Background The incidence of preterm birth and subsequent low birth weight (LBW) are vital global public health issues. It contributes to high infant and child mortality in the early stages of life and later on in adult life; it increases the risk for non-communicable diseases. The study aims to understand the socio-economic status-related inequality for LBW among children in India. It hypothesises that there is no association between the socio-economic status of the household and the newborn’s LBW in India. Methods The study utilised data from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey, a national representative cross-sectional survey conducted in 2015-16 (N = 127,141). The concentration index (CCI) and the concentration curve (CC) measured socio-economic inequality in low birth status among newborns. Wagstaff decomposition further analysed key contributors in CCI by segregating significant covariates. Results About 18.2% of children had low birth weight status. The value of concentration was − 0.05 representing that low birth weight status is concentrated among children from lower socio-economic status. Further, the wealth quintile explained 76.6% of the SES related inequality followed by regions of India (− 44%) and the educational status of mothers (43.4%) for LBW among children in India. Additionally, the body mass index of the women (28.4%), ante-natal care (20.8%) and residential status (− 15.7%) explained SES related inequality for LBW among children in India. Conclusion Adequate attention should be given to the mother’s nutritional status. Awareness of education and usage of health services during pregnancy should be promoted. Further, there is a need to improve the coverage and awareness of the ante-natal care (ANC) program. In such cases, the role of the health workers is of utmost importance. Programs on maternal health services can be merged with maternal nutrition to bring about an overall decline in the LBW of children in India.

Background Despite a significant increase in the skilled birth assisted (SBA) deliveries in India, there are huge gaps in availing maternity care services across social gradients - particularly across states and regions. Therefore, this study applies the spatial-regression model to examine the spatial distribution of SBA across districts of India. Furthermore, the study tries to understand the spatially associated population characteristics that influence the low coverage of SBA across districts of India and its regions. Methods The study used national representative cross-sectional survey data obtained from the fourth round of National Family Health Survey, conducted in 2015-16. The effective sample size was 259,469 for the analysis. Moran’s I statistics and bivariate Local Indicator for Spatial Association maps were used to understand spatial dependence and clustering of deliveries conducted by SBA coverage in districts of India. Ordinary least square, spatial lag and spatial error models were used to examine the correlates of deliveries conducted by SBA. Results Moran’s I value for SBA among women was 0.54, which represents a high spatial auto-correlation of deliveries conducted by SBA over 640 districts of India. There were 145 hotspots for deliveries conducted by SBA among women in India, which includes almost the entire southern part of India. The spatial error model revealed that with a 10% increase in exposure to mass media in a particular district, the deliveries conducted by SBA increased significantly by 2.5%. Interestingly, also with the 10% increase in the four or more antenatal care (ANC) in a particular district, the deliveries conducted by SBA increased significantly by 2.5%. Again, if there was a 10% increase of women with first birth order in a particular district, then the deliveries conducted by SBA significantly increased by 6.1%. If the district experienced an increase of 10% household as female-headed, then the deliveries conducted by SBA significantly increased by 1.4%. Conclusion The present study highlights the important role of ANC visits, mass media exposure, education, female household headship that augment the use of an SBA for delivery. Attention should be given in promoting regular ANC visits and strengthening women’s education.

Background: Growing untreated morbidities among the older adults on geriatric issues especially an optimal dental treatment has become an unfinished agenda and a long-neglected area for care and management in many low and middle-income countries. There is a continuous rise in the older population in India and at the same time, the rising of co-morbidities or multi-morbidities in the aging population creates catastrophic challenges at the individuals, household, community, and country levels, and therefore, it is important to address dental health problems and related issues in the aged population in India. The study aims to understand the prevalence of dental health problems and their health-seeking behaviour among older adults in India. Further, the study determines the factors associated with low access and under-coverage of dental health care services among the elderly populations in IndiaMethods: The present research used data from Building a Knowledge Base on Population Aging in India (BKPAI) which was a national level survey and was conducted in 2011, across seven states of India. The effective sample size of this study was 9541 older adults aged 60+ years. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were used to fulfill the study objectives. Additionally, the study employed the Heckprobit selection model which is a two-equation model to understand the determinants of dental health problems.Results: Older adults in the age group of 70-79 years (36.9%) and 80+ years (51.9%) reported higher dental problems compared to 60-69 years (19.9%), older women reported more dental problems (29.2%) and also used more dental aids (12.6%) compared to older men. Older adults in the age group 70-79 and 80+ years were 0.15 times and 0.40 times less likely to use dental aids respectively, as compared to 60-69 years older adults. Moreover, older women were 0.28 times more likely to use dental aids than older men. Education and wealth of older adults have a negative relationship with dental problems.Conclusion: This study clearly emphasized that awareness of smoking-related health problems should be promoted vigorously. Further, a holistic approach is needed to prevent dental diseases that occur because of other co-morbidities. For that, integration of the oral health program with programs dealing with morbidities can act as a solution to the existing problem.

For countries with high maternal mortality and morbidity, on-time initiation of antenatal care (ANC) is indispensable. Therefore this paper aims for studying the median survival time (MST) of first ANC among pregnant women as well as understanding the contextual factors that influence a mother’s decision to access ANC services in India. The study used cross-sectional survey data obtained from the NFHS-4 conducted in 2015–2016. The MST of the timing of the first ANC visit was estimated using the Kaplan-Meir estimate. A multivariate Cox-proportional hazard regression model was used to identify the factors related to the timing of the first ANC visit with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Overall at least one ANC checkup was assessed by 60.15% of women and the median survival time for the first ANC checkup was found to be 4 months. Early initiation of ANC in pregnant women increased by 37% (AHR: 1.37, CI:1.34–1.39) for primary education, and 88% (AHR:1.88, CI:1.86–1.90) for secondary education compared to women having no formal education. Results of the current study revealed that the median survival time of the first ANC visit was 4 months in India which is delayed compared to recommendations of WHO. Therefore boosting the access and utilization of antenatal care coverage among pregnant women can ensure the best health outcomes for their pregnancy.

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