of pregnancy complications is integral to prevention.