Study of interspouse communication and adoption of family planning and immunization services in a rural block of Varanasi District.

Interspouse communication was studied in some pertinent areas which have an important bearing on day to day transactions. The level of such communication measured on a three-point scale was studied for its role on acceptance of family planning and immunization services. 200 currently married females residing with their husbands in a rural block of Varanasi, in the reproductive age group, with at least one child aged 1-3 years were selected and interviewed. Scores were ascribed for 12 selected items of conversation according to frequency of conversation on a three point scale based on which high, medium and low communicators were delineated. In this study high, medium and low communicators were found to be 14%, 40% and 45% respectively. Topics of importance which never featured in interspouse communication were menstrual problems (44%), when to have first child (82.5%) and birth spacing (48.5%). Interspouse communication was better in upper castes and joint families. Literacy status of both husband and wife and per capita income of the family revealed positive relationship with inter-spouse communication. Adoption and practice of family planning methods as well as full immunization coverage of the child in the family were observed to be higher among high and medium communicators as compared to low degree of communcators (p < 0.001).