Table 1 Demographic, socioeconomic, pregnancy and birth-related characteristics and maternal health service utilization determinants of children aged 0–23 months and 0–5 months in India, 2019-21

External environment factors

Region

North

11,269

13.25

1,098

15.18

1,204

15.39

1,124

14.62

Central

23,746

27.92

2,107

29.13

2,367

30.24

2,422

31.5

East

22,328

26.26

1,851

25.59

1,941

24.81

1,862

24.21

Northeast

3,016

3.55

262

3.62

254

3.25

247

3.21

West

10,390

12.22

844

11.66

789

10.08

806

10.48

South

14,288

16.8

1,072

14.82

1,271

16.23

1,229

15.98

Place of residence

Urban

22,096

25.98

1,724

23.84

1,876

23.98

1,974

25.67

Rural

62,941

74.02

5,510

76.16

5,950

76.02

5,716

74.33

Demographic & socioeconomic characteristics

Maternal age at childbirth (years)

Less than 20

26,683

31.38

2,157

29.81

2,243

28.66

2,299

29.9

20–29

55,634

65.42

4,803

66.4

5,342

68.26

5,153

67.01

30+

2,719

3.2

274

3.79

242

3.09

237

3.08

Religion

Hindu

67,683

79.59

5,800

80.18

6,244

79.78

6,014

78.21

Others

17,354

20.41

1,434

19.82

1,582

20.22

1,676

21.79

Caste of mother

SC

19,722

23.19

1,744

24.1

1,872

23.93

1,756

22.83

ST

8,671

10.2

774

10.7

806

10.29

776

10.09

OBC

37,202

43.75

3,175

43.88

3,471

44.35

3,377

43.91

Others

19,442

22.86

1,542

21.32

1,677

21.43

1,782

23.17

Wealth index

Poorest

20,252

23.82

1,796

24.82

1,821

23.27

1,848

24.03

Poor

18,353

21.58

1,683

23.26

1,675

21.4

1,659

21.57

Middle

16,942

19.92

1,400

19.35

1,600

20.44

1,477

19.21

Richer

15,878

18.67

1,344

18.58

1,532

19.58

1,402

18.23

Richest

13,612

16.01

1,011

13.98

1,198

15.31

1,304

16.95

Maternal education level

No education

15,788

18.57

4,160

18.29

1,323

16.91

1,415

18.4

Primary

9,515

11.19

2,536

11.15

829

10.59

885

11.51

Secondary and above

59,733

70.24

16,053

70.56

5,674

72.5

5,389

70.08

Maternal mass-media exposure

Not Exposed

23,888

28.09

6,447

28.34

2,191

28

2,115

27.51

Exposed

61,149

71.91

16,303

71.66

5,635

72

5,575

72.49

Pregnancy & birth-related characteristics

Desire of pregnancy

Wanted then

78,117

91.86

20,746

91.19

7,139

91.22

7,032

91.44

Wanted later/ no more wanted

6,920

8.14

2,004

8.81

687

8.78

658

8.56

Preterm birth

No

74,604

87.73

19,825

87.14

6,836

87.35

6,709

87.24

Yes

10,433

12.27

2,925

12.86

990

12.65

981

12.76

Sex of the child

Male

43,911

51.64

11,681

51.34

4,056

51.83

3,933

51.14

Female

41,126

48.36

11,069

48.66

3,770

48.17

3,757

48.86

Maternal health service utilization

Number of ANC

4 + times

48,211

56.69

13,136

57.74

4,547

58.1

4,332

56.33

1–3 times

28,597

33.63

8,081

35.52

2,740

35.01

2,807

36.51

None

8,229

9.68

1,533

6.74

539

6.89

551

7.16

Place of delivery

Institutional delivery

77,144

90.72

6,534

90.32

7,130

91.11

6,980

90.76

Delivery at home

7,893

9.28

700

9.68

696

8.89

710

9.24

Mode of delivery

Non-Caesarean section

64,919

76.34

17,318

76.12

5,963

76.2

5,741

74.66

Caesarean section

20,118

23.66

5,432

23.88

1,863

23.8

1,949

25.34

Postnatal care services

No check

14,886

17.51

3,954

17.38

1,344

17.18

1,288

16.75

Doctor

43,125

50.71

11,318

49.75

3,964

50.66

3,828

49.78

Nurse/Midwife

24,561

28.88

6,798

29.88

2,291

29.27

2,346

30.5

Non-skilled provider

2,464

2.9

680

2.99

227

2.9

228

2.97

Total

100

85,037

100

7,234

100

7,826

100

7,690