Parents' and Guardian's Role in Child's Health Inequalities: A Cross-sectional Study in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, India.

Background: Child health inequality between genders is a persisting problem throughout low and middle-income countries like India. With the limited sources of child health care facilities, parental and other senior members' values and expertise may have played a vital role in shaping the upbringing of child health and minimizing the inequalities to sustain the equity. This study sought to explore the parent and other guardians' roles in a child's health inequalities with this backdrop. The present study investigates child health differences based on birth information, child immunization, feeding patterns, the morbid and nutritional condition between boys and girls and explores parental roles on curative measures and general perception of children. Methods: The study used quantitative and qualitative approaches, including Focused Group Discussion (FGD) and specific case studies from 208 households (413 children aged up to 8 years) from different settlements in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Results: We found that not much significant difference existed between boys and girls for health inequalities markers. But altogether, girls had a disadvantageous position in getting delayed health care facilities after illness, inappropriate breastfeeding patter, stunting and being underweight. The Muslim children suffered more from health inequalities compared to Hindu children. However, the qualitative approach revealed that parents and guardians did not discriminate between boys and girls for their upbringing in health care facilities. Still, specific case studies, the parental statements and participant observation exposed the crude facts of preferring nature towards boys than girls in the thought process of the parents and guardians in the present study. Conclusion: Therefore, in the current scenario, gender and community-specific public health intervention must get more sustainable child health equity