Does Illiteracy Influence Pregnancy Complications among Women in Slums in Greater Mumbai

Vijay M. Sarode, Mulund College of Commerce

This paper examines utilization of health services available to the women in the slums on hilly area in Mumbai and also checks whether non-utilization of ANC and having reproductive health problems during pregnancy create complications during child delivery vis-à-vis standard of living index constructed from household amenities, housing quality, drinking water and electricity. This study uses primary data collected using cluster sampling of a sample size of 346 reproductive women who have given at least one live birth prior to the survey on the education of the study women, reproductive health problems during pregnancy and complications during child delivery The findings using logistic regression reveal unimaginably low level of utilization of health services by illiterate women. Besides these respondents did not go for ANC and faced reproductive health problems during pregnancy which created problems during child delivery. This paper suggests that awareness is required at every stage of ANC.