Maternal health-care service use among rural-urban migrants in Mumbai, India

Previous studies of migrants’ health-seeking behaviour have demonstrated that migrants under-utilize health services in their new environment owing to problems of access, urban assimilation and the continuation of traditional rural practices (Tam, 1994; Zulkifli and others, 1994; Bender and others, 1993; Davidson, 1983; Uyanga 1983). Migrants, however, have been shown to increase their utilization of services relative to those remaining in rural areas (Tam, 1994). This study examines the maternal health-seeking behaviour of rural-urban migrants in a slum pocket of Mumbai. The objective of this study is to identify and compare the nature, prevalence and typology of maternal and child health service utilization by rural-urban migrant and non-migrant populations in Maharashtra, India. At the same time, the research aims to identify key social, cultural and economic influences on service utilization and suggest possible ways to increase the use of maternal health-care services among recent migrants to Mumbai.