Page 118 - IJPS-2-2

Utilization of maternal and child health care services in North and South India: does spousal violence matter?

Table 1 The major difference between the North states and the South states was observed by their
rural-urban residence and wealth status. In the North states, 81% of the selected women were from
rural areas and only 19% were from urban areas, whereas in the South states 41% were from urban

Table 1. Characteristics of young married women in selected North and South Indian states, based on NFHS-3 (2005–06).
Sample characteristics North Indian States (%) South Indian States (%)
Socio-economic characteristics:
Age (in completed years)
15–19 9.0 7.5
20–24 42.4 46.9
25–29 48.6 45.7
Religion
Hindu 83.5 83.3
Non-Hindu 16.5 16.7
Caste
General 20.2 27.3
Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe 29.4 27.6
Other Backward Classes (OBC) 50.3 45.1
Place of Residence
Urban 19.3 41.2
Rural 80.7 58.8
Wealth index
Poor 58.4 28.7
Middle 18.3 25.0
Rich 23.3 46.3
Type of Family
Nuclear 50.8 55.3
Joint 49.2 44.7
Components of women's empowerment:
Education
No education 63.0 26.8
Primary 12.8 15.7
Secondary and higher 24.2 57.5
Work status
Not working 72.9 64.8
Working 27.1 35.2
Media exposure
No exposure 41.8 15.3
Any exposure 58.2 84.7
Allowed to go to the health facility alone
No 63.6 47.5
Yes 36.4 52.5
Has say in decision making in own health care
No 44.7 36.4
Yes 55.3 63.6
N 4837 3304
Note: Sample refers to young married women aged less than 30 years who gave birth in last 5 years preceding the survey.
Selected North Indian States: Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh; Selected South Indian States: Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

112 International Journal of Population Studies | 2016, Volume 2, Issue 2