title: A study on utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana and its association with institutional delivery in the state of West Bengal, India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  India launched the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) on the principles of conditional cash transfer providing monetary incentive to needy women to improve access to institutional childbirth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was conducted among JSY-eligible women who delivered between April 2012 and June 2012 to assess the utilization of cash incentives toward institutional delivery, along with other associated factors influencing institutional delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  It was a cross-sectional, descriptive study conducted between July 2012 and May 2013 on 946 women selected through stratified random sampling of subcentres from better and worse performing districts of West Bengal.
  
  
  RESULTS
  74.7% of the study population was JSY-eligible. 90.2% of those who took three antenatal check-ups (ANCs) and 36.8% JSY-noneligible women received cash. Government institutions were preferred for childbirth among all groups irrespective of JSY eligibility, receipt of cash, and number of antenatal visits. Overall, 78.8% opted for institutional delivery if they had received cash, which was significantly more than those who did not (64.5%). JSY-eligible women were 1.5 times more likely to deliver in government institutions compared to JSY-noneligible women. With no incentive, the likelihood of institutional delivery was halved. The distance of a 24 Χ 7 delivery hub beyond 5 km (74.8% vs. 81.8%), the religion of Islam (62.7% vs. 83.2%), and multiparity (63.9% vs. 83.6%) were significant deterring factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite some inclusion and exclusion errors, cash incentive under JSY was associated with increased institutional delivery, especially in government institutions though there were other factors influencing the decision as well.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital, Kolkata, West-Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Dipta K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Malda Medical College, Kolkata, India.
authors.forename: Sujishnu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Murshidabad Medical College, Kolkata, West-Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sarmila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mallik
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Management, Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Kolkata, West-Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Susmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nayak
authors.affiliation: Chief Medical Officer of Health, Darjeeling, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata, West-Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Asit Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Kolkata, West-Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Akhil Bandhu
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Biswas
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006268:Health Facilities; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008427:Maternal Health Services; D009042:Motivation; D011247:Pregnancy