Reproductive Health and Poverty among Women in Rural Nepal; A Case Study of Surkhet District

Abstract

The principal objective of this study was to explore existing reproductive health status of the women having child below two years and their poverty status. This community based crosssectional study entitled “Reproductive Health and Poverty among Women in Rural Nepal; A Case Study was conducted among the women of Surkhet District Nepal. A total of 166 women from different four village development committees and one municipality were interviewed.

Majority of the mothers (47.0%) were between the age of 21 and 25 years with the mean age 22.6 years old. Almost three fourth (74.7%) mothers were literate, however still one-fourth women (25.3%) found to be illiterate. Brahmin/Chhetri mothers were more likely to be literate than those of Newar/Janajati, Dalit/Muslim/others (44.4%, 33.1% and 21.6% respectively), which was statistically significantly associated (p-value <0.001). The family

planning current users were 56.0 percent, as Depo provera was major devices for 54.8 percent. Brahmin/Chhetri mothers (44.1%) were more likely to use FP devices than those of Newar/Janajati and Dalit/Muslim, which was statistically significantly associated with (pvalue 0.016).

This study identified 45.2 percent women did four ANC visits, which is standard and recommended by safe motherhood programme in Nepal, however one out of ten women did not make any ANC visit during their entire duration of last pregnancy. Brahmin/Chhetri

women were more likely to make ANC visit >=3 times in last entire pregnancy (47.9%) than those Newar/Janajati (29.2%) and Dalit/Muslim (22.9%) which was statistically significantly associated (p-value 0.001). Home was first place of giving birth for almost two-third (63.9%) women. More than two third (35.5%) deliveries were assisted by mother in laws. The women who gave a birth at the home were more likely to encounter complications (56.9%) than those of women who gave a birth at the hospital/health centre (43.1%). Almost all children (99.4%) were immunized BCG vaccine, however measles vaccine coverage reported to be 63.3 percent.

Almost half (49.4%) mother’s primary occupation was housewives, however agriculture was the primary occupation (44.0%) of their husbands. Agricultural production produced by their home was sufficient more than 9 months for only 22.9 percent. Brahmin/chhetri and Newar/Janajati women (42.1% and 47.4%) were more likely to have sufficient agricultural product for <9 months than those of Dalit/Muslim (10.5%), which was statistically significantly associated (p-value 0.001).

Health workers/doctors behaviour was found to be nice for more than two third (69.9%) mothers. Of whom Newar/janajati (42.2%) mothers were more likely to be satisfied with the health services than those of Brahmin/chhetri (31.3%) and Dalit (26.5%), though no statistical significant association was identified.

Dalit women need to be specially focused while planning, and implementing health programs so as to include them within mainstream of health services and the government should focus reproductive health awareness programs for the rural women along with easy access of FP devices and institutional delivery, so that the level of awareness could be increased, FP devices could be easily availed and complications due to home deliveries could be prevented. Literacy program need to be focused for Newar/Janajati and Dalit/Muslim so that their literacy status could be raised.