To Love and Look After

Abstract

Domestic violence, which is one aspect of family relationship quality, is now well established as a determinant of maternal health in non-Western contexts. However, the potential health benefits of positive aspects of relationship quality remain neglected. Thus, this study uses qualitative data to explore the pathways linking high-quality family relationships to maternal health in one non-Western context, namely, one Indian village. The exploration suggests that high-quality family relationships may benefit maternal health in a variety of ways. Potential mechanisms include improving women’s subjective happiness, increasing nutritional intake, facilitating communication about sensitive health matters, and increasing the use of health care and attention inside and outside the home. High-quality family relationships can also act as a barrier to hospital delivery however. More broadly, high-quality relationships appear to motivate family members to do their best for women, but their best may not always be beneficial.