Dimensions of women's autonomy and the influence on maternal health care utilization in a north Indian city.
The dimensions of women's autonomy and their relationship to maternal health care utilization were investigated in a probability sample of 300 women in Varanasi, India. We examined the determinants of women's autonomy in three areas: control over finances, decision-making power, and freedom of movement. After we control for age, education, household structure, and other factors, women with closer ties to natal kin were more likely to have greater autonomy in each of these three areas. Further analyses demonstrated that women with greater freedom of movement obtained higher levels of antenatal care and were more likely to use safe delivery care. The influence of women's autonomy on the use of health care appears to be as important as other known determinants such as education.
Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, 123 West Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 21716-3997, USA. ssbloom@email.unc.edu
S S
SS
Bloom
D
D
Wypij
M
M
Das Gupta
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D003906:Developing Countries; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005610:Freedom; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014930:Women