6
RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
,KARNATAKA,BANGALORE
PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION OF SUBJECT FOR DISSERTATION
1.NAME OF THE CANDIDATE AND ADDRESS
Mr. KALLAYYA PUJERI
Ist yr M.Sc (Nursing)
Sarvodaya College Of Nursing,
No.11/2, Magadi Main Road,
Agrahara Dasarahalli, Bangalore-560079.
2.NAME OF THE INSTITUTION
Sarvodaya College of Nursing, Bangalore-560079.
3.COURSE OF STUDY AND SUBJECT
1st Year M.Sc nursing,
Community health nursing,
4.DATE OF ADMISSION TO COURSE
30-06-2009
5.TITLE OF THE TOPIC
“A study to assess the attitude and family support towards the
birth of a girl child among eligible couples in selected rural
community, Bangalore.”
6.BRIEF RESUME OF THE WORK
6.0 Introduction
6.1 Need for the study
6.1.1 Statement of the problem
6.2 Review of related literature
6.3 Objectives of the study
6.3.1 Operational definitions
6.3.2 Assumption
6.3.3 Hypothesis
6.3.4 Sampling criteria
(i) Inclusion criteria
(ii) Exclusion criteria
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
Enclosed
7.MATERIALS AND METHODS:
7.1 Sources of data: Data will be collected from the teachers
working at selected primary schools, Bangalore.
7.2 Method of data collection: Self administered
questionnaire.
7.3 Does the study require any investigations of interventions
to be conducted on the patients or other human being or animals?
Yes
7.4 Has ethical clearance been obtained from your
institution?
YES. Ethical committee’s report is here with enclosed.
RAJIV GANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, KARNATAKA,
BANGALORE.
PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION OF SUBJECT FOR DISSERTATION
1.
NAME OF THE CANDIDATE AND ADDRESS
MR. KALLAYYA PUJERI
I YR M.SC (NURSING)
SARVODAYA COLLEGE OF NURSING,
NO.11/2, MAGADI MAIN ROAD,
AGRAHARA DASARAHALLI,
BANGALORE-560079
2.
NAME OF THE INSTITUTION
Sarvodaya College of Nursing, Bangalore-560079
3.
COURSE OF STUDY AND SUBJECT
1st Year M.Sc nursing,
Community Health Nursing
4.
DATE OF ADMISSION OF THE COURSE
30-06- 2009
5.
TITLE OF THE STUDY
“A study to assess the attitude and family support towards the
birth of a girl child among eligible couples in selected rural
community, Bangalore.”
6. BRIEF RESUME OF THE INTENDED WORK:
6.0. INTRODUCTION
“yatra nryastu pujyanthe thatra. Devatah”
The progress of a nation depends upon the care and skill with
which mothers rear up their children. Good mothers make a good
nation. Everyone has a mother as the source of his life. The
mother’s lap is the first school for every child. It is his first
temple; mother is his foremost god. Mother is his wealth. It is the
duty of every person to recognise this truth. Women have a very
crucial role in individual and social uplift. The future of girls
and women are tied together. Girls cannot advance without the
advancement of women and no improvement in the lives of women will
be sustained unless girls are given tools and opportunity to reach
their potential. For they are the women of tomorrow.
Women’s contributions to politics and social service have also
been quite significant. We cannot fail to mention the name of
Indira Gandhi who shone so brilliantly and radiantly in the
firmament of India’s politics. She ruled this country for more than
a decade and brought India victorious out of Pakistan-war which
resulted in the historic creation of a new country, Bangladesh.
Mother Teresa has done excellent job in the field of social work.
She brought the Nobel Prize for India by her selfless service to
the poor, destitute and suffering people of our country in
particular to the needy and handicapped people of the world in
general. Today, we need the services of educated women who can tour
throughout the country and help in removing human suffering. To
save at least the next generation, women have to be educated in a
well-planned manner1.
Life on the planet is born of the woman, but her extermination
from the face of the earth is underway. She is murdered in her
mother’s womb. Life is stifled out of her before it starts
activating in her. Society is not willing to listen to the message
she brings and the transformation she is able to bring about;
because our culture prefers boys. The Indian society is slave to
this ill-fated notion and it is most unwilling to change.
Technology has improved and nations are growing richer and
powerful, but crime and cruelty against the girl child is growing
evermore. A report by the UNICEF says that India kills almost 7000
girls per day by abortion. As a result of selective abortion
between 35 and 40 million girls and women are missing from the
Indian population. Generations of women are wiped out and the
society is a mute witness to this organized crime3.
The roots of discrimination against women can be traced back to
ancient Hindu civilization. Although some studies point to the
equal status and right that women enjoyed in Vedic period, (2500 BC
to 1500 BC), patriarchy seems to have been the norm throughout
history. In the later Aryan period after 300 BC, domination by the
Brahmins (the priestly class), the growth of the caste system and
other factors led to social decline5.
The origin of the Indian idea of appropriate female behaviour
can be traced to the rules laid down by Manu in 200 BC: “by a young
girl, by young woman, or even by an aged one nothing must be done
independently, even in her own house.” The Indian society displays
some unique and particularly brutal versions of killing of women,
such as dowry deaths, sati and female foeticide. The Indian
male-dominated society denounces the woman who does not bear a son,
though it is the male chromosomes that determine the sex of the
child. On July 14, 2007 at Nayagarh in Orissa, 25 discarded
foetuses were found in a well in which a clinic dumps the medical
waste6. Upon marriage, a traditional blessing to the Hindu bride is
“May you be the mother of a hundred sons” – a daughter is never
mentioned6.
In India, a woman’s status is associated not only with her
reproductive capability but also on her success in delivering a
male child. By the birth of a son, the Indian woman gains her
identity, status and also her position changes from being only a
provisional member in her husband’s family to that of the mother of
one of the descendants – a position of prestige and respect. The
gain in status, security, influence and desire to please the
husband by giving him an heir is sufficient motivation for a woman
to yearn to be mother of male children4.
A son is also preferred over a daughter for the defence of the
family and its interests, especially in rural areas. A group of
North Indian village women living near Ludhiana on interview
responded thus: “The first obligation of a wife is to produce sons
for her husband’s family, for her husband and herself of course,
but more importantly for the good of the extended family group – to
add to the earning power, to uphold family prestige by word and
deed, and if necessary by physical strength17.
Generally, a girl is considered to be economically unproductive
to her family and this is a major reason that accounts for negative
attitude towards girls. A daughter is expensive to be married off
and is one of the reasons for the indebtedness of poor families. On
the other hand, sons upon the marriage, bring dowries into the
family. An Indian maxim states: “Grooming a girl is like watering a
neighbor’s garden.” It is estimated that death of young girls in
India exceeds those of young boys by over 3, 00,000 each year, and
every sixth infant death is especially due to gender
discrimination. Of the 15 million baby girls born in India each
year, nearly 25 percent will not live to see their 15th birthday.
Doctors are advertising aggressively, “Invest Rs. 500 now; save Rs.
50000 later, i.e., If you get rid of your daughter now, you will
not have to spend money on dowry.” 19
A community-based survey revealed that 16.8% of abortions were
after detection that the foetus was female. As a result of sex
determination and sex pre- selection tests leading to selective
abortions of female foetuses, sex ratio of the child population has
declined to 927 girls for 1000 boys. Sixty lakh female infants and
girls are “missing” due to sex pre-selection techniques. It
prevents the arrival of female baby at the preconception state. If
this status continues, in near future India will have to face
severe crisis on sisters and mothers for boys. Have you thought of
how a boy will be born if there is no girl? 10
6.1. Need for the study
A popular saying goes as follows: “You educate a boy, you are
educating an individual; you educate a girl, you are educating a
family.” The words speak volumes about the worth of a woman in the
family as well as society. But the woman is shamefully
discriminated against in all walks of life. This particularly is
evident as regards the female child, most notably in the state of
Punjab and elsewhere in the North of the country. The number of
girls born there is fewer than 800 to every 1000 boys. In
Karnataka, the sex index ratio is falling and is currently 949
girls for every 1000 boys. Against globally there are around
3,248,080,000 males on the planet and around 3,214,983,000 females.
And developed countries like USA has more males than females( has
around 4.8 million more females than males.)10
Many a female foetus remains unborn due to sex determination.
Negative attitude towards women’s health is the major reason for
high levels of perinatal mortality and morbidity including low
birth weight babies. The girl child is discriminated against even
when it comes to breastfeeding, supplementary nutrition and care
giving. It is a systematic neglect of women’s health from the womb
to the tomb. The study based on national survey of 1.1 million
Indian households claims that nearly 5,00,000 female babies are
lost in India every year because of selective abortion. It is
estimated that at least 10 million female births may have been
aborted in the past 20 years.12
A study conducted at St. Michael’s Hospital, University of
Toronto and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and
Research, Chandigarh discovered that the ‘girl deficit’ was more
common among educated families, especially in homes where the first
born was a girl. They also found that when the first child was a
boy, the number of second children was equally split among girls
and boys. But if the first-born was a girl, the number of girls
born subsequently fell off precipitously. Among second children,
only 759 girls were born for every 1000 boys, and among third
children there were 719 girls for every 1000 boys.3
In India, the desirable is the baby boy and the unwanted is the
baby girl. This relates to a true incident that was presented from
the Department of Community Health of a medical institution in
south India. “Revathy, a 28 year-old lady holding her newborn baby
jumped into a well early morning, just 12 days after her delivery;
the baby died but the mother survived with a fracture calcaneum.
This was the third girl child in the family and the husband had
been threatening to remarry on this issue. There was no obvious
social support to the mother, either from the family or from within
the community6.
A study was conducted to gauge the prevalence of sex
determination tests and impact of the Pre-natal Diagnostic
Technique Act, in Varanasi district, Uttar Pradesh. Ten diagnostic
centers were randomly chosen for the survey and 20 women were
interviewed. The reasons given by most patients for undergoing the
sex determination test were that ‘they wanted to avoid the problems
of dowry,’ ‘finding a suitable and good match for the daughter,’
‘the world was not a safe place for a girl to live in world. The
number of couples going in for the test during the second and third
pregnancy was found to be quite high. A study titled “Girls or
boys? Relationship of child’s gender to marital instability,” was
conducted among 1023 married women from the 1987-88 national survey
of families and households. The result showed that mothers with at
least one boy reported a significantly lower propensity to divorce
compared to mothers with only girls. Fathers in families with boys
were more engaged with their children, which was associated with
mothers perceiving fewer disadvantages in the marital relationship
and a lower likelihood of separation.8
As statistical data’s showing that in India number of females to
males are decreasing. This will be one of major problem, socially.
In India more than 70% of population living in rural community.
This is one important reason to taking rural community for study
here. In Bangaloru sex ratio is 906 Females per1000 males. So it is
necessary to study the attitude of the couple, and there family
support.3
6.1.1. Statement of the problem
“A study to assess the attitude and family support towards the
birth of a girl child among eligible couples in selected rural
community, Bengaluru”
6.2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Review of literature involves the systematic identification,
location, scrutiny and summary of the written material that
contains information on a research problem. An extensive review of
the research and non-research material was done to gain maximum
information and thus to build the foundation of the study. The
relevant review of literature has been organized and presented
under the following headings i. Literature related to the attitude
of couples towards the birth of a girl child. ii. Literature
related to family support.
Attitude of couples towards the birth of a girl child
A study was conducted in Punjab to assess the attitude of
families towards female foeticide among 240 respondents – 120 from
farming families and 120 from non-farming families. The sample was
selected by stratified random sampling method. Data was collected
by a personal interview and questionnaire technique. The results
showed that 44.17% of the farming families and 38% of the
non-farming families had favorable attitude towards female
foeticide in contrast to the above mentioned study10.
Another study was conducted in Tamil Nadu on all pregnant women
in the 13,000 population to assess female infanticide and data was
collected with the assistance of a trained village worker. The
finding showed that among the 381 female births, 33 died by the age
of two-and-a-half years, of which 19 were reported as infanticide.
The above studies indicate that the pregnant women had favorable
attitude towards female foeticide and infanticide. 3
A descriptive study was conducted to assess the knowledge about
decreasing sex ratio and attitude towards female foeticide of 50
pregnant women attending antenatal OPD in a selected hospital in
Ludhiana, Punjab. A structured questionnaire was used as the tool
for data collection. The findings of the study revealed that
pregnant between the age group of 21 and 30 years obtained highest
mean attitude score of 84.42%, Hindus – 94.6%, women married for
1-9 years – 84.8%, pregnant women from urban area – 84.6%, women
with family income more than Rs. 10,000 – 87.4%, women who watched
TV – 92.6%23. 8
A cross-sectional study was conducted in Haryana on knowledge
and attitude of rural adolescent girls regarding reproductive
health issues. A structured pre-tested closed-ended interview
schedule was administered to 254 girls aged 13 to 17 years, who had
attained menarche. It was found that 91.3% of the girls preferred a
son 25.6
Another study was conducted on the influence of gender
preference for children on fertility behaviour in Haryana. The
sample comprised 567 currently married women aged 15-49 years and
179 currently married men with wives in the reproductive ages of
15-49 years. The subjects were selected randomly and a
questionnaire was used to collect the data. The result indicated a
very strong preference for sons, both among men and women. But as
compared to men, there was high preference for sons among women.
14
A study was conducted to assess the intensity of preference for
sons over daughters in the urban and rural areas of Tamil Nadu
among 400 households. The result showed that more rural couples
(67%) compared to their urban counterparts (42%) considered it very
important to have at least one son27. In a sample of 400 women
delivering in Mansoura, Egypt, 57% expressed preference for a
son.21
A study conducted in the slums of Chandigarh on gender
preference and awareness regarding sex determination among 373
married women aged 25-45 years also revealed that 56% of the
subjects had male preference. 20
A study was done in Haryana to investigate sex selective
discrimination in terms of active and passive elimination of girl
child in different socioeconomic conditions. Data was collected
from 329 married women using face-to-face interview method. The
findings showed that there existed extreme sex selective
discrimination against the girl child in the society through
conception to their raring and bearing.18
A study was conducted among 300 currently married couples having
one child in the slum areas of Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh to determine
the influence of value of children and change in day-to-day roles
of women. Majority of the respondents (32%) expressed “increasing
marriage cost,” followed by dowry (27%), “not useful in economic
activity” (26%) and “lack of security” (13%) as the reason for
dislike of female children. The major reasons to have at least one
son were to perform death rituals (93%), to inherit family property
(90%) and also birth of a male child would enhance the prestige and
economic position of the family.18
Studies related to family support
A study was conducted by, Sir Herbert Risley, in Delhi in rural
community. This study done on farmers. Study out come was poor
family support to the parents of female child, especially who give
birth first child. The worry of family was to continue the surname
and support to the family.3
A similar study was conducted to assess the female child and
family, in rural Punjab. This study finds that families ware not
reedy to welcome the female baby. With each successive birth of a
daughter, the women’s already low states falls further and can be
redeemed only when she gives birth to a son. The father who is
actually responsible for the sex of the child does not suffer any
change of status. He rather becomes the object of pity and
sympathy, being the father of many daughters. The reaction of
maternal grandparents was happier than paternal grandparent on
birth of female child.3
Traditional craft communities in Sangamur and Rajasthan and
communities pursuing framing in Rudrapur, UP and Chatrapur, Delhi
were identified .fifty families from each of two communities were
selected for study. The parents of female child has given less
importance and not considered wile taking decision17
6.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To identify the attitude of couple towards the birth of a
girl child
2. To identify the family support to the couple towards the
birth of a girl child.
3. To find out the relationship between attitude and family
support of eligible couple towards birth of girl child.
4. To determine the association between the attitude and family
support of couple towards the birth of a girl child with selective
variables
6.3.1. OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS:
1. Attitude:-In this study it refers to the response and
reaction of husband and wife towards the birth of a girl child
which is measured by using an attitude scale.
2. Family support: - It refers to the emotional, social,
economic, care and support that is offered to couples by the family
members. It is measured by family support scale developed by the
investigator.
3. Eligible Couples: In this study couples refer to the married
males and females who are within reproductive age.
6.3.2. ASSUMPTIONS:
1. There is an increased desire for a male child in society. 2.
Every girl child has an equal right to live as a boy child has. 3.
Every newborn child needs support from his/her parents/family
members for growth and
Development.
6.3.3 HYPOTHESES:H1: There is a significant relationship between
the attitude of the couple and family support.
H2: There is a significant difference in the attitude of husband
and wife towards the birth of a girl child. H3: There is a
significant association between the attitude of the couple and
selected variables. H4: There is a significant association between
the family support and selected variables
6.3.4 SAMPLING CRITERIA:
INCLUSIVE CRITERIA
1. Couples who are willing to participate in study
2. Couples in the reproductive age group
EXCLUSIVE CRITERIA
1. Couples who don’t understand Kannada or English
7. MATERIALS AND METHOD
7.1 SOURCE OF DATA: Data will be collected from the eligible
couples at selected rural communities of Bangalore.
7.2 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION:
i) Research approach:- A survey approach
ii) Research design:
A descriptive cross-sectional design is planned to assess the
attitude and family support of couples towards the birth of a girl
child.
iii) Population: The population of the present study comprises
of 100 eligible couples at selected rural communities,
Bangalore.
iv) Setting of study: Selected rural community Kumbalakodu,
Bangalore.
v) Sampling technique: Purposive sampling technique will be used
to select the sample.
vi) Sample size: In this study, sample comprised of 100 couples
(50 husbands and 50 wives) who fulfill the sampling criteria.
vii) Method of data collection: - structured interview
method
viii) TOOL FOR DATA COLLECTION: - The tool consists of 3
parts
Part 1 :- Demographic data sheet which consists of information
related to religion, education status, income, occupation, type of
family, dwelling area. Part 2:- Attitude scale to assess the
attitude of couples towards the birth of a girl child.
Part 3:- Family support scale to assess the family support of
the couples towards the birth of girl child.
ix) PLAN FOR DATA ANALYSIS METHOD:
Descriptive and Inferential statistics will be used
1) Demographic variables will be measured by frequency,
parentage, mean, median.
2) The attitude will be analyzed by using mean and standard
deviation.
3) Family support will be analyzed mean and standard
deviation
4) The relation between attitude and family support will be
analyzed by Co relation Co- efficient.
5) The association between attitude and family support and
demographic variation will be analyzed by Chi-square.
x) Duration of study: - 4 weeks
xi) Variables under study:
Variable is an attribute of a person or an object that varies
and takes on different values.
Research variables:
In this study the research variable are attitude and family
support of eligible couples towards birth of a girl child
Demographic variables:
In this study it refers to the demographic variables such as
religion, educational status, income, occupation, type of family,
dwelling area, and sex of the first child
xii) Projected outcome
The findings will reveal the type of attitude and family support
received by the couples towards birth of a girl child. It will
bring out the need for public awareness regarding empowerment of
women.
7.3) Does study required any investigation or intervention to be
conducted on the patient or other human being or animal?
Yes
7.4) Has ethical clearance been obtained from ethical
committee?
Yes
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Saibaba S. Role of women. His Teachings. [cited 2007 sep 28];
[3 screens]. Available from: URL:
http://sristhyasai.org.in/Pages/His_teachings/Role of
women.htm.
2. Holmes J. Launching the Girl Child event [cited 2004 Jul 17];
[1 screen]. Available from:
URL:http://www.thp.org/activist/704/fe04.htm.
3. George A. Save the girl child. Indian Currents 2007 Aug;
19(31):28-9.
Available from: URL:http://www.google.co.in/
4. Madhok S. Where do the roots of discrimination against women
lie? [cited 2007 May 6 ]; [2 screens].Available from:
URL:http://www.infochangeindia.org/WomenIbp.jsp.
5. Coonrod CS. Chronic hunger and the status of women in India.
[cited 2007 July 5]; [ 2 screens]. 1998 Jun. Available from:
URL:http://thp.org/reports/indiawon.htm.
6. Baligar PV. Mother and girl child. Jaipur: Rawat Publication;
1999.
7. India together: A cultural deficit. [Cited 2007 June 5]; [4
screens]. Available from:
URL:http://www.indiatogether.org/2003/ang/wom_sexratio.htm
8. Sachar RK, Verma J, Prakash V, Chopra A, Adlaka R, Sofat R.
The unwelcome sex-female foeticide in India. World Health Forum
1990; 11:309. Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
9. Patel V. Declining sex ratio and reproductive technology.
Health Action 2003 Jul;16(7):30-31. Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
10. Suroor H. Study estimates female foeticide at ten million in
India. Lancet 2006 Jan (cited 2006 sep 13); [3 screens]. Available
from:
http://cleaninghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/285.asp.
11. Picard A. Sex-selection test in India means fewer girls,
study says. [online]. [cited 2006 Sep 17]; [2 screens]. Available
from:
URL:http://www.whrnet.org/docs/otherpoints_picard_0601.html.
12. Bhan A. Beyond MCH: the third girl child. Health Action 2004
Jan;17(1):31-2 Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
13. Shweta P. Female foeticide: a study of Varanasi. DCWC
Research Bulletin 2005 Jul-Sep; 9(3). Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
14. Katzev AR, Warner RL, Acock AC. Girls or boys? Relationship
of child gender to marital instability. Journal of Marriage and the
Family 1994 Feb; 56(1):89-100. Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
15. Polit DF, Hungler BP. Nursing research, principles and
methods 6th ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company; 1999
Available from: URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
16. Thomas C. Taber’s medical dictionary. 1st ed. New Delhi:
Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 1998. Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
17. Dalal AK. Family support. Indian J Social Work
1995;6(2):167. Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
18. Gihosh EA. Attitude and knowledge of rural couples regarding
female foeticide. DCWC Research Bulletin 2005 Jul-Sep; 9(3).
Available from: URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
19. Walia A. Female foeticide in Punjab: Exploring the
socioeconomic cultural dimensions. J Social Issues 2005 Aug; 10(1).
Available from: URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
20. Kamala S. Decreasing sex ratio and pregnant women’s attitude
towards female foeticide. Nursing Journal of India 2005 Apr;
16(4):83-4. Available from:
URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
21. George S, Abel R, Miller BP. Female infanticide in rural
South India. Search Bulletin 1998 Jul-Sep (cited 2006 Sep 13);
12(3):[9 screens]. Available from:
URL:http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/organisations/grhf/Sasia/suchana/0105/george_abel_miller.html.
9. Signature of the candidate
:
10. Remarks of the guide
:
11. Name and designation (in block letters)
:
11.1 Guide
:
11.2 Signature
:
11.3 Head of the department
:
11.4 Signature
:
12
12.1 Remarks of chairman & principal :
12.2 Signature
:
SUBMITTED BY:
MR.KALLAYYA PUJERI.
1st year M.Sc Nursing
COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING,
2009-201I BATCH,
SARVODAYA COLLEGE OF NURSING,
BANGALORE -560079.
PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION
OF
SUBJECT FOR DISSERTATION
