Abstract :
Attitudes and stereotypism on gender relationship developed during adolescence are rigid ones.
This study estimated gender differentials in nutrition, health care seeking, social aspects and associated
socioeconomic correlate among adolescents 10–19 years of age from four villages of Comprehensive Rural
Health Services Project Ballabgarh, Haryana. Households which had matched pair of male and female were
considered to be the eligible households. 200 households were selected from four villages (50 households
each) by multistage sampling during Mar–June 2010.Pretested interview schedule was used to assess gender
differences in nutrition (consumption of milk, vegetables and dietary supplements), in health care seeking
and in social aspects (schooling). Differences are measured in means or proportions. Determinants of gender
differentials were identified by logistic regression. The author has found mean nutrition, outpatient median
expenditure and mean social score to be more among boys. Out of 94 households, 78 had gender disparity at
least in any one of the three domains largely in the domain of nutrition. Multivariate analysis on
determinants in nutrition domain showed no significant factors except father’s occupation influencing
gender disparities
Keyword :
Adolescence, gender differentials, health care expenditure, nutrition, school drop-out, self-reported morbidities.