Open Access
Subscription or Fee Access
DETERMINANTS OF CHILD MORTALITY IN A RURAL UCiANDAN COMMUNITY
Abstract
Objective: To estimate the rate of and risk factors associated wit1 I child mortality in rural
eastern Uganda.
Design: A community based cross-sectional study using the preccbding birth technique - a
robust method of obtaining information of survival of the previo~ s child.
Setting: A rural district in Eastern Uganda.
Participants: In total, 2888 multigravidae were interviewed in Aplil and May 1999.
Main outcome measure: Number of deaths among children born alive.
Results: The undertwo child mortality rate was 108 per 1000 live >irths. The annual child
mortality was 82 per 1000 child-years of risk. Child mortality Ivas associated with low
parental education, being born to adolescent mothers or motllers aged 35 or more.
Unconditional logistic regression showed that children born to uneducated parents had a
doubled risk of not celebrating their second birthday. It was three times more likely for a
child to die in the neonatal period than in the first year of life. Child I nortality risk decreased
by 4% and 6% for every year of education attained by mothers al~d fathers, respectively.
Parity, residence and marital status were not associated with excesc risk of child mortality.
Seasonal mortality followed the El Nino rainfall pattern. Finally, t lere were geographical
differences in child mortality although this was not statistically sigr iificant.
Conclusion: Monitoring trends in child mortality at district level can be done using the
preceding birth technique in antenatal settings. Maternal education, an important predictor
of child survival should be included in routine data collection at cli lics.
eastern Uganda.
Design: A community based cross-sectional study using the preccbding birth technique - a
robust method of obtaining information of survival of the previo~ s child.
Setting: A rural district in Eastern Uganda.
Participants: In total, 2888 multigravidae were interviewed in Aplil and May 1999.
Main outcome measure: Number of deaths among children born alive.
Results: The undertwo child mortality rate was 108 per 1000 live >irths. The annual child
mortality was 82 per 1000 child-years of risk. Child mortality Ivas associated with low
parental education, being born to adolescent mothers or motllers aged 35 or more.
Unconditional logistic regression showed that children born to uneducated parents had a
doubled risk of not celebrating their second birthday. It was three times more likely for a
child to die in the neonatal period than in the first year of life. Child I nortality risk decreased
by 4% and 6% for every year of education attained by mothers al~d fathers, respectively.
Parity, residence and marital status were not associated with excesc risk of child mortality.
Seasonal mortality followed the El Nino rainfall pattern. Finally, t lere were geographical
differences in child mortality although this was not statistically sigr iificant.
Conclusion: Monitoring trends in child mortality at district level can be done using the
preceding birth technique in antenatal settings. Maternal education, an important predictor
of child survival should be included in routine data collection at cli lics.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
