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Effect of Women's and Partners' Education on Maternal Health-care Services Utilization in Five Empowered Action Group States of India: An analysis of 13,443 Women of Reproductive Age
Authors: Arvind Kumar Yadav, Bhavna Sahni, Dinesh Kumar, Kiran Bala, Anuradha Kalotra
Source: International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research , Volume 11, issue 4; DOI:10.4103/ijabmr.ijabmr_121_21
Topic(s): Antenatal care
Education
Maternal health
Women’s empowerment
Country: Asia
  India
Published: DEC 2021
Abstract: Background: Suboptimal utilization of maternal health-care services is a perennial problem in Empowered Action Group (EAG) states. This study examines role of women's and partners' education on usage of antenatal, postnatal care (PNC), and skilled birth attendance in these states. Methodology: National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-2016) data for 13,443 women in reproductive age group of 15-49 years in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh (UP) were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Increasing level of education had a significant impact on utilization of antenatal services in all states, highest and lowest odds being observed with higher and primary level of partner's education, respectively. Skilled birth attendance universally showed rising trend with increasing women education, while it remained substantially low even at higher level of partner's education. For PNC, utilization increased with increasing level of maternal education. While significantly lower odds of PNC were seen with primary level of partner education in Rajasthan and UP, partner's secondary education showed positive and significant association in Bihar, Rajasthan, and UP. At higher level of partner education, positive and significant effects on PNC were observed only in Bihar, MP, and UP. Conclusions: Universal education is vital to attain sustainable development goals at the grassroot level, which is happening relatively slowly in the EAG states.
Web: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34912686/