IJCM₇4A: Reproductive health problems and its determinants among the tribal women in Wayanad, Kerala; a cross sectional study.

Background: India has the largest proportion of tribal population, and there is a growing concern about the maternal and reproductive health of women, particularly those who are marginalized. In Kerala, the maternal and reproductive health indicators of tribal women exhibit notable variations compared to other social groups. Objectives: 1) To estimate the prevalence of reproductive health problems among the tribal women in Wayanad district. 2)To assess the factors associated with reproductive health problems. Methodology: A convenience sampling method was employed to conduct a cross-sectional study involving 300 tribal women aged 15-49 in Kalpatta, Wayanad district. The study gathered information on sociodemographic factors, reproductive health issues, hygienic practices, and anthropometric details through a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into MS Excel, and the analysis was carried out using SPSS 21.0. Results: The mean age of the participants is 30.4±10.3 years. The prevalence of reporting any reproductive health issue is 16.3%, with 10.7% reporting two symptoms and 14.7% reporting three or more while 58.3% had no symptoms. The most common symptom is abnormal vaginal discharge with itching (57.1%). Among the participants, 64.5% are currently married, with 41.7% having low BMI, 55% use smokeless tobacco products,93.7% maintain good hygienic practices and 18.7% experienced pregnancy wastage. Occupation status and hygienic practices were found to be significantly associated with reproductive health problems. Conclusion: Adhering to appropriate hygiene practices in daily life, including menstruation, can minimize prevalent reproductive health issues among women in tribal communities.