1) The study analyzes the relationship between health status and economic development in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. 2) Health and economic development indices were created using principal component analysis of relevant indicators. Islampur had the highest health index while Chopra had the highest economic development index. 3) A strong positive relationship was found between health status and economic indicators, with economic factors explaining 96% of health status variation. 4) Goalpokhar-I, Goalpokhar-II, Hemtabad, and Itahar blocks had low levels of both health and economic development, indicating the need to improve their economic conditions to enhance health.

1. International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, January, 2013 ISSN 0975-3486, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009-30097, VOL- IV * ISSUE- 40
Research Paper—Geography
The Study of Health and Economic Development in
Uttar Dinajpur District, West Bengal
January,2013 * Dr. Piyali Ghosh
*Lecturer in Dept. of Geography, Gyan Jyoti College, Dagapur, NH-55, Siliguri, Darjiling Dist., North
Bengal University, West Bengal
A B S T R A C T
Health of a nation is the critical determinant of economic growth rather than the commonly considered paradigm in which
economic conditions are the major determinants of health status. Health is a direct source of human welfare and also an
instrument for raising income levels and vise versa. The improvement in the health status of the people raises their productivity
level as well as their income while 'Economic Development' provides amenities for improvement of health care systems.
Therefore it is quite justified to study of 'Economic Development' and health status reciprocally. The present paper has been
analysed the vice-versa relationship between the health facilities available in Uttar Dinajpur district at C.D.Block level with
its present economic condition. To have the comprehensive pictures of health, two composite indices 'Economic Development
Index' (EDI) and 'Health Development Index' (HDI) have been worked out. A very strong relationship has been obtained
from the analysis as the multiple correlation coefficient is = 0.98. Islumpur and Chopra C.D.Block represent greatest 'Health'
and 'Economic Development' respectively.
Key Words: Economic Development Index, Health Development Index, Health Status.
Introduction: with selected 'Economic Indicators' and
Health, the critical determinant of economic • To identify the C.D.Blocks having low 'Economic
growth of a nation is a direct source of human welfare Development' as well as low 'Health Status'.
and also an instrument for raising income levels and
vise versa. The improvement in the health status of the
people raises their productivity level as well as their
income while economic development provides ameni-
ties for improvement of health care systems. Uttar
Dinajpur district is placed among the least developed
districts in West Bengal as well as in India. Beside this,
Uttar Dinajpur district is a poor performer in terms of
most health indicators. Hence in this present paper, the
relationship as well as the spatial pattern of these two
variables has been analyzed together.
Study Area:
The present study area, the district Uttar
Dinajpur extends between 25°11' N to 26°30' N latitude
and 87°49' E to 88°30' E longitude. The district has an
area of 3140 Squre Kilometers having total population
of 2441794 according to 2001 Census whereas density
of population is 778 persons/ Sq. Kms . The district is
divided into two subdivisions comprising of nine
C.D.Blocks with Raiganj as the district head quarter.
Objectives of The Study:
• To ascertain the 'Level of Economic Development'
on the basis of selected economic indicators,
• To find out the 'Level of Health Development' on the
basis of selected health indicators,
• To determine the spatial variation of ' Health' as well
as 'Economic Development' in Uttar Dinajpur district, (Source: Census of India 2001, West Bengal Administra-
• To explore the relationship between 'Health Status' tive Atlas)Location map.
Figure 1:
16 RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

2. International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, January, 2013 ISSN 0975-3486, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009-30097, VOL- IV * ISSUE- 40
(Source: District Statistical Handbook of Uttar Dinajpur, 2001, West Bengal Administrative Atlas)
Figure 2: Spatial Pattern of Economic Development and Health Development.
Methodology: Chopra. Whereas the 'Economic Indicators' taken for
In this study to get the 'Health Status,' i.e. the study to get the 'Educational Development Index'
'Health Development' the 'Composite Standard Score' are 'Total Work Participation Rate', 'Net Cultivated Area
method has been used. The relationship between 'Health per Agricultural Workers', 'Percentage of Irrigated Area
Status' and the selected 'Economic Indicators' has been to Total Cultivated Area', 'Number of Fertilizer Depot
determined on the basis of 'Multiple Linear Regression per Lakh Population', 'Number of Seed Stores per Lakh
Analysis' method. On the other hand, the composite Population', 'Number of Commercial Bank per Lakh
index of development for 'Health Status' (HDI) and Population' and 'Number of Bus Routes'. Depending on
'Economic Development' (EDI) have been determined which it can be said that Chopra and Itahar ranked first
using 'Principal Component Analysis' with the help of and last respectively on the basis of 'Economic Devel-
'SPSS' package. Beside these, to get the 'Health' and opment' The spatial pattern of' Health Development
'Economic Development' of C.D.Blocks. The spatial Index' and 'Economic Development Index' have been
pattern of level of development and the spatial corre- displayed by the following map. See Fig. 2
spondence of 'Health Status' with 'Economic Indica- Level of Development Name of C.D.Block
tors' have been represented by choropleth map using (1 st component Score)
GIS technique. Highly Developed Chopra
(1.387 - 2.502)
Results and Discussions: Moderately Developed Nil
The 'Health Development Index' has been ( 0.274 - 1.387 )
obtained from the 'Principal Component Analysis' as Less Developed Islampur, Goalpokhar-I,
1st Principal Component Score' on the basis of 'Number (- 0.850 - 0.274) Goalpokhar-II,
Karandighi, Raiganj,
of Primary Health Centre per Lakh Population', 'Number Hemtabad, Kaliaganj,
of Secondary Health Centre per Lakh Population', 'Bed Itahar
Availability in Hospitals per Thousand Population', (Source: Computed by Author)
'Total Private Clinical Establishment per Lakh Popula- Table 1: Economic Development Index
tion', 'Total X-Ray Services in Private Clinical Estab- The multivariate analysis encompassed among 'Health
lishment per Lakh Population', 'Total Pathology Ser- Development' and the seven selected economic indica-
vices in Private Clinical Establishment per Lakh Popu- tors stated above of nine C.D. Blocks of Uttar Dinajpur
lation', and 'Percentage of Anganwadi Centre with district. The estimated linear regression equation at-
Drinking Water facility'. From which it can be said that tained from the analysis may be expressed as:
Islumpur ranked first on the basis of 'Health Develop- Yc = 77.44216 - 1.7246 X1 + 5.132066 X2 - 18.7403 X3 +
ment' followed by Raiganj, Kaliaganj, Hemtabad, 8.175923 X4 + 0.156839 X5
Karandighi, Itahar Goalpokhar-I, Goalpokhar-II and - 145.90532 X6 + 0.3059 X7.
RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION 17

3. International Indexed & Refereed Research Journal, January, 2013 ISSN 0975-3486, RNI- RAJBIL- 2009-30097, VOL- IV * ISSUE- 40
From the multiple correlation coefficient (r = 0.979959)
it can be said that there is very strong correspondence
between health status and the selected economic indi-
cators and it is significant at 0.05% level according to
Student's t test. Moreover, all the economic indicators
cumulatively explain about 96% of the total variation of
'Health Status'.
Level of Development Name of C.D.Block
(1 st component Score)
Highly Developed
(0.985 - 1.984) Islampur
Moderately Developed Raiganj, Kaliaganj
( -0.014 - 0.985 )
Less Developed Chopra, Goalpokhar-I,
(- 1.013 - 0.014) Goalpokhar-II,
Karandighi, Hemtabad, Itahar
(Source: Computed by Author)
Table 2: Health Development Index
Findings:
* Islampur C.D. Block represents high Health Devel
opment Index.
* Raiganj and Kaliaganj C.D. Blocks symbolize me
dium level of Health Development.
* Excluding Chopra C.D.Block all the remaining eight
C. D. Blocks represent low level of Economic Devel Source: Computed by Author)
opment. Figure 2: Spatial Correspondence between Health Sta-
* Maximum spatial correspondence occurs in Islampur tus & Economic Indicator
and Hemtabad C.D.Blocks. ately low spatial correspondence between health and
See Fig. 2 economic indicators. It is therefore imperative that in
Conclusion: these C.D. Blocks 'Economic Status' should be improved
Among the C.D.Blocks of Uttar Dinajpur dis- to get enhanced 'Health Status'. That is to say instead
trict, Goalpokhar-I, Goalpokhar-II, Hemtabad & Itahar of taking into account the entire district as a whole
have low 'Health Status' as well as low 'Economic De- emphasis should be placed on those blocks and prob-
velopment'. Similarly, it has been further observed that lem oriented, goal oriented and time bound planning
two, out of nine C.D. Blocks i.e. Goalpokhar-I, schemes should be taken to get the integrated devel-
Goalpokhar-II have low and other three C.D.Blocks, opment and to rebuild the pattern of regional inequality.
namely, Chopra, Karandighi and Itahar have moder-
R E F E R E N C E
1 District Statistical Handbook Uttar Dinajpur, 2001, Bureau of Applied Economics & Statistics Government of West Bengal
2 Kshatriya G.K. & Kumar A. 2011, Perception of Health and Pattern of Health seeking behavior among the Kinnauras of
Kinnaur. South Asian Anthropologists. 11(2): 103 - 110.
3 Berg Van Den Hendrik 1949 'Economic Growth and Development'; Mc Graw Hill Company, New York
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