Health Consciousness and Reproductive Behavior among Tharu Tribe of Uttar Pradesh – A Geographical Analysis

Abstract

     Health is the first need of a person or society, so it is necessary to be conscious of health. Keeping in mind that health consciousness and reproductive behavior are the major demographic aspects, the present study seeks to focus on the situation of health consciousness, utilization of modern medical facilities, social welfare programs, and socio-economic development level of Tharu society. The study is based on primary data which is collected from four Tharu prone districts of Uttar Pradesh.  The study concludes that health-seeking behavior is very poor in the Tharus of Terai. The families of remote Tharu villages and Danguria Tharus are less health-conscious in comparison to families of villages of growth centers and Rana Tharus. This is due to social and living condition, malnutrition, illiteracy, ignorance, superstition, improper and poor sanitation, lack of safe drinking water facilities, unawareness of health education, underutilization of health resources, cultural lags, poorly developed mass media, poor medical and health facilities, and infrastructure, etc. So we have to adopt strategies and methodologies which would integrate their traditional method with western medicine in the preventive and curative tribal health system. The Tharu peoples living in Tharuhat are suffering from nutritional anemia, malaria, and iodine deficiency. Due to socio-cultural and economic changes considerable nutritional and protein deficiency is marked in peoples. So we should try to break up the wine drinking tradition among Tharus and to uplift the socio-economic status, educational awareness, and health care facilities, with protecting the cultural qualities of the Tharus.

Key words -  Health Consciousness, Reproductive Behavior, Tharu Tribe, Geographical Analysis etc.