Pregnancy specific health problems and health-seeking behaviour of marginalized groups in India

Ravi Sankar, Annamalai University

Objectives: To study pregnancy specific health problems, pregnancy complications during childbirth, health care seeking behaviour of marginalized women Methods: Samples of 25740 SC and ST women were examined. Logistic regression analysis is used to assess the effects of SED variables on the probability of reporting gynaecological morbidity. Results: Morethan 40 percent of ST and SC women reported that they had any one of the reproductive health problem. One-fifth of the total ST women reported that they have symptom of urinary tract infections. Morethan 80 percent of births are taken place at home and 75 percent of births are assistance by Dai among ST and Only 5 percent of the ST women seek postpartum checkup within two days of birth. Prevalence of health problems during pregnancy was relatively high among women who were young and illiterate, and many of the women had problems for the higher order pregnancies.