dc.contributor.author | K’Oyugi, Boniface Omuga | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2014-07-02T07:06:59Z | |
dc.date.available | 2014-07-02T07:06:59Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2014 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Boniface Omuga K’Oyugi. Impact of Breastfeeding on Infant and Child Mortality with Varying Levels of Immunization and HIV/AIDS: Evidence from 2008/09 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey. Social Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 1, 2014, pp. 9-16. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20140301.13 | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11295/71550 | |
dc.description.abstract | Appropriate breastfeeding is one of the cost effective measures in the broader strategy for Integrated
Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Programme which was adopted by the international community in the 1990s to
reduce infant and child mortality especially in developing countries such as Kenya. Although Kenya experienced great
improvements towards attainment of full immunization coverage in 1990s and early 2000s, it also experienced high HIV and
malaria prevalence rates in some parts of the country during the two decades. This paper used the 2008/09 Kenya
Demographic and Health Survey data to analyze the impact of breastfeeding duration in the face of varying levels of
immunization coverage and HIV/AIDS risk perception. A total of 6,079 births born 59 months or less preceding the survey
were used in the analysis. Life table and generalized linear regression in log linear format were the main methods applied. To
determine the breastfeeding effect, other broad community level contextual and socio-economic as well as individual level
biological and household environmental factors were controlled for in the analysis. Births in communities with longer
breastfeeding duration exceeding 13 months had about 34 per cent lower infant and child mortality when compared with their
other counterparts. Longer breastfeeding duration was also found to have beneficial effect on child survival even in lower
immunization and higher HIV/AIDS risk situations. Multiple births and those born to mother in widowed/divorced/separated
marital status had undesired effect on child mortality. The study results underscores the need for strengthening aspects of the
IMCI Programme aimed at promoting breastfeeding and immunization of children as stipulated in the Ministry of Health
guidelines which are also in line with those provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Further research is also necessary to explain the mechanism and key proximate determinants through
which breastfeeding and immunization act to strongly influence childhood mortality in Kenya. | en_US |
dc.title | Impact Of Breastfeeding On Infant And Child Mortality With Varying Levels Of Immunization And HIV/AIDS: Evidence From 2008/09 Kenya Demographic And Health Survey | en_US |
dc.type | Article | en_US |