International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Curative Health-Seeking Behaviour and Service Utilization among Women in Rural Odisha: An Empirical Analysis

The health of women becomes an important factor in determining the growth of a country, while the ability to seek curative healthcare services may be hindered by various socio-cultural and structural factors. Curative health seeking behavior refers to the actions taken in seeking cure from an already existing illness.This paper explores the therapeutic healthcare seeking behavior of women in Balasore district, Odisha, India, using empirical research methods. The goal is to discover how women choose the various sources of medical treatment that they use.An empirical research approach was followed, whereby data was generated by means of a structured questionnaire administered to women in rural and urban blocks of the Balasore district in order to examine the impact of women’s socio-demographic factors on healthcare utilization.The findings clearly show that they are the primary providers for therapeutic services among the survey respondents. A large number of women indicated that they delay seeking medical attention mainly because of financial reasons, lack of autonomy in decision making at home, and the distance between them and the healthcare facility. It was found that socio-demographic factors such as education, household income, and proximity to facilities largely impact the trend from non-formal healthcare to formal healthcare.This study underscores the importance of recognizing the fact that even though there is the existence of healthcare facilities in the district of Balasore, the uptake behavior of women differs according to socio-economic levels. To encourage increased uptake of curative health care services, the government should intervene by lowering costs of services, enhancing the quality of health facilities, and sensitizing women. Key Words: Curative Healthcare, Healthcare-Seeking Behavior, Utilization Patterns, Women's Health, Odisha.