Assessment of knowledge and behavioral risk factors of reproductive tract infections among married women of 15–49 years in rural areas of Haldwani block, Uttarakhand

Abstract

Background One of the most serious public health issues in India is reproductive tract infections (RTIs), which have a profound effect on the lives of men and women, as well as their families and communities. Objectives To describe the sociodemographic traits, assess women’s RTI knowledge, and determine which behavioral risk factors are involved in female RTI. Methods Using a 30-cluster sampling approach, a cross-sectional study design was employed to examine RTIs in 30 villages located in the Haldwani block of the district Nainital. Results It was shown that just 7.6% of women knew enough about RTIs. Among the 450 women surveyed, the percentage of RTI cases was significantly lower for those who used the barrier method during menstruation (7.7%), had more than three children (25.7%), had a trained person deliver their baby in a hospital (24.1%), used condoms as a family planning method (5.6%), used sanitary pads during menstruation (25.6%), and maintained good personal hygiene (22.4%). Conclusion The study revealed that the participants’ understanding of RTI was lacking.

Keywords

• behavioral risk factors
• knowledge
• reproductive tract infections
• syndromic approach