Child and maternal health vulnerability among the indigenous population in India: Based on cross-sectional data NFHS 2015-16

Abstract

: Large inequalities in health exist between indigenous and non-indigenous populations worldwide. Indigenous populations have poorer health outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts do. This study aimed to examine child and maternal health vulnerability among the indigenous population in the country. The data for the present study was extracted from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-IV), which was conducted from 2015–16. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate the predicted prevalence of child and maternal morbidities in the social group. Social stratification is a major determinant of health inequality in a country’s indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Compared to non-indigenous women, indigenous women have a higher risk of asthma, cancer, and heart disease. Similarly, in the indigenous community, children are more vulnerable to stunting, wasting, and being underweight, mostly because they belong to the poorest economic households. The spatial analysis shows that the north-eastern state of Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh was a higher prevalence of women’s asthma and heart diseases and central regions have a higher prevalence of child stunting, wasting, and infant mortality. The disparities in health between indigenous and non-indigenous populations are expanding owing to the distribution of various types of resources, demographic factors, and socioeconomic position. There is a need for policies and programs, especially for Scheduled Tribes, to promote their well-being in general, but also to reduce the child and maternal morbidity of the most vulnerable indigenous groups.