Changing Pattern of Health Seeking Behaviour Among Underprivileged Tribal Groups of India

Despite remarkable worldwide progress in the field of diagnostics, curative and preventive aspects of health, still there are people living in relative isolation, in natural surroundings, maintaining a socio-cultural distance from others. The present study was carried out understand the health and treatment seeking behaviour of the youth of underprivileged tribal groups. Two UTGs were covered under the study. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were used for data collection.
Result indicates that the tribal people are still inclined towards traditional health care system. Besides traditional perceptions attached to this, some other very real situations like lack of physical accessibility to the modern health care providers, distance and related time and cost factors etc play an important role in determining the treatment seeking behaviour of the tribal people. Low level of education and poor economic condition also plays crucial role. Finally, the very concept of health and illness, especially problems associated with sex related aspects, have some direct bearing on the health seeking behaviour of the people.
Thus, logical induction of traditional aspects in modern health care system is essential, which may be achieved by taking the tribal traditional dignitaries in confidence.