scholarly journals Mortality Decline in Kenya: A Reexamination of Recent Under-Five Mortality Estimate

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Odwe ◽  
Anne Khasakhala ◽  
Titus Agwanda ◽  
Andrew Imbwaga ◽  
Zena Lyaga

This study examined the extent of birth displacement and its effect on the under-five mortality estimates in Kenya. Using data from 2003 and 2008/09 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys, we evaluate the variability of birth displacement by region and place of residence based on the survival status of the child. We compute birth ratios for children born in the 5th calendar year preceding each survey and note the possible effect on under-five mortality estimates. Results show that under-five mortality estimates in 2008/09 survey are smaller than that of a similar period in 2003 survey by 17 percent. Overall, birth ratios for the 5th calendar year were below 100 percent suggesting presence of birth displacement. However, there was no variance in the displacement between surviving and dead children, hence modest impact on the under-five mortality rate. Evidence suggests that the remarkable decline in the under-five mortality rate recorded in 2008/09 is a function of both overestimation of mortality rate in 2003 survey and underestimation in 2008/09 survey. We recommend that data from more than one source be used to interpret under-five mortality decline and further research should be conducted linking the observed mortality decline to the delivery of known effective interventions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gebretsadik Shibre ◽  
Betregiorgis Zegeye ◽  
Dina Idriss-Wheeler ◽  
Sanni Yaya

Abstract Background Pneumonia is a leading public health problem in under-five children worldwide and particularly in Africa. Unfortunately, progress in reducing pneumonia related mortality has been slow. The number of children with symptoms of pneumonia taken to health facilities for treatment is low in Ethiopia, and disparities among sub-groups regarding health seeking behavior for pneumonia have not been well explored in the region. This study assessed the trends of inequalities in care seeking behavior for children under five years of age with suspected pneumonia in Ethiopia. Methods Using cross-sectional data from the 2005, 2011 and 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Equity Assessment Toolkit (HEAT), this study investigated the inequalities in health seeking behavior for children with suspected pneumonia. Four measures of inequality were calculated: Difference, Ratio, Slope Index of Inequality and Relative Index of Inequality. Results were disaggregated by wealth, education, residence, and sex with computed 95% Uncertainty Intervals for each point estimate to determine significance. Results The percentage of under-five children with symptoms of pneumonia who were taken to a health facility was significantly lower for children in the poorest families, 15.48% (95% UI; 9.77, 23.64) as compared to children in the richest families, 61.72% (95% UI; 45.06, 76.02) in 2011. Substantial absolute (SII = 35.61; 95% UI: 25.31, 45.92) and relative (RII = 4.04%; 95% UI: 2.25, 5.84) economic inequalities were also observed. Both educational and geographic inequalities were observed; (RII = 2.07; 95% UI: 1.08, 3.06) and (D = 28.26; 95% UI: 7.14, 49.37), respectively. Economic inequality decreased from 2011 to 2016. There was no statistically significant difference between male and female under-five children with pneumonia symptoms taken to health facility, in all the studied years. Conclusions Health care seeking behavior for children with pneumonia was lower among the poorest and non-educated families as well as children in rural regions. Policies and strategies need to target subpopulations lagging behind in seeking care for pneumonia treatment as it impedes achievement of key UN sustainable development goals (SDGs).


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafi Amir-ud-Din ◽  
Lubna Naz ◽  
Anila Rubi ◽  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Umesh Ghimire

Abstract Background: Smaller or older maternal age, smaller inter-pregnancy birth interval, and higher birth order of the child are considered to be high-risk fertility behaviour (HRFB). Under-five mortality being disproportionately concentrated in Asia and Africa, this study analyses the association between HRFB and under-five mortality in selected Asian and African countries. Methods: This study used Integrated Public Microdata Series-Demographic and Health Surveys (IPUMS-DHS) data from 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia from 1986 to 2017 (N=1,467,728). Previous evidence hints at four markers of HRFB: women's age at the birth of index child <18 years or >34 years, smaller preceding birth interval (PBI) <24 months, and child's birth order >3. Using logistic regression, we analysed the change in the odds of under-five mortality as a result of i) exposure to HRFB individually, ii) exposure to any single HRFB risk factor, iii) exposure to multiple HRFB risk factors, and iv) exposure to specific combinations of HRFB risk factors. Results: Mother's age at the birth of index child <18 years and preceding birth interval (PBI) <24 months were significant risk factors of under-five mortality, while a child's birth order >3 was a protective factor against under-five mortality. Presence of any single HRFB was associated with 1.067 times higher risk of under-five mortality (OR = 1.067; 95% CI: 1.042 - 1.090; P < 0.001). Presence of multiple HRFBs was associated with 1.392 times higher risk of under-five mortality (OR = 1.392; 95% CI: 1.355 - 1.431; P < 0.001). Some specific combinations of risky fertility behaviour such as younger maternal age (<18 years) and smaller preceding birth interval (PBI <24) significantly increased the odds of under-five mortality.Conclusion: Younger maternal age and small preceding birth interval significantly increase the risk of under-five mortality. This highlights the need for effective legislation to curb child marriages and increased public investment in reproductive healthcare with a focus on higher contraceptive use for an optimal interpregnancy interval.


Genus ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Cruz Castanheira ◽  
José Henrique Costa Monteiro da Silva

AbstractThe production, compilation, and publication of death registration records is complex and usually involves many institutions. Assessing available data and the evolution of the completeness of the data compiled based on demographic techniques and other available data sources is of great importance for countries and for having timely and disaggregated mortality estimates. In this paper, we assess whether it is reasonable, based on the available data, to assume that there is a sex difference in the completeness of male and female death records in Peru in the last 30 years. In addition, we assess how the gap may have evolved with time by applying two-census death distribution methods on health-related registries and analyzing the information from the Demographic and Health Surveys and civil registries. Our findings suggest that there is no significant sex difference in the completeness of male and female health-related registries and, consequently, the sex gap currently observed in adult mortality estimates might be overestimated.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafi Amir-ud-Din ◽  
Lubna Naz ◽  
Anila Rubi ◽  
Muhammad Usman ◽  
Umesh Ghimire

Abstract Background: Younger or older maternal age, short inter-pregnancy birth interval, and higher birth order of the child are considered to be high-risk fertility behaviour (HRFB). Under-five mortality being disproportionately concentrated in Asia and Africa, this study analyses the association between HRFB and under-five mortality in selected Asian and African countries.Methods: This study used Integrated Public Microdata Series-Demographic and Health Surveys (IPUMS-DHS) data from 32 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia from 1986 to 2017 (N=1,467,728). Previous evidence hints at four markers of HRFB: women’s age at the birth of index child <18 years or >34 years, short preceding birth interval (PBI) <24 months, and child’s birth order >3. Using logistic regression, we analysed the change in the odds of under-five mortality as a result of i) exposure to HRFB individually, ii) exposure to any single HRFB risk factor, iii) exposure to multiple HRFB risk factors, and iv) exposure to specific combinations of HRFB risk factors. Results: Mother’s age at the birth of index child <18 years and preceding birth interval (PBI) <24 months were significant risk factors of under-five mortality, while a child’s birth order >3 was a protective factor against under-five mortality. Presence of any single HRFB was associated with 1.067 times higher risk of under-five mortality (OR = 1.067; 95% CI: 1.042 - 1.090; P < 0.001). Presence of multiple HRFBs was associated with 1.392 times higher risk of under-five mortality (OR = 1.392; 95% CI: 1.355 - 1.431; P < 0.001). Some specific combinations of risky fertility behaviour such as younger maternal age (<18 years) and short preceding birth interval (PBI <24) significantly increased the odds of under-five mortality.Conclusion: Younger maternal age and short preceding birth interval significantly increase the risk of under-five mortality. This highlights the need for effective legislation to curb child marriages and increased public investment in reproductive healthcare with a focus on higher contraceptive use for an optimal interpregnancy interval.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Amini Rarani ◽  
Arash Rashidian ◽  
Mohammad Arab ◽  
Ardeshir Khosravi ◽  
Ezatollah Abbasian

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Despite substantial progress in the national average of under-five mortality rate in Iran, distribution of under-five mortality across different socioeconomic groups is unknown. This study measured socioeconomic inequality in under-five mortality in Iran and across its provinces.</p><p><strong>METHOD: </strong>Using data from provincially representative Multiple Indicator Demographic and Health Survey, conducted in Iran in 2010, we developed an accurate principal component analysis model to construct an indicator of socioeconomic status of Iranian households. Under-five mortality rates at national and subnational level were estimated using full birth history. The indicator then was used to measure inequality in under-five mortality using Wagstaff normalised concentration index (WCI) at national and subnational levels.  </p><p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Estimates of Wagstaff normalised concentration indices showed a pro-rich inequality in under-five mortality at national and subnational levels. The concentration index of under-five mortality in Iran was -0.197. Moreover, the consistent negative values of the concentration indices indicated that under-five mortality inequality disfavored the worst-off in all provinces. However, the inequality varied among provinces and ranged from -0.013 to -0.487. At national level there was a descending trend in the under-five mortality rate as one moves higher up in the socioeconomic quintiles.</p><p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>This study suggests that further reduction in under-five mortality not only requires addressing the national average but also needs considering inequality in under-five mortality. Therefore, child health policy requires looking beyond the average, putting equality and average together at both national and sub national levels.</p>


1996 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Makhlouf Obermeyer

SummaryThis paper investigates the normative and behavioural dimensions of son preference in Morocco and Tunisia, using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys of the two countries. It considers three measures of son preference: (1) mothers' ideal number of children, and any preference for having more sons than daughters; (2) the desire for additional children, given their existing family; (3) reported use of contraception in relation to the existing number of children of each sex. The analyses indicate a moderate preference for sons in both countries, and suggest that this preference is somewhat stronger in Tunisia. These findings are interpreted within the cultural context of the two countries, and in particular societal notions of women's status.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (8) ◽  
pp. 44-48
Author(s):  
Abdulmumeen Adekunle Issa ◽  
Waheed Babatunde Yahya ◽  
Eyitayo Tejumola Jolayemi

A number of discussions on mortality or survival patterns of under-five children in Nigeria have been presented in the literature over years, most of which were characterized by descriptive analysis, in which facts were reported by percentages, ratio and measures of association to mention a few.  In this study, binary logistic regression model was employed to model the survival status (dead or alive) of under-five children in Nigeria as a function of some socio-demographic variables. Results from this study revealed that ten socio-demographic variables among several others were significantly associated with the survivals of under-five children in Nigeria. Specifically, the results showed that children that were born in urban area, that were exclusively breastfed, that were among the first four children in the family, whose mothers have secondary education and post-secondary education have significant increased odds, to about 27%, 580%, 20%, 22% and 102% respectively, of surviving beyond age five than their counterparts in the reference categories of the above identified risk factors (odds ratio is 1.271(p < 0.0001 for urban), 6.810 (p<0.0001 for breastfeeding), 1.197 (p < 0.0001 for birth order), 1.225 (p = 0.001 for secondary education) and 2.023 (p < 0.0001 for higher education)). Results from this work indicated that more enlightenment program is required to stem the alarming increase in under-five mortality rate in Nigeria which currently stood at 112%. Data set from Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys (NDHS) report for 2008 was employed in this study.


2005 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 779-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
STAN BECKER ◽  
MIAN B. HOSSAIN ◽  
ELIZABETH THOMSON

Contraceptive prevalence is a key variable estimated from Demographic and Health Surveys. But the prevalence estimated from reports of husbands differs widely from that estimated for wives. In this research, using data from six Demographic and Health Surveys of sub-Saharan Africa, reports from spouses in monogamous couples with no other reported sex partners in the recent period are examined. Agreement ranged from 47% to 82%, but among couples in which one or both reported use, the ‘both’ category represented less than half in all nations except Zimbabwe. Husbands generally had higher reports of condoms, periodic abstinence and pills but fewer reports of the IUD, injections and female sterilization. Either discussion of family planning with the spouse and/or higher socioeconomic status was associated with agreement in most of the surveys. Ambiguities in the survey question regarding current use need to be reduced, perhaps with an added probe question for non-permanent methods.


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