Role of Demographic and Socio-economic Factors for Influencing on Utilization of Maternal Health Care Services Among the Scheduled Tribe Women: An Experience from the EAG States of India

Maternal health is a significant public health issue in India's Empowered Action Group (EAG) states. Reducing maternal mortality is greatly helped by the proper use of maternal health care services. In the EAG states of India, the study intended to investigate how socio-economic and demographic factors affect maternal health care services for women who belong to scheduled tribes (ST). Data for the study have been primarily gathered from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey in the years 2019-2021 and 17,870 women from scheduled tribes who were in the age range of 15-49 and had at least one live birth in the 5 years before to the survey were included in the sample. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) has been utilized to identify socio-economic and demographic determinants at various levels for utilizing maternity health care services among women from scheduled tribes. The findings of this study reveal that several socio-economic and demographic characteristics at the personal and interpersonal, social and community, and organizational and policy levels were consistently highly influenced by the use of maternal health care services. Full antenatal care of women has been significantly affected by several factors, including higher maternity age (OR = 1.21, CI: 0.998-1.484), higher education (OR = 1.22, CI: 0.964-1.551), working women (OR = 1.41, CI: 1.079-1.839), age at first birth over 18 years (OR = 1.36, CI: 1.151-1.604), higher birth order (OR = 0.78, CI: 0.670-0.899), exposure to mass media (OR = 1.53, CI: 1.368-1.705), and distance to health facilities (OR = 0.91 CI: 0.820-1.003). Significant factors that have influenced delivery by skilled birth attendants included higher education (OR = 2.62 CI: 1.729-3.982), older age at first birth (OR = 1.28, CI: 1.121-1.472), mass media exposure (OR = 1.46, CI: 1.305-1.623), higher wealth quintile (OR = 2.92, CI: 1.949-4.379), and health insurance (OR = 1.70, CI: 1.530-1.895). Maternity age (OR = 1.33, CI: 1.045-1.696), working women (OR = 1.32, CI: 0.959-1.818), and place of rural residence (OR = 0.73, CI: 0.571-0.932) are the factors influencing the use of postnatal check-ups. The study sought to identify the specific socio-economic and demographic components that substantially impact the use of maternal health services among women from scheduled tribes in India's EAG states. In order to improve maternity care services, the study recommended that the government pay attention to better access to maternal health care services and design appropriate health care policies among the socio-economically disadvantaged and demographic vulnerabilities of women in the scheduled tribe community.