Identifying indicators of child mortality using factor analysis method: a case study in Abudwak district in central Somalia.
Abstract
Child mortality is becoming a great problem in most parts of Somalia with the Abudwak
district in central Somalia being worst hit due to population influx from the capital city
Mogadishu. This follows the political instability in the country, the clan-clan fight and
rampant terrorism by the anti-government terrorist groups leading to socio-economic
breakdown. The major cause of concern is that most households (85%) are left with mothers
(females) as the household heads with children to fend for in very hard economic situations
while husbands are always absent due to either having succumbed to injuries in the fight or
are out fighting in the civil wars. Children, therefore, become the cheap recipients to the
harsh situations particularly in low or no income families which are the majority (90%).
This study sought to establish the current trend of child mortality in Abudwak district and to
analyze the strategies used to address the problem. It specifically examines the effect of
household's environmental, socio-economic and biodemographic characteristics on child
mortality in central Somalia region. The study variables analyzed included households'
wealth status, types of foodstuff consumed in the household, school attendance by children,
mothers' age, source of drinking water, type of toilet facility, children ever born, current
marital status of the mother, age of child and sex of the child among others. The general
objective of this study was to look into factors leading to malnutrition and eventual infant and
child deaths. The study used data drawn from the Somali 2006 Multiple Indicator Cluster
Survey (MICS). The district survey was designed to provide estimates on a large number of
indicators on the situation of the infant and young children in the entire district. The analysis
of structured items was mainly done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
Descriptive statistics, Factor analysis and Multinomial logistic regression analysis were the
main methods of analysis used in this study. Multinomial logistic regression results revealed
that a household's socio-economic and environmental characteristics variables have
significant impact on child mortality in central Somalia.
The study makes a number of recommendations on improvement of socio-economic and
environmental status such as embarking on cash relief initiatives to bolster household income
and purchasing powers of the most vulnerable as well as blanket food distribution be
conducted for all livelihood groups in Abudwak districts and the surrounding villages to fight
malnutrition. In addition, efforts to strengthen national reconciliation and comprehensive
sustainable peace should be prioritized.
Citation
Master of science in social statisticsPublisher
University of Nairobi School of Biological Sciences
Subject
Infant mortalityChild mortality
Demographic surveys
Socio-economic factors
Neonatal mortality
Perinatal mortality
Female headed households
Infant mortality
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