Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY2075

Health Care Management and Health Seeking

Behavior among Women at Selected
Communities, Chennai
Christina Rachel C1.; Dr. Banumathi.K2; Kesiyaruth Amirthakumari.R.3; Dr. Senbahavalli.V 4.
1
Assistant Professor, 2,3Associate Professor, 4Professor
Department of Community Health Nursing, Apollo College of Nursing, Chennai

Abstract:- Health is an important factor that not only utilization of health services to the community particularly
contributes to human well-being, but also aids in women. (Reddy, 2020).
economic growth globally. The most important to note is
that, women’s health concerns are numerous. Though Globally, about 800 women die every day of
Women are the important pillar of the family and the preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and
society and the primary caretakers in every country of 20 per cent of these women are from India. Seven of the top
the world, they suffer more and have poorer health 10 causes of death in women in India are Non-
outcomes around the world. With this focus this study Communicable Diseases, led by heart attacks, stroke and
aimed to assess the health care management and health respiratory diseases. India’s anemia burden among women
seeking behavior among women. This is a quantitative is widespread, with 53.2 per cent of non-pregnant women
research methodology with a descriptive correlational and 50.4 per cent of pregnant women being anemic. (NFHS,
research design. 130 women were chosen using 2016). Despite taking necessary action to improve health
convenient sampling. Informed consent was obtained. indicators and providing healthcare for all, the government
They were given background variables proforma, must also focus on the implementation and execution at all
health-related variable proforma, a rating scale for levels. Achieving sustainable health through investment and
health care management, and a multiple-choice priority-driven approach in strengthening and expanding
questionnaire for health screening and health seeking healthcare services and creating awareness on women’s
behavior. The information gathered was organized and rights will effectuate in achieving Universal Health
analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The Coverage with special focus on India. (Kasthuri, 2018)
results revealed that women had moderately adequate
health care management (60%), 36.8% of them had Female healthcare providers can play an important role
adequate health care management and only 3.82% had in educating society to recognize their health and nutrition
inadequate health care management. Health screening needs as well. Empowering women at all levels would help
among women revealed that more than half of them them to serve as productive members of society and develop
checked their blood pressure (56.9%), blood sugar level healthy generations. (Chauhan, 2015)
(56.9%) and hemoglobin level (56.2%), less than half of
them assessed their thyroid level (30%) and 34.6% had II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
done the breast self-examination, 12.3% of them were
underdone Mammogram and only 26.2% has done Pap Martinez-Marcos (2015) conducted a grounded theory
smear testing within 1 year. 37.7% and 32.3% of the study on the topic Women's self-management of chronic
women seek allopathy medical practitioner in private illnesses in the context of caregiving among 39 women
and government setup, 26.2% see traditional healers and caregivers with a chronic illness. Semi structured interviews
only 3.8% seek AYUSH. and focus group interviews were done for data collection.
Results revealed that self-management helps women
I. INTRODUCTION caregivers with a chronic illness to balance the demands of
their own illness and those of the dependent relative. They
Health is an important factor that not only contributes self-manage their illness by self-regulating the treatment, by
to human well-being, but also aids in economic growth regulating their strength and by controlling their emotions.
globally. The most important to note is that, women’s health
concerns are numerous. Women are the important pillar of A cross sectional study on self-management, health
the family and the society. They are the primary caretakers service use and information seeking for diabetes care among
in every country of the world, but still, they suffer more and black Caribbean immigrants in Toronto was conducted by
have poorer health outcomes around the world. Health Hyman (2014). Using structured questionnaire, Interviews
seeking behavior is one of the important determinants of were conducted among 48 Black-Caribbean immigrants and
women health. Identifying and Understanding health 54 Canadian-born participants with type 2 diabetes. The
seeking behavior is essential to provide need-based health results revealed was significant among Black-Caribbean
care services and develop strategies for improving immigrants compared to the Canadian-born group in

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Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY2075

recommended diabetes self-management practices (i.e., providers in Surat. Pre-designed, Pretested and semi-
reduced fat diet, reduced carbohydrate diet, non-smoking structured questionnaire was used to collect the data on
and regular physical activity) and receive regular A1C and reproductive and general health care seeking behavior. The
eye screening by a health professional. More than the results revealed that the health care providers and their
Canadian-born group, the Black-Caribbean immigrant family members utilized private sector for approximately
participants were significantly more likely to report 70% of the general health problems. Health care providers
receiving diabetes information and care through a and their family members having a lower socioeconomic
Community Health Centre (CHC) and nurses and dieticians. status utilized the government services more. (P<0.05).

A cross sectional study to assess the health seeking III. METHODOLOGY

behavior and its determinants among 400 attendees of urban
health center, Dharavi, Mumbai, India was done by Patil et This is a quantitative research methodology with a
al (2016). The samples were selected through systematic descriptive correlational research design. Having acquiring
random sampling from. Using predesigned, pretested semi ethical clearance and setting permission, study participants
structured questionnaire, the data was collected. The study were chosen using convenient sampling. Following self-
findings revealed that only 34% were aware and thought to introduction, researchers obtained informed consent from
be healthy. More than 75% preferred government services study participants. They were given background variables
during major illness and followed home remedies for the proforma, health-related variable proforma, a rating scale for
minor illnesses. The study also concluded that it is necessary health care management, and a multiple-choice
to create awareness about health and reduce the time gap questionnaire for health screening and health seeking
between symptom and health care services. behavior. The information gathered was organized and
analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Anjali et al (2014) carried out a descriptive study on
health seeking behavior among 315 women healthcare

IV. RESULTS

Table 1 represents that majority of them had moderately adequate health care management (60%), 36.8% of them had adequate
health care management and only 3.82% had inadequate health care management.
Health Care Management Score f %
Poor Health Care Management 1 – 14 - -
Inadequate Health Care Management 15 – 28 5 3.82
Moderately Adequate Health Care Management 29 – 42 78 60
Adequate Health Care Management 43 - 55 47 36.18

Fig 1: reveals the health screening variables among women, more than half of them had checked their blood pressure (56.9%),
blood sugar level (56.9%) and hemoglobin level (56.2%), less than half of them assessed their thyroid level (30%) and 34.6%
have done the breast self-examination, 12.3% of them have underdone Mammogram and only 26.2% has done Pap smear testing
within 1 year.

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Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY2075

In the aspect of health screening, the present study

findings revealed reveals more than half of them checked
their blood pressure (56.9%), blood sugar level (56.9%) and
hemoglobin level (56.2%), less than half of them assessed
their thyroid level (30%) and 34.6% had done the breast self-
examination, 12.3% of them had underdone Mammogram
and only 26.2% had done Pap smear testing within 1 year.
This study finding is in better discussion with the findings
of a cross-sectional study on Self-Management, Health
Service Use and Information Seeking for Diabetes Care
among Black Caribbean Immigrants in Toronto, conducted
by Hyman (2014). The results were significant among
Black-Caribbean immigrants compared to the Canadian-
born group in recommended diabetes self-management
practices (i.e., reduced fat diet, reduced carbohydrate diet,
non-smoking and regular physical activity) and receive
Fig 2: Represents the First Contact for Physical Illness, i.e., regular A1C and eye screening by a health professional.
37.7% and 32.3% of the Women Seek Allopathy Medical More than the Canadian-born group, the Black-Caribbean
Practitioner in Private and Government Setup, 26.2% see immigrant participants were more significantly likely to
Traditional Healers and only 3.8% Seek AYUSH. report receiving diabetes information and care through a
Community Health Centre (CHC) and nurses and dieticians.

The present study findings revealed, the first contact

for physical illness, i.e., 37.7% and 32.3% of the women
seek allopathy medical practitioner in private and
government setup, 26.2% see traditional healers and only
3.8% seek AYUSH. The predominant / most common
contact for physical illness of women, i.e., 36.2% of the
women seek traditional healers, 32.3% seek allopathy
medical practitioner in private setup and government setup,
only 2.3% seek AYUSH. The above study findings are
supported by the results of a community based descriptive
study done by Chauhan (2015) to assess the determinants of
health care seeking behavior among 559 Participants in a
rural coastal area of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu,
India. The result revealed, that majority of 56.4% visited the
public health facilities for various illnesses, about one-third
of them visited the private health facilities and very less of
11.6% visited other health facilities including pharmacies.
Febrile illnesses (39.5%) and pain (20.8%) were the most
common reasons for visiting a health care facility.
Fig 3: represents the Alternate Treatment Modalities among
Women, 37.8% do Yoga, 20% Use Other Treatment, 15.6% Out of 130 women, 34.61% use complimentary/
use Acupressure and Acupuncture, 6.6% use Siddha alternative treatment whereas more than half of them
Medicine and 4.4% follow Physiotherapy. (65.39%) does not use any complimentary/ alternative
treatment. Among those who use complimentary /
V. DISCUSSION alternative treatment, 37.8% do Yoga, 20% use other
treatment, 15.6% use acupressure and acupuncture, 6.6%
Health care management among women revealed that use Siddha medicine and 4.4% follow physiotherapy. In the
majority of 60% had moderately adequate health care present study, health seeking behavior of women for their
management 36.8% of them had adequate health care relatives’ illness revealed that 34.6% of the women refer
management and only 3.82% had inadequate health care their relatives to seek allopathy medical practitioner in
management. This result can be discussed with the study private setup, 31.5% refer to seek traditional healers, 30.8%
conducted by Camerini (2012) on Differential effects of refer to seek allopathy medical practitioner in government
health knowledge and health empowerment over patients' setup and only 3.1% refer to seek AYUSH. This result can
self-management and health outcomes among 209 be discussed with the descriptive study conducted by Anjali
fibromyalgia Patients. The results revealed that knowledge et al (2014) on health seeking behavior among 315 women
and three empowerment dimensions were found to healthcare providers in Surat. The results revealed that the
positively impact health outcomes. Self-management, in health care providers and their family members utilized
terms of physical exercise and drug intake, was found to be private sector for approximately 70% of the general health
a strong predictor of health outcomes. problems. Health care providers and their family members

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Volume 9, Issue 5, May – 2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165 https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/IJISRT24MAY2075

having a lower socioeconomic status utilized the [5]. Camerini, L., Schulz, P. J., & Nakamoto, K. (2012).
government services more. (P<0.05). Differential effects of health knowledge and health
empowerment over patients' self-management and
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