Does Economic Status of Women Affect Obstetric Morbidity?

Vandana Gautam, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

The study highlights the net effects of selected socio-economic and demographic factors on the obstetric morbidity among different economic classes in India on the basis of self-reported obstetric health problems elicited from 38745 currently married women in the National Family Health Survey, 2005-06 (NFHS-3). The study found that obstetric morbidity is relatively high - among women who are rural, illiterate, non working, Muslim, with no mass media exposure, and at high parities. Higher percentages of educated women reported obstetric morbidity.