Awareness and Utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) among the Mothers of Selected Primary Health Centres in Urban Areas of Kamrup (M), Assam

Abstract

Background- Many women in India faced significant barriers to accessing maternal healthcare services, including limited financial resources, lack of awareness and inadequate infrastructure. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a benefits and services of a safe motherhood intervention launched by the Government of India. Methodology-A quantitative survey approach with descriptive correlational research design and a multistage simple random sampling technique was adopted to select 183 mothers from the randomly selected 2 Primary Health Centres in urban areas i.eChoonsali UPHC and Piyoli Phukan Nagar UPHC of Kamrup (M), Assam. Results-The findings revealed that out of 183 mothersi.emajority 125(68.3%) mothers had moderate awareness, 32(17.5%) had adequate awareness and 26(14.2%) of mothers had inadequate awareness of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Similarly, majority i.e 129(70.5%) of the mothers had moderate utilization, 37(20.2%) had adequate utilization and 17(9.3%) had inadequate utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). There wasmoderate positive correlation between awareness and utilization(r=0.522, p=0.001)regarding Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) among the mothers and found to be statistically significant at p<0.05 level of significance.Overall there is a significant association betweenawareness of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY)withoccupationalstatus of themothers i.e?2=18.47 and p= 0.001 and the rest of the selected demographic variables in both awareness and utilization were found to be statistically non-significant. Conclusion- Keeping in view the findings of the study, there is a need to fully strengthen the awareness and utilization regarding Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) among the mothers through a Community Based Outreach programme and increase the involvement of health workers to informed the services and benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).

Introduction

The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a government initiative under the National Health Mission launched in 2005 to promote safe motherhood, especially in low-performing states (LPS) like Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, etc. JSY provides monetary incentives combined with prenatal, institutional, and postpartum care, coordinated by health workers such as ASHAs.

A study conducted in urban areas of Kamrup (M), Assam, assessed mothers’ awareness and utilization of JSY at two Primary Health Centres. Using a quantitative survey of 183 mothers, the study examined levels of awareness, utilization, and their correlation, along with associations with demographic variables.

Key findings:

• Majority of mothers (68.3%) had moderate awareness, while 70.5% had moderate utilization of JSY.

• A significant moderate positive correlation (r=0.522, p=0.001) exists between awareness and utilization, meaning increased awareness leads to higher utilization.

• Occupational status showed a significant association with awareness, but no demographic variables were significantly associated with utilization.

• Most mothers prioritized antenatal health checks, but fewer were accompanied by ASHAs during delivery.

• The study aligns with other research showing average awareness and utilization levels, emphasizing the need for enhanced education and outreach to improve JSY’s effectiveness.

Conclusion

The study concludethat, out of the 183 mothers, majority i.e 125 (68.3%) mothers had moderate awareness, 32 (17.5%) had adequate awareness and 26 (14.2%) of mothers had inadequate awareness of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Majority i.e 129 (70.5%) of the mothers had moderate utilization, 37 (20.2%) had adequate utilization and 17 (9.3%) had inadequate utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Study found significant (r=0.522, p=0.001) which indicates moderate positive correlation between awareness and utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) among the mothers and found to be statistically significant at p <0.05 levelof significance. The investigator came to the conclusion that, in order to maximize the mothers\' awareness and utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) services, a Community Based Outreach program is required. Additionally, the moremothers are made aware of the services, the more likely it is that they will use them. Also it is important for the health personnel to take initiatives in the involvement of educating the mothers to informed the services and benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ms. Ruthi Dim Suan Kim, Mrs. Dropati Thapa, Ms. B Snienky Siangshai. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.