THE DILEMMA OF MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT: A BOON OR BANE FOR CHILD HEALTH

Abstract

Child health is vital for the country’s present and future as it has long lasting effects (Ettinger, 2004; Shin, 2007). It is considered to be a foundation for human capital for a country as it transforms into adolescent and adult health, and it helps to produce better health outcomes in the form of next generation. Child health conditions are often used to reflect the state of public health, quality of life and socioeconomic development situation of a country (Barr, 1993; Desai and Jain, 1994; Regina et al, 2010; Conti et al, 2013). Good health is a basic requirement and essential for the survival and overall development of all human beings, and better child health are the key sources for the survival of children as well as for all human beings (Ali, 2000; Som et al, 2007; Patra, 2008; Regina et al, 2010).

           The best method to measure the child health status is the condition of child health care and child health outcomes. Hence, to study the child health status, we must specifically focus on the child health in the form of child health care practices and child health outcomes separately (William Joe et al, 2008; Sen and Dreze, 2013). The extent of the child health problem is enormous in India. Approximately 50%, 20% and 43% of the children under age five are stunted, wasted and underweight, respectively. Anemia is a major problem among children in India; there are almost 70% children are anemic.[1] In addition, under age of five years, 15%, 9% children reported to suffer from fever, diarrhea in last two weeks before the survey and only around half of them were taken to a health facility. Regarding the child health care, less than half of the children under the age of 23 months are fully vaccinated. Only 46% children under the age of 6 months are exclusively breastfed, and most of them are not continuously get breastfeeding till recommended age (NFHS-3 survey report IIPS, 2007).

       The need for this study arises from the facts that provision of health care (especially postnatal) is inadequate in India. The demand and practices of child health care are multilateral, i. e, there are many factors involved in the demand and practices of this health care (Kanjilal et al, 2010; Fenske et al, 2013). Hence, status of child health care is not identical in the whole country, but it varies with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of child and mother (Murthi et al, 1995; Joe et al, 2008; Arnold, 2009). Thus, the inefficient demand and practice of health care is the result of multiple behavioral and practical factors, and most importantly maternal employment status and maternal education. Thus, this study seeks to explore that how maternal employment status, including the maternal education and other individual, household and place of residence level characteristics of child and mother. Regarding child health care, special attention is placed on immunization coverage, breastfeeding, and nutritional foods in this study.

          Poor child health care is responsible for poor child health outcomes and poor nutritional status of surviving children. Whereas, for child health outcomes, nutritional deficiency among children in terms of stunting, wasting, underweight and iron deficiency (anemia) are extremely important. Since, these are directly related to the short-term as well as long-term child health, and have a wider range of fluctuation across the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of child and mother (Jatrana, 2003; Som et al, 2007; Shin, 2007; Joe et al, 2008). Hence, apart from child health care, the degree of association between maternal employment status including other same characteristics of child and mothers with child health outcomes also calls for investigation. Stunting, underweight and anemia are the main indicators chosen for child health outcomes.

[1]  Which includes 26% is mildly, 40% are moderately, and 3% are severely anemic.

Child health is vital for the country’s present and future as it has long lasting effects (Ettinger, 2004; Shin, 2007). It is considered to be a foundation for human capital for a country as it transforms into adolescent and adult health, and it helps to produce better health outcomes in the form of next generation. Child health conditions are often used to reflect the state of public health, quality of life and socioeconomic development situation of a country (Barr, 1993; Desai and Jain, 1994; Regina et al, 2010; Conti et al, 2013). Good health is a basic requirement and essential for the survival and overall development of all human beings, and better child health are the key sources for the survival of children as well as for all human beings (Ali, 2000; Som et al, 2007; Patra, 2008; Regina et al, 2010).

           The best method to measure the child health status is the condition of child health care and child health outcomes. Hence, to study the child health status, we must specifically focus on the child health in the form of child health care practices and child health outcomes separately (William Joe et al, 2008; Sen and Dreze, 2013). The extent of the child health problem is enormous in India. Approximately 50%, 20% and 43% of the children under age five are stunted, wasted and underweight, respectively. Anemia is a major problem among children in India; there are almost 70% children are anemic.[1] In addition, under age of five years, 15%, 9% children reported to suffer from fever, diarrhea in last two weeks before the survey and only around half of them were taken to a health facility. Regarding the child health care, less than half of the children under the age of 23 months are fully vaccinated. Only 46% children under the age of 6 months are exclusively breastfed, and most of them are not continuously get breastfeeding till recommended age (NFHS-3 survey report IIPS, 2007).

       The need for this study arises from the facts that provision of health care (especially postnatal) is inadequate in India. The demand and practices of child health care are multilateral, i. e, there are many factors involved in the demand and practices of this health care (Kanjilal et al, 2010; Fenske et al, 2013). Hence, status of child health care is not identical in the whole country, but it varies with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of child and mother (Murthi et al, 1995; Joe et al, 2008; Arnold, 2009). Thus, the inefficient demand and practice of health care is the result of multiple behavioral and practical factors, and most importantly maternal employment status and maternal education. Thus, this study seeks to explore that how maternal employment status, including the maternal education and other individual, household and place of residence level characteristics of child and mother. Regarding child health care, special attention is placed on immunization coverage, breastfeeding, and nutritional foods in this study.

          Poor child health care is responsible for poor child health outcomes and poor nutritional status of surviving children. Whereas, for child health outcomes, nutritional deficiency among children in terms of stunting, wasting, underweight and iron deficiency (anemia) are extremely important. Since, these are directly related to the short-term as well as long-term child health, and have a wider range of fluctuation across the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of child and mother (Jatrana, 2003; Som et al, 2007; Shin, 2007; Joe et al, 2008). Hence, apart from child health care, the degree of association between maternal employment status including other same characteristics of child and mothers with child health outcomes also calls for investigation. Stunting, underweight and anemia are the main indicators chosen for child health outcomes.

[1]  Which includes 26% is mildly, 40% are moderately, and 3% are severely anemic.