Society and Culture: Factors Associated with the Health Seeking Behaviour Among the Rural Women of District Tando Muhammad Khan

Abstract

Background: Health-seeking behavior among rural women is shaped by complex sociocultural, economic, and gender-based dynamics that influence access to timely and appropriate healthcare. In rural Pakistan, entrenched patriarchal norms, cultural taboos, and financial barriers contribute to healthcare delays and adverse outcomes, disproportionately affecting women’s health and survival. Objective: To assess the patterns of health-seeking behavior among rural women in District Tando Muhammad Khan and to identify the sociocultural and social factors associated with delayed healthcare and related negative outcomes. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 15th November 2024 to 15th May 2025, involving 329 women aged ≥18 years from five randomly selected union councils. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested questionnaire addressing demographic, social, and cultural determinants of healthcare utilization. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 29, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: A total of 71.1% of participants always required family head permission to seek care, 78.7% reported consulting male doctors as socially unacceptable, and 64.4% identified consultation costs as a barrier. Cultural belief decisions (r = 0.40) and cultural restrictions (r = 0.37) showed moderate positive correlations with death due to delayed care. Male dominance (OR = 2.48) and the male doctor taboo (OR = 2.71) significantly increased the odds of adverse outcomes. Conclusion: Sociocultural norms, gendered authority, and economic barriers substantially limit rural women’s healthcare access. Interventions must integrate cultural sensitivity, community engagement, and women’s empowerment to reduce care delays and improve health equity.