Factors affecting women’s health seeking behaviour in Odisha: Evidence from national family health survey

Abstract

Sustainable Development Goal 3 ensures health and well-being for all. It aims to achieve universal access to healthcare and provide everybody the access to safe and effective medicines. Keeping this in view, objective of this study is to analyse the health seeking behaviour among women in Odisha. For the purpose, NFHS-3 (2005-06) data are used, and both bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques are applied. The results imply that around three-fourths of the women have economic constraint in accessing healthcare. Distance to healthcare is also a major constraint in accessing healthcare. Multivariate analysis shows that women’s education, their exposure to mass media and wealth index have significant relationship with constraint in accessing healthcare by women. Further, social stigma and communication barriers also play their roles to sustain the unsuitable health seeking behaviour by women. Therefore, an integrated and structural approach is necessary to create awareness and correct the common constraints encountered in the process of health seeking among women.