Fertility and Pregnancy Rate: A Comparative Study between Urban and Rural Tribal Areas
Authors:   Associate Professor & Head  School of Anthropology & Tribal Studies, Bastar University, Jagdalpur: 494001, Dist: Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India., Kumar Kolay Swapan , D. Mahant Sushila ,   Research Scholar, School of Anthropology & Tribal Studies, Bastar University, Jagdalpur: 494001, Dist: Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India.
Published: September 2022

Demographic transition as well as urbanisation is a great factor of the socio-economic behaviour of tribal communities but it is also affecting their health status because simple tribal people have ability to adopt themselves in their habitation throughout their life span whereas impact of alien environment and uprooting from their habitat and settlement in another place generating fertility and pregnancy associated problems amongst them. Fertility rate is usually defined by the total live birth within the fertile age group but pregnancy rate measures the actual parameters of having child (Child Birth) which is based on total live birth, total abortion and loss of foetus. Hence it is hypothesised that the pregnancy rate is absolutely related to the wealth and education level of the tribal population in both rural and urban areas. With above background and hypothesis, the main objective of the study is to find out the fertility and pregnancy rate by residence and find out its associate factors which are responsible for high and low pregnancy rate. Secondary literature review and primary data collection are the basic tools of this research paper whereas District Level Health Survey Report 3, Sample Registration Report (2009), Annual Health Survey Report (2011) and different published articles, news, Internet and books have been followed as review and primary data are gathered from field work by pre tested structured schedule with the help of interview and Focus Group Discussions. The Specific formulas are used to find out the rate of pregnancy and its associated measures which are correlated with economy and education of the target group. After analysis results /findings are justified with secondary literature. For the study purpose tribal dominating village Nerli and urban area Bacheli of district south Bastar Dantewada, Chhattisgarh had been selected. The total live birth is 28 point less than the TLB of rural areas whereas abortion rate is 52.06 point high in urban area along with the loss of foetus is also 10 point high in that area in same income group. Hence, the high abortion rate and loss of foetus had been seen in low wealth quintile in urban population while abortion rate and loss of foetus were high in the middle wealth quintile category in rural areas. It is positive result of our research that the abortion rate and loss of foetus both are comparatively low in high wealth quintile group in both rural and urban areas as compare to low and middle economy group. In account of literacy the abortion rate and loss of foetus were lower amongst literate people of urban (141.76) and rural areas (98.55) as compared to illiterate people of both residential areas (urban: 180.46 and rural: 73.16) but it has been significant of the study is both abortion with 43.21 point and loss of foetus with 1 point high in rate in urban population rather than rural population. The findings of our study are the evident about the tribal population who had been resided in urban areas had lower pregnancy rate (242.67) and also low fertility rate (2.3) with higher abortion (322.22) and higher rate of the loss of foetus (6.1) which plays an essential role of declining in their population in Chhattisgarh. In order to solve the fertility and pregnancy related problems there is a need of assessment by anthropologists and medical practitioners together to find out the pregnancy and fertility related socio-physical factors for their betterment.