Multidimensional Energy Poverty and Maternal Health Outcome: Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

Energy poverty is becoming recognised as an important social determinant of health. Inadequate access to modern energy services is likely to have a detrimental influence on health-seeking behaviour, especially in women. The study investigates how household multidimensional energy poverty (MEP) and socioeconomic predictors affect the likelihood that women receive antenatal care (ANC) from a healthcare provider. A Multidimensional Energy Poverty (MEP) index based on a set of household energy deprivation indicators was constructed using nationwide survey data from Pakistan. The poverty cut offwas used to categorise households into energy-poor and non-energy-poor. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to estimate the association between energy poverty and ANC use, and marginal effects were obtained to put the strength of these relationships into perspective. The analysis shows that women living in multidimensionally energy-poor households have a much lower probability of receiving ANC services. Mothers’ education and internet use have a positive influence on ANC use, but rural living, geographic differences, and more childcare roles reduce the likelihood of seeking ANC. These findings suggest that the maternal health-seeking behaviour is influenced by structural deprivation, household conditions, and access to information. The results highlight the need to implement policy-level interventions that address both accessesto the health system and household conditions. Improving access to contemporary energy services, female education, digital connectivity and reducing regional inequalities in health infrastructure can make significant progress in improving maternal healthcare use. The paper contributes to the literature by establishing a correlation between multidimensionalenergy poverty and maternal healthcare use in Pakistan. It provides new evidence on the overall socioeconomic determinants of maternal access to health in developing nations by integrating household energy deprivation into the analytical model of maternalhealth behaviour.