DISTAL FACTORS INFLUENCING CHILD MORTALITY IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICY ACTIONS

 

AZUH, Dominic Ezinwa^{1, 5}*, CHINEDU, Shalom Nwodo^{2, 5}, SAMUEL, Gbemisola³, AZUH, Akunna Ebere⁴,

¹Dr., Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, dominic.azuh@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

²Prof. Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, shalom.chinedu@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

³Dr., Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, gbemisola.samuel@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

⁴Ms., Department of Business Management, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, akunna.azuh@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

^{1, 5} Covenant University Public Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster

*Corresponding Author

 

 

Abstract

Over one million children die annually in Nigeria from preventable diseases making child survival difficult in the past four decades. Even though there has been some level of decline in under-five mortality rate in Nigeria during the last decade, from 187 per 1000 in 2003 to 128 per 1000 in 2013, the rate is still unacceptable. Understanding the multi-dimensional determinants of child mortality is of imperative importance towards formulating policy interventions for its reduction. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to examine the distal factors influencing child mortality among antenatal care clinic attendants. The study was based on secondary data from the 2017 Covenant University Public Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster survey project on Determinants of child morbidity and survival in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were further applied on 1350 respondents that constituted the sample size. All analysis was done on STATA Version 12. Results showed that Spouse’s Education (X2 = 11.1912; P = 0.024); Mother’s Occupation (X2 = 14.8405; P = 0.022); Spouse’s Occupation (X2 = 22.6606; P = 0.001); Birth Spacing (X2 = 55.0538; P = 0.000); Duration of Breast Feeding (X2 = 77.5224; P = 0.000); Immunization Status (X2 = 86.1474; P = 0.000) and Household Waste Disposal (X2 = 47.4179; P = 0.000) have significant effect on child mortality through spouse’s education and mother’s occupation had reduced level of significant.  Therefore, the study suggests health education and socio-economic empowerment for both mothers and their spouses in the campaign towards the reduction of child mortality.

  Keywords: Child mortality, antenatal care, clinic attendants, health education, socio-economic