The Role of Societal Lineage Structure and Work Burden on Women’s Self-Rated Health: Insight from Matrilineal and Patrilineal Tribal Society Using Time Use Survey

Piyasa Mal, International Institute For Population Sciences
Mihir Adhikary, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
Nandita Saikia, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Indian tribal women often face poorer health due to their gender and ethnic minority status. Self-rated health (SRH) is an important measure in epidemiological research, as it reflects individuals' perceptions of their overall well-being. This study investigates the influence of different societal lineage systems (matrilineal and patrilineal) on the SRH of tribal women, focusing on the relationship between time spent in different activities and health. Based on primary time-use data collected from patrilineal tribal women (Tiwa and Karbi) in Assam and matrilineal tribal women (Khasi and Garo) in Meghalaya, descriptive statistics and ordered logistic regression models are used for analysis. Results indicate that 51.0% of matrilineal tribal women rated their health as good, and just 17.7% of women from patrilineal society. SRH also varies according to education, economic status, and distribution of domestic and caregiving responsibilities. Matrilineal women allocate more time to paid productive work and less to unpaid domestic tasks than patrilineal women. Regression demonstrated that the amount of time spent in paid productive work is positively correlated with better health (<=4 hours Coef:0.67, CI:0.02,1.33; >4 hours Coef:1.08, CI: 0.06,2.11). This study highlights the need for culturally sensitive health interventions based on the socio-cultural contexts of these tribal populations.

Keywords: Gender Dynamics, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination, Population and Development, Health and Morbidity

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