Gap identification for improvement in maternal and early infant health care practices among tribal pregnant women in an aspirational tribal district Sirohi, Rajasthan

Rakhi Dwivedi; Akhil D Goel; Varuna Vyas; Suraj S Yadav; Prem P Sharma; Pankaj Bhardwaj; Pratibha Singh; Kuldeep Singh

doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_234_23

Gap identification for improvement in maternal and early infant health care practices among tribal pregnant women in an aspirational tribal district Sirohi, Rajasthan

J Family Med Prim Care. 2023 Dec;12(12):3291-3297. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_234_23. Epub 2023 Dec 21.

Authors

Rakhi Dwivedi¹, Akhil D Goel², Varuna Vyas³, Suraj S Yadav¹, Prem P Sharma², Pankaj Bhardwaj², Pratibha Singh⁴, Kuldeep Singh^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Scientist-C, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India Collaborative Project, Centre of Excellence for Tribal Health, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
² Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
³ Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.

Abstract

Background: Sirohi is one of the aspirational districts of Rajasthan which is also tribal-dominated. The maternal and early infant health indicators are worrisome compared to regional or national statistics. First-trimester registration of pregnant women is 54% in district Sirohi, which is much less as compared to registration in the state of Rajasthan (63%) and India (59%). Four antenatal care (ANC) visits of pregnant women are 32% in district Sirohi, which is also much less as compared to ANC visits in the state of Rajasthan (39%) and India (51%). However, there was no tribal-specific data regarding maternal and early infant health.

Objective: The study aims to identify gaps for improvement in maternal and early infant health care practices among tribal pregnant women in an aspirational tribal district of Sirohi, Rajasthan.

Materials and methods: It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 560 tribal pregnant women to assess the existing maternal, and early infant health care knowledge and practices through a pre-validated questionnaire in the tribal population of district Sirohi Rajasthan.

Result: Nineteen per cent (19.5%, n = 109) of tribal pregnant women got married between the age of 10 and 17 (less than the legal age of marriage of 18 years). There is a significant relationship between early age at marriage and low educational status P < 0.001, r = 0.241 among participants. Measurement of weight, blood pressure and urine examination was done in 32.5% (n = 181), 19.5% (n = 109) and 7.1% (n = 39), respectively, among tribal pregnant women. The majority (94.6%) of the pregnant tribal women (385/407) were anaemic. Approximately 60% (n = 337) of mothers were unaware of thermal protection (skin-to-skin care). Sixty per cent (n = 334) of tribal pregnant women preferred to seek consultation regarding antenatal and infant health care from doctors, while 40.1% (n = 224) were more comfortable seeking advice from traditional birth attendants (TBAs).

Conclusion: The study finds inadequate knowledge and practice towards maternal and early infant care among tribal pregnant women. As TBAs influence tribal pregnant women, systematic training and involvement of TBAs in maternal and child health are indispensable.

Keywords: Maternal and early infant health care; pregnant women; tribal.