Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T00:16:02.740Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Factors affecting infant and child mortality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Arjun L. Adlakha
Affiliation:
Center for International Research, Bureau of the Census, Washington, DC, USA
C. M. Suchindran
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Summary

This paper examines the determinants of infant and child mortality variations in four near east countries using data from WFS surveys. The analysis considers biological correlates of mortality—mother's age, birth order, birth interval, and previous infant loss—and several social factors—mother's and father's education, mother's residence, father's occupation, and mother's work experience since marriage. A multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model is carried out to obtain the net effect of each factor on mortality. Separate models are constructed for infant mortality and childhood mortality and for each country.

The four countries show large variations in mortality, but this is persistently higher in female than male children. All four demographic characteristics affect mortality significantly, especially the length of the preceding birth interval. Among the socioeconomic variables, only rural–urban residence is influential.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1985, Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adlakha, A.L. (1970) Infant Mortality in Turkey. PhD thesis, University of Michigan.Google Scholar
Caldwell, J.C. (1979) Education as a factor in mortality decline: an examination of Nigerian data. Popul. Stud. 33, 395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coale, A.J. & Demeny, P. (1966) Regional Model Life Table and Stable Populations. Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.Google Scholar
DaVanzo, J., Butz, W.P. & Habicht, J.P. (1983) How biological and behavioral influences on mortality in Malaysia vary during the first year of life. Popul. Stud. 37, 381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Sweemer, C. (1984) The influence of child spacing on child survival. Popul. Stud. 38, 47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fliess, J.L. (1973) Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions, Wiley, New York.Google Scholar
Goldman, N., Coale, A.J. & Weinstein, M. (1980) The Quality of Data in the Nepal Fertility Survey. Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.Google Scholar
Harrell, F. (1980) The Logist Procedure, SAS Supplemental Library User's Guide. SAS Institute, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Hobcraft, J., McDonald, J.W. & Rutstein, S. (1983) Child-spacing effects on infant and early childhood mortality. Popul. Index, 49, 585.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jelliffe, D.B. (1966) The Assessment of Nutritional Status of the Community. WHO Monograph Series, No. 53, Geneva.Google ScholarPubMed
Martin, L.G., Trussell, J., Salvil, Fr.R. & Shea, N.M. (1983) Covariates of child mortality in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan. Popul. Stud. 37, 417.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, J.F. & Mozumder, K.A. (1984) A Multi-variate Analysis of Social and Economic Determinants of Neonatal and Infant Mortality in Four Rural Thanas of Northern Bangladesh. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.Google Scholar
Rowland, M.G.M., Paul, A.A. & Whitehead, R.G. (1981) Lactation and infant nutrition. Med. Bull. 37, 77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shapiro, S., Schlesinger, E.R. & Nesbitt, R.E.L. (1968) Infant, Perinatal Maternal and Child Mortality in the United States. Harvard Press, Cambridge, Mass.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suchindran, C.M. & Adlakha, A.L. (1981) Infant Mortality and its Effect on Fertility: The Experience of Sri Lanka. Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Google Scholar
Sullivan, J.M., Adlakha, A.L. & Suchindran, C.M. (1983) Levels, Time Trends and Determinants of Infant and Child Mortality in Jordan. Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Google Scholar
United Nations (1954) Foetal, Infant and Early Childhood Mortality, Vol. 2: Biological, Social and Economic Factors. Population Studies, No. 13, UN, New York.Google Scholar