(Withdrawn) Does women’s age matter in the utilization of health care services during pregnancy?

Lucky Singh, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Prashant Kumar Singh, Doctoral Candidate, International Institute For Population Sciences (IIPS)

The reproductive health situation has changed significantly over the last decades in India. The infant mortality (57/1,000) and unmet need for contraception (13%) has decline over decades. The other indicators are disturbing, such as early marriage and early childbearing, slow pace of fertility decline and low levels of safe delivery. Despite increased policy and programmatic commitments, nearly half of 20-24 year-old women were married before age 18 and one in six women in 15-19 year have begun childbearing. This study compares the utilization of health service during pregnancy among young and older women in Maharashtra based on Indian National Family Health Survey-3. The analysis shows that age of women is important in determining the utilization of health care services. The women in the younger age group have lesser utilization of health care services than the older women. The education of women and her partner are also found to be important.