Can microcredit help improve the health of poor women? Some findings from a cross-sectional study in Kerala, India

Table 4 SHG participation, by characteristics. Multinomial logistic regression: odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, using non-member as reference group^a

Characteristic	Late joiner (< = 2 years) N = 442	Early joiner (> 2 years) N = 150
Age (ref = 30 years and under) 31–44	2.63 [1.53–4.53]	1.74 [1.18–2.58]
45–59	1.39 [0.73–2.66]	0.92 [0.58–1.44]
Relationship to head (ref = spouse) Head	1.52 [0.85–2.72]	0.92 [0.58–1.45]
Education (ref = high school+) Primary	0.22 [0.12–0.41]	0.62 [0.42–0.94]
No education	0.57 [0.34–0.98]	0.83 [0.55–1.24]
Employment (ref = not engaged) Engaged	1.33 [0.84–2.09]	0.89 [0.63–1.27]
Landholdings (ref = more than 50 cents) 50 cents or less	1.53 [0.90–2.60]	1.41 [0.97–2.05]
Caste of head (ref = forward) OBC	0.69 [0.39–1.19]	0.68 [0.45–1.04]
SC/ST	0.91 [0.52–1.60]	0.80 [0.52–1.24]

^a Notes: Results in bold are statistically significant at 5% level, OBC = Other Backward Caste, SC/ST = Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe

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