ETD Collection

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Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Infant mortality

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    The influence of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in Southern Africa.
    (2014-09-17) Motsa, Lungile F.
    Context: Despite the many initiatives implemented over the past decades as part of the global priority on child survival, there still exists high infant mortality in Southern Africa. Although studies have examined factors contributing to poor child health outcomes including the effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there is paucity of studies on the possible effect of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in the region. This study examines the association between infant feeding practices and infant mortality in Southern Africa. The need to reduce infant mortality is a global health concern hence the United Nations through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declared the reduction of infant and child mortality as one of its major targets by the year 2015. Methods: A merged dataset from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe was analysed in this study. A total number of 13, 218 infants born in the last five years preceding the surveys whose information on infant feeding practices was available formed the analysis sample. The outcome variable was infant mortality and infant feeding practices which had the categories, no breastfeeding, partial breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding was the main explanatory variable of the study. Other explanatory variables used in the study pertained to maternal demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as the infants’ bio-demographic characteristics. The Cox Hazard Regression Model was employed to examine both the unadjusted and adjusted effect of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in Southern Africa. Results: Although, exclusive breastfeeding was quite low (12%), its mortality reduction effect was significant, and infants who were exclusively breastfed exhibited a 97% lower risk of dying during infancy compared to no breastfeeding in the region. Further, variations exist by country in the levels and patterns of both infant mortality and infant feeding practices. Country, highest educational level, marital status, sex of child, preceding birth interval and birth weight were the significant predictors of infant mortality in Southern Africa. Conclusions: Overall, the study found that any form of breastfeeding whether exclusive or partial breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of infant mortality, with the mortality reduction effect being higher among exclusively breastfed infants in the Southern African region. Thus, in order to reduce the upsurge of infant mortality, there is need to step up the effectiveness of child nutrition programmes that promote breastfeeding and put emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding of infants in the region.
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    The relationship between mothers' maternal age and infant mortality in Zimbabwe.
    (2012-06-29) Dube, Ziphozonke Bridget
    Background: This study examined the relationship between mothers’ age at first birth and infant mortality in Zimbabwe. Childbearing at a significantly young age has been noted to be a predictor of infant mortality, as children born to young mothers are at a greater risk of early death. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, secondary study which uses the data from the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey 2005-2006. The population of interest in this study are women of reproductive ages in Zimbabwe, who have had children within the last five years prior to the survey. A total of 4074 women are used as the sample in this study. The dependent variable is infant mortality, which is understood as the deaths of infants between the period of birth and their first birthday. The independent variables include demographic, socio-economic and reproductive characteristics of the women. The analysis of data was undertaken at three levels. Univariate analysis, binary logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression were conducted. In addition, stepwise logistic regression was applied to the multivariate analysis to analyse the relationship between the significant variables found in the study in relation to infant mortality. Results: This study confirmed an association between mothers’ age at first birth and infant mortality as infants born to mothers of 18 years and younger suffer higher risk of infant mortality, as they have a 33% increased risk in comparison to infants born to older women. This indicates the need for policy development focused on the issue adolescent childbearing and how childbearing can be delayed in Zimbabwe in order to reduce infant mortality. Furthermore the reproductive characteristics of the mother prove to have great impact on infant mortality within the country. Thus the importance of policies focused on women’s reproductive health care. Conclusions: This study confirms that mothers’ age at first birth is a central influential factor in infant mortality in Zimbabwe. Infant mortality cannot be isolated from the characteristics of mothers, in particular her age at first birth, as they are more often the primary care-givers thus have immense influence on whether the infants survive or not.
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    The relationship between parent temporary migration and childhood survival in households left behind in the South African rural sub-district of Agincourt
    (2008-06-26T16:42:25Z) Gumbo, Promise
    This report examines the influence of parent’s migration status on childhood mortality in sending households in the South African rural sub-district of Agincourt. A survival analysis of a cohort of children born in Agincourt between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2003 was conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model to estimate the influence of parent’s migration status on under-5 year mortality. Starting with a baseline census in 1992, the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System (AHDSS) data are collected and updated every 12 months wherein fieldworkers visit each household at the site to record the vital events, including births, deaths, and migrations that occurred since the previous census. Results of the survival analysis show that children born in households where the father was a temporary migrant while the mother remained at the rural household had a 35% lower risk of death compared to children in households where both parents were non-migrant (RR=0.647, 95% CI 0.439-0.954). The results also reveal that, controlling for parent migration status, children in single-parent (mother only) households had about 28% higher death hazard than children in two-parent households (RR=1.284, 95% CI 0.936-1.673). The findings suggest that temporary labour migration could be a means to improving household incomes and quality of life for children, particularly where the father is a temporary migrant while the mother remains behind taking care of the children. At the same time, children whose fathers are not indicated appear to be worse off whether their parents are temporary migrants or not.