Utilization of Maternal Health Care among child-married Mothers in India: An empirical analysis using Unit Level Data

The present study aims to investigate the various factors that are associated with the utilization of maternal health care services among child-married mothers in India, who have given live/still births during last three years preceding the survey. We have used Chi-square test to determine the difference in proportion and the binary logistic regression have been used to understand the net effect of the predictor variables on the utilization of maternity care among child married mothers in India. The District Level Household Survey (DLHS-4) data have been used to analyze the maternal health care of the three outcome variables, such as ‗full antenatal care (ANC)‘, ‗safe delivery‘ and ‗postnatal care within 42 days of delivery. The several socio-economic and demographic factors that associated with maternal health care utilization among child married mothers in India. The findings of the study suggest that the utilization of full antenatal care depend on several factors such as educational attainment, household wealth, religion, parity and village Infrastructure quintile. The similar result has been found in case of safe-delivery and post-natal care. Our study also shows that the likelihood of having a safe delivery and postnatal check-up is higher among those mothers who had full antenatal care during pregnancy. To ensure the coverage of full antenatal care can reduce the maternal mortality among child-married mothers in India. In this study, we find that, the mass media messages and interpersonal communication have a significant impact on the level of maternal care utilization among child-married mothers. Therefore, the policy level intervention should focus on family planning programme, female education, higher age at marriage and collaboration with community health workers that can lead to maternal healthcare utilization among child married mothers in India.