Gender-norm attitudes about girls’ mobility and depressive symptoms among female adolescents in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study using BAHWS 2019–2020

Gender norms can shape adolescent girls’ opportunities to participate in outdoor activities and pursue work outside the home. Individual endorsement of restrictive gender norms may be associated with depressive symptoms, but evidence among female adolescents on this issue in Bangladesh is limited. This study examined the association between endorsement of two gender-norm statements concerning girls’ outdoor activities and women’s employment outside the home, and elevated depressive symptoms among female adolescents aged 15–19 years. This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from the Bangladesh Adolescent Health and Wellbeing Survey (BAHWS) 2019–2020. The analysis included 4,984 female adolescents aged 15–19 years. Depressive symptoms was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with a score ≥ 10 indicating elevated depressive symptoms. Restrictive gender-norm attitudes was defined based on agreement with survey statements concerning restrictions on girls’ participation in outdoor activities and employment outside the home. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to assess the distribution and bivariate associations of study variables. Logistic regression model was appropriate in the analysis to see the association between study variables and elevated depressive symptoms, as the outcome elevated depressive symptoms is binary. Overall, 12.40% of participants had PHQ-9 scores ≥ 10, and 11.56% endorsed at least one restrictive gender-norm statement. The proportion with elevated depressive symptoms was higher among adolescents who endorsed restrictive norms than among those who did not (17.39% vs. 11.75%; p = 0.001). After adjustment, endorsement of restrictive norms was associated with higher odds of elevated depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.11–2.14; p = 0.011). Endorsement of restrictive gender norms concerning girls’ outdoor activities and women’s employment was associated with elevated depressive symptoms among female adolescents in Bangladesh. Because the exposure comprises two attitude statements and the study is cross-sectional, the findings should not be interpreted as a direct measure of actual mobility restriction or as evidence of causation. These findings highlight the need to address adolescent mental health through both individual support and social conditions that influence girls’ autonomy, safety, and participation.