Determinants of Child Morbidity and Factors Governing Utilisation of Child Health Care: Evidence from Rural India

Abstract

Acute respiratory infections and diarrhea, has been globally identified, as poising major threats to survival of children under the age of five. This is also true for India, where these two diseases, have been the major causes behind infant mortality both in 1997 as well as 1998. Prevention as well as effective treatment of these diseases depends on a host of individual, household and community level behavioural factors. The objective of this paper is to estimate the role played by such factors in determining the utilisation of formal health care to cure diarrhoea and certain respiratory illnesses plaguing young children. We have also simultaneously tried to explore the factors that explain why a child may be more prone towards contracting either of the above-mentioned two diseases. Our analysis is based on the survey data drawn from the National Family Health Survey (1998-99) for the fourteen major states of India. The major findings are briefly enlisted as follows: Firstly, a woman with greater educational qualification and also higher decision-making power within the household exhibited greater willingness toward health care usage for her sick child. Secondly, formal health care is more likely to be sought for children whose mother are more aware of existing health care packages and the requisite symptoms of the diseases i.e. diarrhea and cough. For instance, respondents who are aware of existence of oral rehydration salts, used worldwide to treat diarrhea, are significantly more prone towards seeking formal curative care, if her child has diarrhoea. Thirdly, children who were reported to show signs of being severely ill, for each of the above-mentioned diseases, are also the ones who have a significantly higher probability of being taken for treatment. Finally, not only the child's nutritional intake (after adjusting for age) but also that of the mother has a strong influence on the likelihood of the child contracting these diseases.