Impact of Women’s Education on Maternal Health Outcomes: Evidence from NFHS Data in Delhi

Abstract

Background: Women education plays significant role in improving maternal health and child health care. The aim of this study is to investigates the impact of women’s education on maternal health outcomes in Delhi, India.

Methods: Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis across between the two rounds of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015-16) and NFHS- 5 (2019-2021) data were used for the analysis. The study is based on Delhi women (15-49 years age group) education and maternal health care. The data analysed on excel sheet by applying t- test on women education and maternity care indicators in Delhi extracted from NFHS-4 and NFHS-5.

Results: The analysis reveals that there is significant improvement in NFHS-5 survey as compare to NFHS-4 on educational, maternal health and child health indicators percentage.  Education among women positively influences key maternal health indicators, including nutritional status, antenatal care visits, and consumption of iron-folic acid supplements during pregnancy. Women with more than 10 years of schooling consistently demonstrate superior maternal health outcomes compared to those with no or primary education.

Conclusion: The findings underscore the critical role of women’s education in improving health awareness and practices, contributing to better maternal and child health.