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WOMEN IN DECISION MAKING RELATED TO HEALTH CARE UTLISATION: EMPOWERMENT Dr.Subhadra Iyengar, PhD. Prof. & HOD, Research Department, [email protected] & Prof.Elizabeth Jean Abraham , Professor In Medical Surgical Nursing, [email protected] PSG COLLEGE OF NURSING, COIMBATORE Introduction Women’s Health involves emotional, social and physical well-being. It is determined by social, political and economic and also geographical context of their lives. In India, among women, irrespective of variations in life style, using health care service as a preventive measure is not existing at all. Why Is It Like This? One major inderhence to this is the innocence on one side and ignorance on the other side. Next is ofcousre as common to all services is the lack of awareness. Economic and social inaccessibility is also one major cause, as many are not able to cater to essential services even for curative purpose. Then why this approach? We can never overlook the importance of the well pronounced slogan “ Prevention Is Better Then Cure”. Women at large are fortunate to have access to simple and effective information from mass media, where they enrich with safe tips for healthy life style. Central Objective An attempt is made to understand to what extent women at large are able to take decision on utuilisation of health care service. Mainly to understand how much they understand the need of preventive health care service, especially in relation to Cancer of Breast and Cervix. The main focus to assess the knowledge, attitude. Methodology A simulation ( stimulation) approach s followed. 500 women living in different socioeconomic and geographical dimensions were intrugued. Distribution in Each Class I- Health care Persons-5% II- Health Related institution-5% III- Highly Qualified & Holding High Post - 10% IV- High Income Residents - 10% V- Upper Middle Income Apartment -10% VI- Ladies Hostel -10% VII- Self Help Group -10% VIII- Sales Girls in Textile Shops IX- Urban Slum - 10% X- General population - 20% ( those not in any of the above) Distribution under General Population- in %. Random selection 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. SITRA- 1.5 Syrian Church Road- 2.0 P.N.Palyam-2.0 Patient’s Relatives- 6.1 Peelamedu (individual houses)-4.9 Irrugur- 4.3 Housing Unit-Peelamedu-4.9 Saibaba Colony- 2.5 Gandhipuram- 1.8 Nehru Nagar- 6.8 Podanur- 10.4 Vellalore-11.0 Sowaripalayam- 4.9 Arasur (Harijan colony)- 17.2 Singanallur- 0.6 PSG Estate- ( residence by PSG Mng- for Staff) -3.7 Veddapatti- 10.0 Ganapathi & Siddhapudur- 1.0 Table-1-Knowldeg And Attitude of Women Towarads Specific Health care Utilisation Sl.No Servic Healt es h Care Profe ssiona ls Worki ng In Healt h Relate d Instit ution Highl y Quali fied &Well Place d High Inco me Resid ential Com plex Uppe r Middl e Inco me Resid ence Ladie s Hoste l Self Help Grou p Sales Urba Girls n Textil Slum e Shops Gene ral Popul ation 1. Healt h Check -upEssen tial 88.0 100 100 93.33 90 90 90 100 80 91.25 2. BSE 93.33 88.88 80.95 100 100 65 50 66.66 60 47.87 3. Mam mogra m 57.77 44.44 47.62 93.33 60 40 20 10-0 20 53.4 4. Pap Smear 88.88 66.66 57.14 100 50 40 45 100 26.66 61.35 Decision on Family Planning By Women Women-in Per Cent 60 50 40 30 20 10 SELF SPOUSE 0 COUPLE Categories Knowledge of Women On Common Health Problems Obesity AIDS,HIV,STD 7% 15% 7% 9% 14% 10% 13% 12% Hypertension&Ostop orosis Ca.Cervix&Menopau se Ca.Breast Cancer &Menstural problem Diabetes 13% Malnutrition Tuberculosis Per Centage of Women Age At Marriage & First Conception Below 19 Years 80 60 40 20 0 General Population Urban Slum Self Help Group Women-Groups Age at Marriage First Conception Major Findings: 1.Socio-Economic: • Age ranged- 15 to 86 Years. One in 86 years • Education from illiterate to PhD, middle school • Income- Rs.1200 to 1,50,000 (Indian) • Married,Single, Widow Attitude Towards Utilisation Pattern 1. 2. 3. 4. Women working in Health related institution strongly agree that it health check-up is highly essential. As 100 % of women have agreed. This is because they have found numerous cases of AIDS,HIV, CANCER. Similarly women with very high educational qualification & occupation also feel that it is essential to undergo health checkup. This is the feature among women living in high income residential complex. These women not only have an attitude but also are able to practice due to social and economic accessibility. There are certain misnorms associated with AIDS and HIV as women working in Textile sector feel that only mode of transmission is through Sexual contact. They are ignorrant, about other means of transmission. It is rather unhappy to note that irrespective of propagation of healthy marriage, family, still large number of women in slum, and living in other rural-urban areas are married below 19 years. They also have had first conception by 16 years. These women are not belonging to 50 to 60 years but they belong to 24 to 35 years. Health Care Policy Implication: All KAP studies have proved that if people are enriched with knowledge and positive attitude they can be motivated to practice. Hence as this study has ear marked clearly that people do want to utilise health care for preventive purpose, health sector should cater to this. BSE is a cost effective, easy friendly method of women encouraging women to examine their breast and identify any abnormality. Therefore women need to be empowered with this knowledge through accessible services. Knowledge on importance of Pap Smear test and mammogram should be propagated through all medias. It is evidential that Government alone can not resolve to all problems and as like NGO’s even private sectors should be supported by Government through financial assistance or any other benefits to cater to women, needs at large. Empowerment of women helps them in decision making, and this need to be implemented through all media.