 |
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
|
The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Geeta Nanda, MHS, Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 600 West 168th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10032, 212-305-5656, gn44@columbia.edu
Background: High levels of maternal morbidity are a common reality for many women in India. The timely utilization of medical services, however, can substantially reduce such morbidity. Unfortunately, the dearth of research in this area limits our understanding of maternal morbidity and the factors associated with women’s utilization of services.
Purpose: To apply a conceptual framework of health care seeking with the goal of identifying the relative importance of various factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, women’s status, reproductive history, health services, and illness factors) in predicting utilization of medical services for women with reported maternal morbidity. The framework is based on the health services utilization literature and also incorporates concepts from the following models: Thaddeus-Maine “Three phases of delay,” Andersen-Newman model of health services utilization, and Kroeger’s model of health services utilization in developing countries.
Data and Methods: Data are from a prospective study of maternal morbidity among rural women in 11 villages near Bangalore, India. The sample consisted of 388 women who were interviewed during pregnancy and immediately after delivery between 1996-98. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses are used to determine the extent to which selected factors explain women’s propensity to use medical services in the context of maternal morbidity.
Policy Implications: Identifying factors associated with medical services utilization for women with reported maternal morbidity can help health professionals and policy makers develop more appropriate and effective programs and services to meet the needs of women during pregnancy and childbirth, and ultimately reduce maternal morbidity.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to
Keywords: Maternal Morbidity, India
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.