Inequality in Consumption of Reproductive Health Services in India: A Longitudinal Assessment

Sandip Anand, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB)
R K Sinha, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

In India, there is dearth of longitudinal studies to find out reproductive health service consumption. In the given context, this study is an attempt to understand and establish the relationship between consumption status of women measured longitudinally for reproductive health services with socio-economic and other contextual variables. It tries to relate this with demographic transition by studying three Indian States at different level of demographic transition viz. Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra. The research was mainly secondary in nature. It included analysis of data collected by International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) as a follow up study to the 1998-1999 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-2). The sample consisted of 6303 women. The analysis is based on composite index, cross tabulation and logistic regression analysis. The findings on contextual differentials and determinants clearly reflect upon the relationship between socio-economic inequality, regional imbalances and consumption of reproductive health facilities.