| dc.description.abstract | This study examined the association between child, mother, and household risk factors and child mortality in Uganda. Uganda Demographic and Health Survey data for 2016 were analysed to achieve the study objectives. The individual women dataset was analysed. Only children born after 2010 were considered for the study. Those were children aged less than five years. Eighteen thousand eight hundred twenty-five (18,825) children fit into the inclusion criteria. Descriptive statistics and multivariate complementary log-log regression were used to examine the most significant risk factors associated with childhood mortality.
Key findings showed that girls had lower risk of death (Incident Rate Ratio (IRR) =0.807, p-value=0.000) compared to boys, children who were born with medium birth weight (3-4 kgs) had reduced risk of death (IRR=0.718, p-value=0.002) compared to their counterparts who were born with low birth weight (less than 3 kgs). Children who were not weighed at birth (IRR=1.596, p-value=0.000) or who had missing information of birth weight measures had increased risk of death (IRR=3.5, p-value=0.000) compared to their counterparts who were born with low birth weight (less than 3 kgs). The children that were born of mothers age 25 to 29 years (IRR=0.819, p-value=0.025) had reduced risk of death when compared to those that were born of adolescent mothers (aged 15 to 24 years). Children who were born to mothers with primary education (IRR=0.804, p-value=0.007); and mothers with post primary education (IRR=0.589, p-value=0.000) had reduced risk of death when compared to those that were born of mothers without any formal education. Likewise, children who lived in households that had unimproved toilet facilities had increased risk of death of (IRR=1.165, p-value=0.034) compared to their counter parts that were residing in households with improved toilet facilities.
With the key findings, to reduce under-five mortality, social and healthcare interventions should focus on sensitization of young mothers on the utilization of health facilities to deliver their children and receive added support including child weighing. Development interventions should also focus on promotion of girl-child education, which also reduces the incidence of teenage pregnancy. Promotion of household health and hygiene including construction of improved toilets and waste disposal facilities is important for the reduction of child mortality. | en_US |
