| dc.description.abstract | The central concern of this study was to explore how the level of maternal education influences under five child survivals. Statistics across the world including the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (2003) show a strong link between the mother’s level of education and child survival. The KDHS (2003) shows that higher levels of mother’s education attainment are generally associated with lower mortality rates, since education exposes mothers to information about better nutrition, use of contraceptives to space births and knowledge about childhood illnesses and treatment.
This was a case study of Kinango Division which is situated in the Coast Province of Kenya. The overall objective of the study was to explore how the level of maternal education influences under-five child survival while the specific objectives were; to find out the general education status of women in the division, to identify the main conditions that lead to under-five mortality in the district, to explore the extent to which the level of maternal education influences under-five child survival in the district, and recommend evidence -based interventions for policy planners and other development planners in the division.
The study adopted an exploratory survey design w'ith the aim of collecting both quantitative and qualitative data from Kinango Division. The sampling frame was obtained from the Kinango District Demographic Health Survey conducted in 2005 by the Kinango District Health Management team based in Kinango hospital, in collaboration with UNICEF.
The 30 by 7 sampling technique, which was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1978, was applied in the study. Kinango division has 6 locations. The Area Map was used as the sampling frame from which 4 locations were selected randomly from the six locations within Kinango division. These locations formed the clusters. 16 households per clusters were selected to make a total of 64 households selected to participate in the study. Women of 15-49 years of age within selected households were studied. The age group of 15-49 years covered Women of Reproductive Age.- The rationale of using the probability sampling technique was to ensure that each study element had a non-zero chance of being included in the sample.
To enrich the study, a triangulation approach was adopted i.e. In-depth interviews with women of 15-49 years of age, Key-informant interviews with the MOH of Kinango District Hospital, the Lead Public Health Worker stationed in Kinango District hospital and a Focus Group Discussion comprising of 8 women of 15-49 years of age from the selected locations, were conducted.
From the results and discussion of the study findings, it can be concluded that the low levels of education of mothers in Kinango Division have contributed negatively to child
'WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA (2004) Maternal Mortality in 2000. Department of Reproductive Health and Research World Health Organization, Geneva 2004
LX
health care and well being which has as a result triggered under-five deaths in the division.
Some of the recommendations were drawn together with the respondents during the data collection process because they were representing the Kinango division community members who experienced the realities discussed in the study findings. It is my hope that with the implementation of these recommendations by the Policy Planners and Development Partners, there will be a remarkable improvement in child health care, and in the general standards of living and overall well being of the inhabitants of Kinango, for the current generation and the generations to come.
“If we can get it right for children - if we can deliver on our commitments and enable every child to enjoy the right to a childhood, to health, education, equality, and protection - we can get it right for people of all ages. I believe we can’’.
(Kofi Annan- The State of the World’ Children 2006) | en_US |
