HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AMONG TRIBAL WOMEN

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess the health-seeking behaviour among tribal women in Chinnayellapur and
Bupathipet villages of Mahabubabad district of Telangana State. An ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study.
The study area was purposively selected, and 30 tribal women were selected through simple random sampling. Data were
collected using a structured interview schedule and analysed using frequency, percentage and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
The findings revealed that a majority (53.33%) of the respondents belonged to the 15–24 years age group, 30.00 per cent had
completed middle school education, 76.67 per cent belonged to nuclear families, 50.00 per cent had medium-sized families, and
63.33 per cent belonged to the low-income category. Correlation analysis indicated that educational status (r = 0.487, p < 0.01) and
household income (r = 0.541, p < 0.01) were positively and significantly associated with health-seeking behaviour, whereas age
(r = –0.312, p < 0.05) and family size (r = –0.256, p < 0.05) exhibited significant negative relationships. Family type showed a nonsignificant
association with health-seeking behaviour. The study concludes that socio-economic factors, particularly education and
income, significantly influence health-seeking behaviour among tribal women. Strengthening health awareness, improving educational
opportunities, and enhancing economic conditions are essential for promoting timely and appropriate healthcare utilization in tribal
communities.