Reproductive Health Status of Rural Women in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: In India, the dietary patterns and lifestyle has considerably changed in the recent past. This
has considerably altered the reproductive physiology of women, thereby making them susceptible for
various problems. One of the most important factors influencing a woman’s reproductive health is pelvic
inflammatory disease. This study was carried out to evaluate the reproductive health status of rural women
in South India.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1233 women of the reproductive age group
residing in a rural area of Coimbatore district. A structured interview schedule was used to obtain information
regarding sociodemographic, menstrual, lifestyle and reproductive health status of the study participants.
Results: It was observed that pelvic inflammatory disease was present in 5.1%, anemia in 5.3%, Type 2
Diabetes Mellitus in 2.1%, Thyroid disorders in 4.1%. Majority of the participants had BMI between 18.5-
?23 (47.7%). Primary infertility was present in 8.43% of the study participants.
Conclusion: This study has highlighted that although the actual prevalence of reproductive health problems
isfairly low, the risk factors for reproductive health problems, namely overweight and obesity, anemia, lack
of physical activity and irregular menstrual cycles were significantly higher.