Morbidity among Slum Children of Mumbai City

Abstract

Childhood diseases are aggravated by lack of knowledge and facility for their care which in turn becomes more problematic if mothers come from low socio-economic strata where environmental problems remain at galore. This study selects the socio-economic, demographic and environmental variables at individual and community level from National Family Health Survey (1998-99). Bi-variate analysis and multivariate logistic regression has been done to arrive at the results. It is found that high proportions of children suffering from ARI are in Maha_Rural followed by slum and lesser proportion is in Urban Maharastra, among 0, 1, and 2 year age group. Impact of mothers' education on ARI is high in urban Maharashtra urban followed Maharashtra rural and less proportion is on Mumbai slum, as well as proportion having ARI is high in absence of more numbers of room and low in presence of more number of rooms like that in low SLI have higher proportion of having ARI except Mumbai slum. . It is suggested that intensive efforts are required to educate the masses, particularly those as the slum dwellers or living in far off rural areas regarding danger signs of diarrhea, ARI and pneumonia and its proper treatment.