Utilization of facilities of primary health center: a clients perspective.

The study presented in this paper aimed to know the quality of maternal health care delivery and determine the factors influencing such health services in a rural set-up of Madhya Pradesh as perceived by the receiver (client). Data for analysis were collected from a longitudinal study conducted in 1999 to understand the utilization of Child Survival and Safe Motherhood program components in the region. Differentials of maternal health care utilization were studied using data drawn from the National Family Health Survey 1. Overall findings confirm that women who are in a socioeconomic advantageous position are much more likely to utilize maternal health care services. The strongest influence is exerted by education of women: women who have some education are more likely to utilize maternal health services than women who have none. In addition women who have completed high school or higher education are about 4-10 times more likely than women with no education to utilize these services. Exposure to media encourages women to avail the health care services while employment has a negative effect on health care use. Religion has mixed effect and education and residence may absorb its effect on utilization.