[Studies on the birthplace of residents in the remote area]

Okutano district, consisting of Manba-machi, Nakazato-mura and Ueno-mura all in Tano-gun, Gunma Prefecture, population 7,778 according to the 1980 Population Census, is the remotest district in Gunma Prefecture and had a depopulation rate of 9.2% in the 1975-1980 period. In this remote district the economically and socially bad conditions today such as the aging trend, working conditions, etc. are accelerating the depopulation, and the absolute shortage of medical services is making the health breakdown of the residents more serious than expected. This study is on the birthplace of the residents in the district mentioned above, and through analysis and examination of the 2,384 records of birth and to find cases of maternal death and infant death during the last two decades. The results were as follows: The reversion in the number of hospitalized and non-hospitalized births came in 1967, which was 8 years later than the national average. These days almost 99% of deliveries occur in hospitals. Accordingly, the distance between the residence and the birthplace has increased. Hospitalized deliveries was took place mostly at clinics until around 1969, and at hospitals thereafter. On the selection of the hospital there is a tendency to choose a nearby one if the receiving conditions permit. The rate of hospitalized deliveries goes down in proportion to the increase in the number of times of the delivery or the age of the mother. Though cases of the maternal death and infant death occur in high frequency in remote areas, the improvement in medical care along with the increase in hospitalized deliveries has contributed a great deal to the decrease of such cases.