IGNOU Post B. SC. Nursing entrance -2021
Community Health Nursing
Easy

Eligible couple refers to a woman in the age group of?

Appeared in: IGNOU Post B. SC. Nursing entrance -2021

Explanation

  • An 'eligible couple' is a standard term used in India's Family Welfare Programme.
  • It is defined as a currently married couple where the wife is in her reproductive years.
  • The reproductive age group for this purpose is officially considered to be between 15 and 45 years.
  • This age range is used to identify the target population for family planning services, including contraception, counseling, and maternal and child health (MCH) services.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: The age range of 12-35 years is incorrect. While menarche can occur around age 12, the lower limit for programmatic purposes is 15. The upper limit of 35 is too low, as many women remain fertile into their 40s.
  • Option C: The age range of 22-55 years is incorrect. The lower limit of 22 is too high, excluding many young married women. The upper limit of 55 is well past the average age of menopause and the end of the reproductive period.
  • Option D: The age range of 28-65 years is incorrect. Both the lower and upper limits are far outside the standard definition of the female reproductive age span used for family welfare programs.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Definition of 'Eligible Couple' in community health nursing and family welfare programs as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
  • The concept of the 'eligible couple' is fundamental for community health nurses to plan and deliver family planning services effectively.
  • Maintaining an accurate Eligible Couple Register is a core task for Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and other grassroots health workers. It helps in tracking contraceptive use, providing timely MCH services, and achieving national health goals.
  • What if? If a couple adopts a permanent sterilization method (like tubectomy or vasectomy), they are considered 'effectively protected' and are no longer a 'target couple' for spacing methods, but they remain on the eligible couple register until the wife crosses the age of 45.
How to Approach the Question
  • This is a factual recall question from Community Health Nursing.
  • Identify the key term in the question: 'Eligible couple'.
  • Recall the specific definition of this term as used in the context of India's National Family Welfare Programme.
  • The definition includes two main criteria: the couple must be currently married, and the wife must be within a specific age range.
  • Evaluate the given options to find the age range that matches the official definition of the reproductive period (15-45 years).
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Definition of 'Eligible Couple' in community health nursing and family welfare programs.
  • Stem keywords: Eligible couple, woman, age group
  • Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qdpp0UCQwUimOFBjbvavkr

Reference Book

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 1 — Subpart C (pp 404-604 of 604) p. 186-188

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