An Empirical Analysis of Health Seeking Behaviour and Health Care Utilization among Paliyar Tribe: Challenges, Prospects and Opportunities

Research Article

Abstract

Tribals constitute a considerable proportion of the total Indian population. The health seeking behaviour of the tribal population is determined by their ecology and culture. Most of the tribal populations use traditional healing methods and do not use the primary health services provided by the government due to a number of barriers. Hence, the healthcare utilization among tribal population is a topic of research and focus. In Tamilnadu there are 36 tribal communities. One such tribal community in Kodaikanal taluk is Paliyar tribes. Based on their pattern of living, paliyar tribes can be grouped into three subgroups, namely, nomadic, semi-nomadic and sedentary community. The paliyar community is the most dominant of all tribal communities. The families of this tribe move across non-timber forests in search of food and stay in rock caves. They still rely of medicinal plants for the cure and treatment of several disorders and illness.
The objective behind the study was to assess the pattern and explore the perspectives for health seeking behaviour and utilization of health services by paliyar tribes in kodaikanal taluk in Tamilnadu. In order to fulfill the objectives, a cross-sectional study was performed over a period of 6 months. The study participants were aged 18 years and above. A purposive sampling technique was used for sampling. The included participants were interviewed in detail using a self-prepared content validated questionnaire. The domains in the questionnaire included socio-demographic details, health seeking behaviour and healthcare utilisation. An open-ended questionnaire was used for qualitative data collection. A written informed consent was taken from all the participants and the interview was recorded.
One of the major findings of the study was the inaccessibility of the primary health care services to the tribal community due to geographical location, socio-economic parameters and cultural preferences of the people. Lack of transportation added to the limited utilization of healthcare services. Hence, this study emphasizes the significance of knowledge, communication, accessibility and distance over utilization of healthcare services. This study further recommends promoting health seeking behaviour among the tribal community by organizing health camps, arranging mobile medical units to reach remote places and appoint government representatives to monitor utilisation of healthcare services by tribals.