RAJIVGANDHI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

BANGALORE, KARNATAKA.
PROFORMA FOR REGISTRATION OF SUBJECTS FOR DISSERTATION
Mr. RAHUL .M.R
NAME OF THE CANDIDATE

First Year M.Sc Nursing

AND ADDRESS

Noor College of Nursing

1.
Bangalore
Noor College of Nursing,
2.

NAME OF THE INSTITUTION

No:5, Noor Building, RMV 2nd stage,

Bhoopasandra Main Road,
Bangalore.
M.SC NURSING IST YEAR

3.

COURSE OF STUDY AND

SUBJECT

COMMUNITY HEALTH NURSING

DATE OF ADMISSION TO THE

4.

COURSE

01-06-2012

"A STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE

5.

TITLE OF THE TOPIC

AND ATTITUDE OF RURAL ELIGIBLE

COUPLES

REGARDING

FEMALE

FOETICIDE IN SELECTED RURAL AREAS

AT BANGALORE."

6. BRIEF RESUME FOR THE INTENDED WORK

6.1 INTRODUCTION
1

A Woman is one of GODS greatest and complex creations

Eliminate inequality, not women
destroy dowry, not daughters
daughters are not for slaughter 5
The constitution of India guarantees equality to women. It empowers the states to
adopt measures for affirmative discrimination in favor of women and also impose a
fundamental duty on its citizens to uphold the dignity of women but despite all this,
Indias deep rooted sons only ethos continues and girls and women face inequity and
inequality everywhere. They are devalued as human beings from the day they are born
but what is worse is that they are even denied the right to be born if their families do not
wish them to be born.1
India is a patriarchal society where men are seen as the role models and are the
ones to look after the parents in the old age. Many as watering the neighbors plants see
giving birth to a girl child and the birth of a male child is looked at as feather in the cap
with great pride and joy.2
The killing of women exists in various forms in societies the world over.
However, Indian society displays some unique and particularly brutal versions, such as
dowry deaths and sati. Female foeticide is an extreme manifestation of violence against
women. Female fetuses are selectively aborted after pre-natal sex determination, thus
avoiding the birth of girls. As a result of selective abortion, between 35 and 40 million
girls and women are missing from the Indian population. In some parts of the country, the
sex ratio of girls to boys has dropped to less than 800:1,000. The United Nations has
expressed serious concern about the situation.3
The term foeticide is a combination of the Latin words fetus and caedo which
means to kill an unborn child. The practice of female foeticide involves the detection of
the sex of the unborn child in the womb of the mother and the decision to abort it if the
sex of the child is detected as a girl.4

The woman gave in centuries ago and she is still giving in. Women started to
suffer from the day they developed the gift of feelings and emotions. She is still suffering.
Man has come a long way, he has become civilized, but his instinct to dominate over
the weaker sex has remained, in fact it has turned into an obsession, a need, with time.
With civilization the tools of oppression have become more civilized, more
sophisticated, cultivated, advanced and techno savvy. In fact the whole process of
advancement can be traced in the process of suppression of women.5
The life of a woman in India is often marked by such disrespect that some feel it
is better for the family, and even for the baby girl, that she not be born. Perhaps the
greatest factor in this is the practice of dowries. One slogan of the female feticide
industry is "better 500 rupees now [for an abortion] rather than 50,000 rupees later [for a
dowry]." The first amount equals about $11 (USD), the second about $1,100. India has a
longstanding tradition of requiring a wife's family to support her financially in her
marriage. This begins with a dowry of extraordinary sums of cash, gold, and goods.6
Defenders of this system point out that a dowry takes the place of inheritance,
which some women in India do not receive. However, in many cases the groom's parents
take possession of the dowry and do not set any of it aside for the bride's future use.
Furthermore, the bride's family's responsibilities extend to further supporting the new
family in substantial ways, beyond the initial dowry. Some Indian castes even require a
wife's family to cover her funeral expenses. Some brides have been rejected by the
groom's families and even killed because their families did not meet the groom's family's
expectations for dowry. All these cultural and financial factors act as disincentives for
Indian families to permit their girl babies to be born. 6

Ultrasonography is being used as a non-invasive technique for sex determination,

even in remote areas and even quacks has access to them. In 1994, the Government of
India enacted the PNDT (Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act, that made revealing the
sex of the foetus a criminal offence. The need of the hour is to stress upon other avenues
or alternatives that can strengthen the law and can bring about the desired social change.

One such alternative to increase the awareness in the community about female foeticide,
so that people can identify it as a social problem and can further try to curb it. 7

6.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY

Where women are honored
There Gods are pleased
But where they are not honored
No sacred rite yields rewards
Laws Of Manu

A sloka of Atharvaveda says The birth of a girl, grant it elsewhere. Here, grant a
son. Thousands of years later, this thing stands very true in modern times as well, when,
despite the so called modernity, industrialization, literacy and equality, parents still pray
thus. The constitution of India guarantees equality for women. It has empowered the state
to adopt measures for affirmative discrimination in favour of women and it has imposed a
fundamental duty on its citizens to uphold the dignity of women. The preference for sons
or more number of sons than daughters has been documented in several countries in the
world. Particularly in India, the preference for a son is very strong and pervasive and it
has been frequently cited as one of the major obstacles in the way of reducing the
national fertility level. The preference for a male child and discrimination against the
female child are causing the rapid disappearance of female children in India. 35 million
females were found to be missing according to the census of 2001, which was 32 million
during 1991. As per the census of 2011, the child sex ratio of India has declined from 927
to 914 females per 1000 males, which is the lowest since the countrys independence and
in Karnataka the sex ratio is 936 females per 1000 males. Female foeticide is one of the
extreme manifestations of violence against women-a social problem that is now
spreading unchecked across the country. Female foetuses are selectively being aborted
after pre-natal sex determination, thus denying a girls RIGHT TO LIFE. 8
The killing of women exists in various forms in societies the world over.
However, Indian society displays some unique and particularly brutal versions, such as
dowry deaths and sati. Female foeticide is an extreme manifestation of violence against
5

women. Female foetuses are selectively aborted after pre-natal sex determination, thus
avoiding the birth of girls. As a result of selective abortion, between 35 and 40 million
girls and women are missing from the Indian population. In some parts of the country, the
sex ratio of girls to boys has dropped to less than 800:1,000. The United Nations has
expressed serious concern about the situation.7
The sex ratio has altered consistently in favour of boys since the beginning of the
20th century, and the effect has been most pronounced in the states of Punjab, Haryana
and Delhi. It was in these states that private foetal sex determination clinics were first
established and the practice of selective abortion became popular from the late 1970s.
Worryingly, the trend is far stronger in urban rather than rural areas, and among literate
rather than illiterate women, exploding the myth that growing affluence and spread of
basic education alone will result in the erosion of gender bias.1
Sex selective abortions cases have become a significant social phenomenon in
several parts of India. It transcends all castes, class and communities and even the North
South dichotomy. The girl children become target of attack even before they are born.
Diaz, (1988) states that in a well-known Abortion Centre in Mumbai, after undertaking
the sex determination tests, out of the 15,914 abortions performed during 1984-85 almost
100 per cent were those of girl foetuses. Similarly, a survey report of womens centre in
Mumbai found that out of 8,000 foetuses aborted in six city hospitals 7,999 foetuses were
of girls (Gangrade, 1988: 63-70). It is reported that about 4,000 female babies are aborted
in Tamil Nadu (southern India) every year. Sex determination tests are widely resorted to
even in the remotest rural areas. Since most deliveries in rural areas take place at home
there is no record of the exact number of births/deaths that take place. Therefore, it is
difficult to assess the magnitude of the problem. However, the fact remains that the right
to be born are being denied to the female child. Since all religions treated abortion as
immoral, and contrary to divine law, this blanket ban on abortion, resulted in illegal
abortions and risking the life of the woman.9
In countries such as China and India, the practice of infanticide continued into the
20th century. However, the 1970s saw a dramatic drop in the girl-to-boy ratio in India,
6

when abortion was legalized and ultrasound technology enabled families to determine the
sex of their child by the fourth month of pregnancy. By 2005 the ratio slipped to 814 girls
for every 1,000 boys, as opposed to the natural rate of 952 girls for every 1,000 boys. 4
According to the British medical journal Lancet, approximately 50 million girl
fetuses have been victims of feticide in China. In India the number is estimated at 43
million. & approximately seven million more are credited to Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Nepal, and South Korea. Because China and India account for 40% of the world's
population, an imbalance in these two countries alone has a profound impact on global
population statistics. According to a December 2007 UNICEF report, India is "missing"
7,000 girls per day or 2.5 million each year.4
Gender discrimination is a complex phenomenon, occurring as it does at the
interface of cultural attitudes, deep-rooted prejudices, socio-economic pressures and the
spread and misuse of modern medical technology. Today modern medical facility allows
for the determination of the sex of the foetus. These pre-natal diagnostic techniques are
now being rampantly misused to determine the sex of the foetus and abort it if it is a
female foetus. Female foeticide is emerging as major social problem, especially since the
past one or two decades when these techniques became available and popular. There are
various measures and laws formulated by the government to prevent this malaise but this
practice is now spreading to the urban and rural area also due to lack of awareness about
female foeticide. Some independent variables like age, education, occupation, caste etc
may be affecting the awareness level of any target group. Therefore, the present study
was conducted to compare the awareness of the rural and urban eligible couples about
female foeticide.10
Female foeticide disturbs the natural sex ratio in society and reduces
number of women as compared to men in society. Clearly in couple of decades,
such sex selective abortions could lead to a situation where men may not find
brides to marry. This could lead to trafficking of women, or worse violence against
women.11

A study was conducted on the Declining Sex Ratios; Will it impact

Economic Growth in India. According to the census report 2011, the child sex
ratio between the age group of 0-6 years is 914 female / 1000 males and it has
been recorded that it is declining since 1991. Studies revealed that families resort
to various practices such as sex selection techniques, foeticide, infanticide and
neglect to do away with the girl child at pre-birth / conception / infancy stage
itself and also due to many social reasons like the increasing demand for dowry,
increasing violence against women, prevention of division of property etc, to name
a few. Womans participation in economic activities should be an essential part of
the planning process. The stage is set for a coordinate effort of various groups
with the intention to establish a mission to reverse the trend of declining sex ratio
for the next census. Reversal of the declining trend is a must to ensure stable economic
and societal growth.12
UNICEF has warned that the alarming decline in the child sex ratio is likely to
result in more girls being married at a younger age, more girls dropping out of education,
increased mortality as a result of early child bearing and an associated increase in acts of
violence against woman, girls such as rape, abduction, trafficking, etc. Female foeticide is
an extreme manifestation of violence against women.

In 2011, 15,000 women from

Bihar, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh have been brought and sold in Rajasthan. This is
human trafficking in Rajasthan. These women does not have any status and respect in
their home, society, and generally treated as sex object.13
During the interaction with rural women, the investigator observed that many
women have less knowledge and unfavorable attitude on female foeticide and there is a
huge need of educational programme to make public aware on female foeticide. This
motivated the investigator to conduct a structured teaching program on prevention of
female foeticide to create awareness among rural women to emphasize the need of female
child in society.

6.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

"A study to assess the knowledge and attitude of rural eligible couples
regarding female foeticide in selected rural areas at Bangalore."

6.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY:

1. To assess the knowledge regarding female foeticide among eligible couples in rural
areas.
2. To assess the attitude regarding female foeticide among eligible couples in rural
areas.
3. To determine the association between knowledge on female foeticide and
demographic variables of rural eligible couples.
4. To determine the association between attitude on female foeticide and demographic
variables of rural eligible couples.
6.5 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION:
1. Knowledge :
It refers to the ability of eligible couples in understanding information on
female foeticide, which is measured through responses towards questionnaire prepared by
the investigator.
2. Attitude:
It refers to the specific behaviour or opinion or view regarding female foeticide
among eligible couples of selected rural areas.
3. Female foeticide :
It refers to aborting a female foetus after sex determination test or prenatal
diagnostic test.
4. Rural :
The population residing in selected rural areas of Bangalore

5. Eligible couple :

It refers to a currently married couples wherein the wife is in the reproductive

age ,which is generally assumed to lie between the ages of 15-45 years , among the rural
selected areas at Bangalore.
6.6 ASSUMPTIONS :
1. Eligible couples from rural areas may not have adequate knowledge regarding
female foeticide.
2. Women may have interest to know more about the prevention female foeticide.
6.7 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
H1 : There will be significant association between knowledge on female foeticide
with selected demographic variables of rural eligible couples.
H2

: There will be significant correlation between knowledge and attitude of

eligible couples regarding female foeticide.

10

REVIEW OF LITERATURE:
A descriptive study was conducted to assess the knowledge of women about
decreasing sex ratio and attitude towards female foeticide of pregnant women in selected
hospitals of Ludhiana. Fifty pregnant women were chosen for the study by purposive
random sampling technique. Data was collected by using structured questionnaire. The
study results showed that 80 percent of the pregnant women had below average
knowledge about decreasing sex ratio and its affects.14

A descriptive study was conducted to assess the preferences of male child among
women in selected areas of Chandigarh. The sample of 373 females was chosen for the
study by purposive sampling technique. Data was collected by structured questionnaire
and interview schedule. The study showed that 209 i.e. 56 percent married women
preferred male child.15

A prospective study was conducted to assess the attitude of graduates regarding

use of prenatal diagnostic techniques for sex selection in U.S two hundred and forty two
U.S. graduates were selected for the study by purposive sampling technique. Data was
collected by using a questionnaire. The study results showed that one third i.e. 31 percent
of them supported the use of some kind of sex selection technology in conceiving
children although the study did not breakdown preferences regarding methods.16
A descriptive study has been conducted to assess the awareness of rural couples
about sex ratio. Fifty couples under he age of 45 years were randomly selected to make a
total sample size of 100 couples. Data was collected by a structured questionnaire. The
results showed that 74% females and 64% males had no knowledge about the sex ratio
and 41% males and 36% females cited female foeticide as the main reason for the
imbalanced sex ratio. The study concluded that Eighty one percent males and sixty five
percent females felt that the major problem due to imbalanced sex ratio would be due to
non- availability of brides.17

11

A retrospective study was conducted to compare the expected and observed sex
ratio of babies born to women with one previous live birth and women with two all
singleton pregnant women at Hong Kong; Chinese. Two thousand six hundred and four
women of parity 1 and seven hundred and fifty two women of parity 2 were chosen for
the study. The results of the study showed that the sexes of the children of parity 1
women and the sex distribution of their newborns were consistent with the predicted
values. The parity 2 women were more likely to have 3 children, off their previous
children were of the same sex (P- value < 0.001). The study concludes that the parity 2
women attending one antenatal clinic had 3 pregnancies because of socio-economical or
environmental reasons. Thus the biological or parental factors were unlikely to be
important in influencing the sex of the newborn.

18

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Delhi on knowledge,

attitude and practice of pregnant women on gender preference, prenatal sex determination
and female feticide. Study was carried out to find out the attitude toward gender
preference and knowledge as well as practice toward prenatal sex determination and
female feticide among pregnant women. A majority (66.0%) of the pregnant women did
not show any gender preference, followed by male preference (22.2%) and female
preference (11.8%). A high proportion, i.e. 84.7% and 89.7%, of the total subjects were
aware that prenatal sex determination and female foeticide is illegal, respectively.19
A study was done on Census 2011 : Survey in Delhi, Noida reveals male
child preferred by 44%. The study has found that as many as 85% women aged
between 18 and 40 years in the city are highly aware of this evil as compared to
their husbands and mothers / mothers in - law. In fact, 90% of nearly 200 married
men and women surveyed across Delhi and Noida said their religion didn't allow
foeticide; but 3% admitted to have gone for a sex determination test on the sly,
mostly because their in-laws insisted. As many as 92% respondents agreed that a constant
decrease in the number of girls will lead to an increased crime rate. Majority of
respondents were aware about the illegality of sex determination under PNDT Act, but

12

97% of them didn't know that it could lead to imprisonment for three years. 65%
respondents had them as their source of awareness; only 30% of them depended on
doctors and mid-wives. The government should regularly monitor technology used for
such matters. There is this hand-held machine that could be used for sex determination. It
could prove to be disastrous. 20
A study was conducted on Female foeticide more prevalent among the
middleclass in Punjab. The researcher claimed to have interviewed women from more
than 90 families in the city. The women were in the age group of 15-35 years. The study
found that in the middle class where the size of the family has to be restricted, cases of
female foeticide were more. The study also found that it is usually the older women in the
house who influence the vital decision. It is a tragedy that women, whose lives are most
battered by frequent child birth are hardly allowed to take decision. 21
A study was conducted on Decreasing Sex Ratio and Pregnant Women's Attitude
towards Female Foeticide in Ludhiana, Punjab. A descriptive study approach was used to
conduct the study, which was conducted in Antenatal OPD of Christian Medical College
and Hospital, Ludhiana. Purposive random sampling technique was used for selection of
sample. The population consisted of 50 pregnant women attending OPD. The technique
and methods used were structured questionnaire developed based on review of literature.
Majority of the clients were in the age group of 21-30 years (72%) followed by 24% in
the age group of 3 1 -40 years and only 4% above 40 years. 48% of them were the
academic qualification of plus two and above, 30% were illiterate and 22% had passed
10th class. Most of women were Hindus (48%), followed by Sikhs 32%, Christians 14%
and Muslims only 6%. Majority of women (76%), were housewives and 24% were
professionals. Maximum numbers of women (66%) were married for 1-9 years, 30% of
women married for 10-19 years and 4% married for more than 20 years. 54% of them
were having family income Rs. 5001-10000, 36% had income less than Rs. 5000 and
only 10% were with income more than Rs. 10,000. Most of women (72%) resided in
urban area and 28% belonged to rural areas. For 62%, source of information was mass
media and 38% got information from relatives. Analysis shows that the knowledge level
of many women were found to be average about causes of female foeticide but

13

inadequate about affects of decreasing sex ratio and lowest about meaning of sex ratio
and decreasing sex ratio. Mean attitude score of pregnant women towards female
foeticide was 3.5. Pregnant women between the age group of 21-30 years obtained
highest mean attitude score (84.42). Women with qualification plus two and above scored
higher (89.2) as compared to other groups. Qualification plus two and above scored
higher (89.2) as compared to other groups. Hindus scored higher (94.6) as compared to
other religions. Mean attitude score was higher (89.0) in housewives. Women married for
1-9 years scored higher (84.8). Women with family income more than Rs. 10, 000 had
highest mean attitude score (87.4). Pregnant women from urban areas had high mean
attitude score (84.6%) as compared to women living in rural areas. Women who watched
TV scored higher (92.6%) as compared to other sources of information. The study
suggests that steps should be taken to educate women to make them aware about the
same. Planned health education programmes by health professionals should be made on
an ongoing process in Antenatal OPD, General OPD, Pediatric OPD/ Wards and the
community setting. 22
A study was done on Female foeticide, a danger to society in India. The study
speaks about amniocentesis and also son preference in India. The incidence of using
amniocentesis as a method which allows identification of sex is revealed by the presence
of an adverse sex ratio in many states. While pregnancy may be legally terminated in
India up to 12 weeks' gestation, amniocentesis takes place at 16 weeks. The study found
that in some states, parents who cannot afford amniocentesis were continuing the practice
of female infanticide. The study concluded with the suggestion that the Indian
government should act immediately to control female feticide, Amniocentesis should take
place only within government-run institutions, and the sex of the child should never be
revealed to parents and also a massive educational effort to modify believes. 23
A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of planned teaching programme
regarding female foeticide among primigravida mothers in selected hospital of Erode,
Tamil Nadu. Sixty primigravida mothers were selected for this study using a convenient
sampling technique. A structured interview was conducted. The majority of primigravida
mothers have inadequate knowledge regarding female foeticide. Significant difference

14

was seen in the pre-test mean score value 44.10 and post test mean score value 58.89%
and obtained t value was 10.70. This indicates that the planned teaching programme was
effective.24
A descriptive study was carried out to assess the attitude of women towards birth
of son, use of contraception methods and sex determination methods in rural village
Kasurdi in Pune district. Out of 110 respondents interviewed, 62.7% felt that male child
is necessary in the family. The difference between family sizes when compared with the
sex of first child was statistically significant signifying that if the first child is a male then
it hardly matters whether the second child is male or female, but if the sex of first child is
female then the families land up with bigger family size. On an average most of the
respondents favors two children with an equal share of male and female children. 25
A cross-sectional study was undertaken with 195 pregnant women who attended
the antenatal clinic of G.G. Hospital attached to M.P. Shah Medical College, Jamnagar,
and Gujarat. A pre-tested and pre-structured questionnaire was used to collect information
on their knowledge and attitudes towards gender preference and female feticide. The
study result was as such; of the 195 pregnant women selected for the study, 70.3% were
from urban area and 29.7% from rural area. It was discovered that 20.5% were illiterate
and 79.5% were literate. Out of 195 women studied, 114 (58.5%) gave preference to male
child; the major reasons for this being social responsibilities are carried out by males
(42.5%), for propagation of family name (23%), dependable in the old age (16%),
pressure from family (11%), to perform cremation (4%), dowry (3%) and females are
economic liability (3%). Our study revealed that socio-demographic factors affect gender
preference. Preference to male child was higher among rural women (70.68%) than that
of the urban women (53.28%). The association was statistically significant. Preference to
male child was higher in women who had no male child previously (65.28%) than those
who already had a male child (42.50%). This difference was also statistically significant.
Of the 195 women, 40 (20.51%) admitted that they will go for female feticide. The
inclination to female feticide was higher in women who showed son preference. One
hundred and ten (54.4%) women were aware about consequences of female feticide.
Consequences of female feticide expressed by these women were: men wont find

15

bride, families cant be run, lead to an all-male family and increase in violence against
women. The awareness of consequences of female feticide grew with literacy status. It
was 35% among illiterate women, 53.4% in primary level literacy and 73.13% in
secondary and above. The difference was statistically significant. The study revealed that
residential area and sex of the previous child affect a womans preference for her next
child, while education increases awareness regarding the consequences of adverse sex
ratio. 26
A cross sectional, Community based, Descriptive study was undertaken to assess
the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice regarding gender preference and female feticide
among teachers population in Hassan. Participants were interviewed with the help of
predesigned, semi-structure Performa. Data was analyzed in terms of proportions. Out of
127 participants, 73% said that Ultrasound is the technique for Pre Natal Sex
Determination Test (PNDT). 80% said that Private hospital is the area for sex
determination test. While asked reasons for son preference, 38.5% said they carry the
name of the family, 27.5% said that source of income or dowry.52% of them aware
regarding PNDT Act. 90% have got the information regarding female feticide and gender
preference from the media. 27
A recent study based on a survey conducted across 6 villages in Ludhiana having
sample of 200 participants, Jat-Sikh mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law on the issue of
female foeticide had the following to report of the mothers-in-law surveyed, 78%
accepted female foeticide social evil but said that it would not cause gender imbalance in
the society. They also said it was better for women not to be born than to lead a life of
sorrow and misery. 12% said that it was okay to practice female feticide 10% were
against the practice. Of the daughters-in-law surveyed, 77% disapproved of female
feticide (Only those daughters-in-law were surveyed who already had a girl child and
wanted to have another child).28
A population-based cross-sectional inquiry was carried out in Delhi to assess
the practice of fetal sex determination, sex-selective abortions and awareness about the
related law. A total of 1514 respondents, selected through multistage cluster sampling

16

from all across Delhi, were interviewed using a pretested, semi structured questionnaire.
Legal awareness (73.6%) was significantly better among the male and urban respondents.
Only 39 (2.6%) of the respondents had ever gone for fetal sex determination. In 17
(43.6%) of them, it was done in spite of being aware of its unlawfulness, and in 33
(84.6%), the couple had one or more living male children. Frequency of fetal sex
determination was comparable for slum and urban areas. Fifty-six additional cases of
fetal sex determination, occurring in the neighborhood of the respondents, were also
reported. A total of 28 cases of female feticide were reported. Awareness about the
illegality of fetal sex determination has improved, compared with the 1997-1998 data
collected from East Delhi (55.3-73.6%). However, this comparison also shows a marginal
increase in the practice of fetal sex determination (2.1-2.6%). In all cases of feticide, a
qualified doctor was involved. A number of couples abandoned the abortion plan midway,
even after detecting that the fetus was female, and there were occasional cases where the
doctor refused to abort the female fetus.29
A Cross sectional population survey done in November 2005 ,Setting all of
China's 2861 counties population 1% of the total population, selected to be broadly
representative of the total. Results 4 764 512 people under the age of 20 were included.
Overall sex ratios were high across all age groups and residency types, but they were
highest in the 1-4 years age group, peaking at 126 (95% confidence interval 125 to 126)
in rural areas. Six provinces had sex ratios of over 130 in the 1-4 age group. The sex ratio
at birth was close to normal for first order births but rose steeply for second order births,
especially in rural areas, where it reached 146 (143 to 149). Nine provinces had ratios of
over 160for second order births. The highest sex ratios were seen in provinces that allow
rural inhabitants a second child if the first is a girl. Sex selective abortion accounts for
almost all the excess males. One particular variant of the one child policy, which allows a
second child if the first is a girl, leads to the highest sex ratios. In 2005 males under the
age of 20 exceeded females by more than 32 million in China, and more than 1.1 million
excess births of boys occurred. China will see very high and steady worsening sex ratios
in the reproductive age group over the next two decades. Enforcing the existing ban on
sex selective abortion could lead to normalization of the ratios.30

17

7. MATERIALS AND METHODS

7.1 SOURCE OF DATA
The data will be collected from the eligible couples who are residing in selected rural
areas, Bangalore.
7.2 METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
i. Research design
A descriptive survey design will be adopted for conducting the present study.
ii. Research variables
Study variables :
1.

Knowledge and attitude of rural eligible couples.

2.

Age, Education, Occupation, economic status.

iii. Setting of the study:

The study will be conducted in selected rural areas at Bangalore.
iv. Population
In this study the target population comprised the eligible couples residing in selected
rural areas at Bangalore.
v. Sample
Eligible couples who will fulfill the inclusion criteria will be selected as a sample.
Sample size will be 90.

18

vi. Criteria for sample selection

Inclusion Criteria:
1.
2.

Eligible couples those who are from the selected rural area.
Eligible couple with age group between 18 45 years.

Exclusion Criteria :
1.

Eligible couples those who will not be available during data collection.

2.

Eligible couples in the field of health care professionals.

vii. Sampling technique

Non random sampling procedure of convenient sampling technique will be used
to select the samples.
viii. Tool for data collection
Tool consists of two sections such as;
Section A: Includes selected demographic variables of rural Eligible couples.
Section B: Includes structured questionnaire consist of questions to assess knowledge on
female foeticide among rural eligible couples.
ix. Methods of data collection
Structured questionnaire will be used for collecting data regarding female
foeticide among rural couples.
Duration of study: 4-6 weeks
x. Plan for data analysis
The data collected will be analyzed by means of descriptive and Inferential Statistics.

19

The data collected on knowledge and attitude regarding female foeticide among rural
eligible couples will be analyzed to assess the objectives through the following statistical
techniques.
Descriptive statistics:
1. Frequency and percentage analysis will be used to describe the rural eligible
couples.
2. Mean, standard deviation and mean score percent will be used to assess the knowledge on
female foeticide among rural eligible couples.

Inferential statistics:
1. The Chi square test is used to determine the association between knowledge on female
foeticide and demographic variables on rural and urban eligible couples.
xii. Projected outcome
The investigator will be able to find the level of knowledge and attitude regarding
female foeticide in selected rural areas at Bangalore.
7.1 DOES

THE

STUDY

REQUIRE

ANY

INTERVENTION

TO

BE

CONDUCTED ON PATIENTS OR OTHER HUMAN OR ANIMALS?

No, it is not an experimental study.

7.2 HAS ETHICAL CLEARANCE BEEN OBTAINED FROM INSTITUTIONS?

1.

The ethical clearance has been obtained from research committee of Noor College
of Nursing.

2.

Written permission will be obtained from concerned authorities of selected areas.

3.

Written permission will be obtained from the samples who are involved in the
study before collecting the data.

20

8. LIST OF REFERENCES:

1. Kaura, Girjashankar (2001), Female foeticide on rise. THE TRIBUNE. June

23rd.
2. Meenu

anand,

female

foeticide-

quest

for

survival,

Social

Welfare. September 2004 Pg. 5.

3. Indu Grewal and J. Kishore. Female Foeticide In India. IHN 2004 May; 12-16.
4. Niharika Joshi and Ashu K. Bajwa. Existing Intergenerational Continuity and
Discontinuity in Knowledge of Rural Women towards Female Foeticide.
Journal of Social Science 2012 Jan; 30(2): 161-164.
5. Zoya Zaida. Female Foeticide In India. Sikhspectrum 2006 May;24(5): 23-26.
6. www.orthodoxwiki.org.
7. Dr. M.S. Siddharam, Dr. G. M. Venhatesh et al. Journal Of Clinical And
Diagnostic Research 2011 Nov;5(7): 1430-1433.
8. Dr. M.S. Siddharam, Dr. G. M. Venhatesh et al. Journal Of Clinical And
Diagnostic Research 2011 Nov;5(7): 1430-1433.
9. T. Snehalatha and Renu Shrma. Female Foeticide And Infenticide In India.
International Journal Of Criminal Justice Sciences 2006 Jan;1(1): 12-14.
10. D. Aishwarya and S. R. Archana. Awareness Of Rural And Urban Women
About Female Foeticide. Journal Of Indian Research 2010 May;10(2): 10-12.
11. Essay on Female foeticide; a hall of shame [Online]. [cited on April 20 2012 ]
Available From URL;http://www.merionline.com/index.php?
essay f/DN1115.pdf

21

Female foeticide

12. Sardna MMK. Declining sex ratios; will it impact economic growth? ISID
discussion notes. [Online] .[Cited on April 15,2012];Available from: URL:
http://www.isid.org.in/pd.
13. UNICEF, 2007 op.cit.[Online];[Cited on 20 April 2012];Available from URL//
www.ifuw.org/advocacy/reports/2007-girls_infanticide.pd
14. Sarna, kamla, decreasing sex ratio and pregnant womens attitude towards
female foeticide NURSING JOURNAL OF INDIA.

April 2005. Pg.13-20:

52(1).
15. Gender preferences and awareness regarding sex determination among
married women in slums of Chandigarh. INDIAN JOURNAL OF
COMMUNITY MEDICINE. Vol 32 No.1 (2007-01 to 2007-03).
16. Gilroy F.D, Steinbacher.R, Sex selection technology utilization, further
implications for sex ratio imbalance.SOCIAL BIOLOGY.1991 fall-winter
38(3-4)285-8.ISSN:0037-766X
17. Esther A gosh, Rita Goel and Shanti Balda.Awareness of rural couples
about sex ratio JOURNAL HUMAN ECOLOGY. 18(2) Pg.

167-168

(2005).
18. Wong, S.F, Ho lc Sex selection in practice among Hong Kong, Chinese
SOCIAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE. August 2001. Vol 53 No.3 Pg. 393-397
ISSN:0277-9536
19. Kansal R, Maroof KA, Bansal R, Parashar P. A hospital-based study on
knowledge, attitude and practice of pregnant women on gender preference,

22

prenatal sex determination and female feticide. Indian J Public Health [serial
online] 2010 Oct-Dec; 54(4):20912
20. Census 2011: survey in Delhi, Noida reveals male child preferred by 44%. The
economic times, Politics/ Nation. 2011 April[Cited on 22 April 2012].
21. Sandhu Khusboo. Female foeticide more prevalent among the middle class.
TheIndian express[Online] 2008 February[Cited on 20 April2012];
22. Saran, Kamala. Decreasing sex ratio and pregnant womens attitude towards
female foeticid in Ludhiana[Online] 2007 March. [Cited on 18 April 2012];
23. Kaur G B. Female foeticide. A danger to society in India. The Nursing Journal
of India 2004[Online] [Cited on 18 April 2012];Available from URL:http://
24. Merlin M B. Assessment of the effectiveness of planned teaching programme
regarding female foeticide

among primigravida mothers. University of

Chennai. Tamil Nadu. 2005.

25. Patrikar SR, Bhalwar R Colet al. Gender Inequality: Is the National population
policys objective of two child norm heading the correct way? Medical journal
of armed forces India. [Online] 2008 64(3) 221-23.
26. Vadera BN, Joshi UK et al. Study on knowledge, attitude

and practices

regarding gender preference and female foeticide among pregnant women.

Indian Journal of community medicine. [Online] 2007 October-December; 32(4).
26. Siddharam S. metri et al. Awareness Regarding Gender preference and Female
Foeticide among Teachers in the Hassan District, South India[Online]. [Cited on
18

April

2012];

Available

from:

http://www.jcdr.net/articles/PDF/1675/28%20-%203427_f.pdf

23

URL:

27. Niharika Joshi ,

Dr. Ashu

Kalaraman. 78%

mothers-in-law apathetic

towards female foeticide: PAU survey [Online]. [Cited on 18 April 2012];

Available from: URL:http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/PUN-LUD-78-mothers-inlaw-apathetic-towards-female foeticide-pau-survey-1843609.html
28. Chaturvedi S, Chhabra P et al. Fetal sex-determination in Delhi:

population based investigation Trop Doct [serial online] 2007 Apr; 37(2):98100. [Cited on 18 April 2012]; Available from:URL:http//www.ncbi.nlm
nih.gov/pubmed/17540092
29. Zhu WX, Lu L, Hesketh T. China's excess males, sex selective abortion, and
one child policy: analysis ofdata from 2005 national intercensus survey.
BMJ [serial online] 2009 Apr 9;338:b1211. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b1211. [Cited on 18
April 2012]
30. Wong, S.F, Ho lc sex selection in practice among Hong Kong, Chinese
SOCIAL SCIENCE AND MEDICINE. August 2001. Vol 53 No.3 Pg. 393-397
ISSN:0277-9536

9.

Signature of the Candidate

10.

Remarks of the Guide

24

11.

Name and Designation

11.1 Guide
11.2 Signature

11.3 Co-Guide
11.4 Signature

11.5 Head of the Department

11.6 Signature

12.

12.1 Remarks of the Chairman and

Principal
12.2 Signature

25