Twentieth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

The current study aims to shed light on the consequences of drought on three specific pregnancy outcomes within India such as PTB, miscarriage, and LBW. Data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and National Family and Health Survey (NFHS-5) were employed in the study. In order to assess the drought conditions throughout India, the Satellite-Based Aridity Index (SbAI) was used and for gauging the linkages between drought and selected pregnancy outcomes spatial autocorrelation, and logistic regression were used. The results of the study show that selected pregnancy outcomes are linked to drought exposure i.e., PTB (Unadjusted OR = 1.17, 99% CI: 1.11, 1.21; Adjusted OR = 1.12, 99% CI: 1.07, 1.17), miscarriage (Unadjusted OR = 1.07, 99% CI: 1.01, 113; Adjusted OR = 0.98, not significant CI: 0.93, 1.04), and deliveries with LBW (Unadjusted OR = 1.18, 99% CI: 1.14, 1.23; Adjusted OR = 1.08, 99% CI: 1.04, 1.13). A greater likelihood of the occurrence of the selected pregnancy outcomes is also found to be associated with other factors such as media exposure, open defecation, and religion. A high prevalence of drought and high adverse pregnancy outcomes are seen to exist in 52 districts of India with a significant spatial association. It is imperative that policy makers take into account the influence of drought and its related socio-economic factors on pregnancy outcomes when shaping policies. Additionally, adopting a district-level approach in policy formulation can be a crucial step in addressing emerging regional disparities.