The Effects of Women Empowerment on Infant Mortality in Kenya

Abstract

The study set out to explore the effect of women empowerment on infant mortality in Kenya; using data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey of 2014. A composite variable defined as women empowerment index was constructed based on a number of decision-making variables at a household level, using Principal Factor Analysis (PFA) method. Socio economic and maternal factors were analyzed as control variables and this was guided by the concept of Mosley and Chen framework. Testing for association and independence between infant mortality, women empowerment index and control variables were performed using cross tabulation and chi-square respectively. Survival analysis was used to demonstrate the risk of death with women empowerment index and control variables. The key finding showed a significant effect of women empowerment on infant mortality, at p≤ 0.05. However, socio economic factors used as control variables did not show any statististical relationship. Maternal health factors utilized in the study showed that women empowerment acts through them to significantly influence infant mortality. A major limitation of the study was lack of a standard measure of women empowerment index since it‟s a multidimensional variable. Therefore, the study recommends that researchers adopt longitudinal data for better results in computing and defining women empowerment index, rather than the cross-sectional surveys. Since women empowerment is a continuous multifaceted process with temporal relationships. Qualitative studies should also be undertaken and target the factors in county-specific program to be able to understand how culture affects women empowerment specifically in regards to decision making within the households and community at large. The study further recommends strengthening of accessibility to maternal health by resourcing funds so as to reduce the financial burden incurred in seeking maternal health care services.