Navigating Care: Maternal Health Practices Among Jatav Women in Rural North India

Abstract (English)

Maternal health is an important facet of public health concerns, because it carries an impactful role upon health of future generations. The resources, relationships and cultural ideologies are the critical role-players in shaping the diorama of women’s experience during pregnancy. This article is an attempt to provide an anthropological perspective of the health-seeking behaviour and maternal healthcare practices present among the rural Jatav women in Bulandshahr district, India.
Using the case study method, data collection was undertaken as part of the pilot study for my doctoral research. A semi-structured interview schedule was employed, alongside the documentation of information from government-issued maternal health cards. Data were collected from six rural pregnant women residing in Baral village, located in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The case studies focus upon rural pregnant women from the Jatav community (categorized under the Scheduled Castes in India), with participants representing different economic groups. Despite a shared caste identity, notable differences emerged in dietary and healthcare practices. Participants from relatively higher economic groups preferred a vegetarian diet, supplemented with fruits and exhibited a stronger inclination toward private healthcare services. In contrast, those from lower economic groups tended to adhere to traditional dietary habits and relied more on home-based remedies and traditional medicine men for healthcare. Government healthcare services, although equally accessible to both groups, were utilized more frequently by those from lower economic backgrounds.