Determinants of levels and differentials of early childhood mortality in Kenya: "based on Kenya demographic and health survey (KDIIS) - 1989".

Abstract

Several studies have been carried out in Kenya on Infant and child mortality using census and survey data. The census and previoussurveys did not concentrate on the factors that influence infant and child mortality like the KDHS, 1989. The addition of variablessuch as breast-feeding, literacy, prenatal care, housing condition, availability of toilet f aci.L ities and the quality of drinkingwater improves the picture of infant and child mortality which have been construed in the previous studies. Th~ main objective in this study was to examine the levels of early childhood mortality at national, provincial and district level using different socio-economic, socio-cultural, health care and environmental variables. The variables measured were maternal's level of education, literacy, place of residence, maritalstatus, duration of breast-feeding, pre-natal care, housing condition, availability of toilet facilities and the quality of drinkingwater. The data analyzed was based on a household survey parried out by

The Kenya National Council for Population and Development (NCPD) in collaboration with the Kenya Bureau of Statistics (CBS) and the Institutefor Resource Development (IRD) between December,1988 and May,1989. The survey covered 7500 women aged 15-49 in which only 7150 were successfully interviewed.

The analysis in this study is based on Coale- Trussell technique fot estimating child mortality levels and the Coale- Demney model

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life tables as well as the application of multiple regression.

The findings were that Nyanza, Western and Coast Province experience very high infant and child mortality while Central, Rift Valley and Eastern Province have low values. Nairobi Province had an intermediate value. At the district level, South Nyanza and Kilifi had the highest

infant and child mortality while Uasin Gishu had the lowest value. The differentials in infant and child mortality by the socio­ economic, socio-cultural, health care and environmental variables was only possible at the provincial level because of the quality of data. The findings showed that mothers who have higher level of education, literate, reside in Urbap areas, breast-feed, married, had pre-natal care, use tap water, live in modern houses and have modern toilet facilities experience a low infant and child mortality than their counterparts who do not have these qualities.