Health-Seeking Behavior and Its Determinants among Mine Workers in the Karauli District of Rajasthan in India

Background: Mine workers often need healthcare services in order to continue working without discomfort, making accessible and affordable healthcare a necessity. As the duration of working in mines is prolonged, there is a high chance of having an adverse effect on health. One of the important factors that influence the severity of disease among mine workers is their health-seeking behavior. The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between health-seeking behaviors by mine workers and their socio-demographic characteristics. Method: This is a quantitative, cross-sectional study conducted in the Karauli district of Rajasthan, India, during the period of May to September 2014. A total of 218 mine workers (exposed group) in 10 randomly selected villages were approached for participation. At the same time, a total of 203 eligible persons (a mix of occupational groups of people from the same villages) were also interviewed for comparison purposes. Data regarding the utilization of healthcare services during the past 12 months along with socio-demographic information were recorded. Data were analyzed with chi (2) and bivariate logistic regression statistical techniques. Results: Healthcare services were used by 73% of the workers in the past 12 months. With regard to working status, 80% of the mine workers and 66% of the non-mine workers availed themselves of healthcare services. Among the mine workers, the main reason for using healthcare services was respiratory illness (45%); among the comparison group, it was infection (21%). Logistics regression analysis found that the mine workers were more likely to require utilization of healthcare than the subjects in the comparison group were. The factors associated with utilization of healthcare services included the caste, BMI, and self-reported illness of the workers. Conclusion: Healthcare utilization patterns in the Karauli district revealed high utilization rates among mine workers over 12 months. Mainly respiratory illness was found to be the reason for healthcare utilization among mine workers. However, due to indifferent services they were frequently compelled to pay for private healthcare.