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Health Care Seeking Behaviour among women in Delhi-NCR Region: An Exploratory Study
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Keywords

Healthcare-seeking
Behaviour
Reproductive health
Health policy

Categories

How to Cite

Deep, D. M., Annu Yadav, A., & V. N. Yadav. (2024). Health Care Seeking Behaviour among women in Delhi-NCR Region: An Exploratory Study. South India Journal of Social Sciences, 22(2), 128-136. https://doi.org/10.62656/SIJSS.v22i2.329

Abstract

Introduction: Health-seeking behaviour is conceptualised as a process of acquiring information which is essential to engage in medical decision-making. In different societies and cultural perspectives, women’s health is a part of discrimination and disadvantage. Additionally, it is a crucial aspect of managing the health of women, including the actions and decisions made to access healthcare services. Objective: The current study attempts to examine health-seeking behaviour among women residing in NCR, Delhi. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study, of participants of age above 20, residing in NCR Delhi, women were interviewed with the help of a pre-designed, pretested and semi-structured questionnaire, using snowball sampling to collect data and presented in proportions with confidence interval (95%). Results: A total of fifty participants were taken in this study. The majority of participants were aged 20 to 30 (56%), married (58%), and graduated and above (84%). The private clinic was found in most nearby healthcare facilities (50%). The study showed that 36% (CI: 22.92-50.81) of participants needed permission from their respective family members regarding health care services, and 16% were unable to decide independently regarding health care services. 36% (CI: 22.96-50.81) preferred “over-the-counter medicine (OTC)” without seeking a doctor’s consultation. Conclusions:  This study highlighted the importance of healthcare services and their proper awareness, accessibility, and availability since a significant proportion of women participants approached over-the-counter medications or preferred home remedies as their primary source of consultation. 

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