Maternal autonomy and child health care utilization in India: results from the National Family Health Survey.
The objective of this study was to examine the association of maternal autonomy with preventive and curative child health care utilization in India. Data from the National Family Health Survey 2005-2006 were used to ascertain association of maternal autonomy (in 3 dimensions: decision making, access to financial resources, freedom of movement) with child's primary immunization status (indicative of preventive health care use) and treatment seeking for child's acute respiratory infection (indicative of curative health care use). Low maternal freedom of movement was associated with higher odds of incomplete primary immunization of the child and for not seeking treatment for the child's acute respiratory infection. Low maternal financial access was associated with increased odds for incomplete primary immunization of the child. The findings show that improvement in autonomy of Indian mothers, especially their freedom of movement, may help improve utilization of health care for their children.
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore chetna.malhotra@duke-nus.edu.sg.
Chetna
C
Malhotra
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore.
Rahul
R
Malhotra
Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Truls
T
Østbye
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
S V
SV
Subramanian
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007194:India; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult