| dc.description.abstract | This study examined the impact of breastfeeding duration and age at supplementation
on infant and child mortality, under prevailing socio-economic, environmental and
demographic conditions. Primary data was collected for the last births and next to last births;
from 1030 women aged 15-49 years resident in Amagoro Division, Busia District.
The data was analysed using frequencies, cross tabulations, the Chi-Square, Trussell
Method of Mortality Estimation and Logistic Regression. The frequency distributions
showed that most children are breastfed for 19-24 months and supplemented at 3-4 months.
Cross-tabulation and the Chi-Square results have shown that for both the last and next to last
births breastfeeding duration, age at supplementation, education, source of water, type of
toilet facility and immunization were significant in child survival.
The crude mortality estimates have shown an infant mortality rate of 60 deaths per
1000 live births and childhood mortality of 97 deaths per 1000 live births. The q(2)
estimates were 62 and 71 and q(5) were 70 and 72 using the North and West Models
respectively.
The logistic regression results have significantly indicated less chances of child deaths
in relation to breastfeeding duration, supplementation, type of toilet facility used by the
household, work status of the mother, and immunizations received by the child.
Longer breastfeeding durations (13-24 months) decreased the chances of child deaths
as compared to no or shorter breastfeeding durations (0-12 months).
Children who were supplemented between ages 4-6 months had higher chances of
survival as compared to those who were supplemented at earlier (0-3 months) or later ages
(7+ months).
Type of toilet facility used by the household was very significant in influencing child
deaths. Those children whose households used bush had higher probabilities of dying than
those whose households used pit toilets. Again, when this variable was controlled, it became
the most significant to breastfeeding and age at supplementation.
The children who had received all the immunizations had higher survival chances than
those who had none or only some.
Work status (employed away from home or not) was not significant in influencing
child deaths for the case of last births, but was very significant for the next to last births.
For the next to last births, those children whose mothers did not work had higher chances
of dying than for those whose mothers worked.
The logistic regression results showed no significant relationship between age of
mother, parity, marital status of the mother and infant and child deaths for both the last births
and next to last births.
The major conclusion that was derived from the results of the study was that
environmental factors (type of toilet facility) and socio-economic factors (immunization and
work status) are very significant in influencing infant and child deaths. The impact of
breastfeeding and age at supplementation was greatly modified by these factors.
The study therefore recommended that female employment opportunities should be
increased because maternal education highly determines the nutritional, health care and
sanitary conditions of the household as the woman would have more decision-making roles
when her income is high. The study further recommended that public health education be
intensified by the government and other agencies, especially on the importance of
breastfeeding, proper nutrition and sanitation to the health of the children. | en |
