EFFECT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ON UTILIZATION OF SAFE MOTHERHOOD PRACTICES AMONG URBAN CURRENTLY MARRIED WOMEN OF EMPOWERED ACTION GROUP (EAG) IN INDIA

Objectives: We investigate the relationship between socio-economic status of urban currently married women and utilization of safe motherhood practices in EAG states.Data and Method- We used cross-sectional data from third round of District Level Household & Facility Survey-3 (DLHS) conducted in 2007-08. The analysis is based on 16,158 currently married women. The dependent variables in the analysis are utilization of safe motherhood practice. Utilization of safe motherhood includes those women who received full ANC, safe delivery and visited by any health professional within 42 days of delivery .The independent variables are: age of the respondent, place of residence, educational status, work status in last 12 months, religion, wealth quintile and caste of the respondents. Cross-tabulation and logistic regressions models have been used to fulfil objectives of the study Conclusion: The likelihood of utilization of safe motherhood practices for urban currently married women increases for those women who had 10 or more years of education (OR= 7.3; p<0.0) as compared to not educated women. Exposure of health related issues were more likely (OR= 2 p<0.0) to have utilization of safe motherhood practices.