IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v130y2017i3d10.1007_s11205-015-1225-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of Wealth and Mother’s Education in Infant and Child Mortality in 26 Sub-Saharan African Countries: Evidence from Pooled Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Data 2003–2011 and African Development Indicators (ADI), 2012

Author

Listed:
  • Okechukwu Dennis Anyamele

    (Jackson State University)

  • John Obioma Ukawuilulu

    (Nasarawa State University)

  • Benedict Ndubisi Akanegbu

    (Nigerian Turkish Nile University)

Abstract

This study examined the regional differences in the role of wealth and mothers’ educational attainment in explaining infant and child mortality in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Specifically, this study investigates the role of wealth and mothers’ educational attainment in urban–rural and regional differences of SSA. We use data from Demographic and Health Surveys and the World Bank African Development Indicators to document these regional differences in infant and child mortality rates in SSA. Our findings show small variability in the risk of infant and child mortality attributable to regional differences in SSA. There is a statistically negative significant difference in infant and child mortality with urban dwellers compared to rural dwellers in SSA. Also, we found the risk of infant and child mortality to be correlated with per capita gross domestic product equal to or greater than five hundred US dollars ($500). Our findings show mother’s education to be negatively correlated with infant and child mortality in SSA. These findings give credence to previous studies which highlighted the significance of wealth, education of the mother, and location in explaining infant and child mortality differences in SSA. Our study finds no evidence of a statistically significant difference in the risk of infant and child mortality between the urban poorest and poorer wealth quintile households and their rural counterparts in SSA.

Suggested Citation

  • Okechukwu Dennis Anyamele & John Obioma Ukawuilulu & Benedict Ndubisi Akanegbu, 2017. "The Role of Wealth and Mother’s Education in Infant and Child Mortality in 26 Sub-Saharan African Countries: Evidence from Pooled Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) Data 2003–2011 and African Develop," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 130(3), pages 1125-1146, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:130:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-015-1225-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-015-1225-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-015-1225-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-015-1225-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ellen Poel & Owen O'donnell & Eddy Doorslaer, 2009. "What explains the rural-urban gap in infant mortality: Household or community characteristics?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(4), pages 827-850, November.
    2. David Cutler & Angus Deaton & Adriana Lleras-Muney, 2006. "The Determinants of Mortality," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 20(3), pages 97-120, Summer.
    3. Wang, Limin, 2003. "Determinants of child mortality in LDCs: Empirical findings from demographic and health surveys," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 277-299, September.
    4. Christoph Lakner & Branko Milanovic, 2016. "Global Income Distribution: From the Fall of the Berlin Wall to the Great Recession," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 30(2), pages 203-232.
    5. Janet Currie, 2009. "Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise: Socioeconomic Status, Poor Health in Childhood, and Human Capital Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(1), pages 87-122, March.
    6. Knöbel, Harald H. & Yang, Wen-Shan & Ho, Mei-Shang, 1994. "Urban-rural and regional differences in infant mortality in Taiwan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 815-822, September.
    7. McTavish, Sarah & Moore, Spencer & Harper, Sam & Lynch, John, 2010. "National female literacy, individual socio-economic status, and maternal health care use in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(11), pages 1958-1963, December.
    8. Okechukwu Anyamele, 2015. "Racial/Ethnic Differences in Household Loan Delinquency Rate," The Review of Black Political Economy, Springer;National Economic Association, vol. 42(4), pages 415-442, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lilipramawanty Kewok Liwin & Brian Houle, 2019. "The effects of household and community context on mortality among children under five in Sierra Leone: Evidence from the 2013 Demographic and Health Survey," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(11), pages 279-306.
    2. Byaro, Mwoya & Mpeta, Daniel, 2021. "Secondary Education and its Effects on Child Health: Empirical Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 9(2), April.
    3. Njoh, Ambe J. & Ricker, Faye & Joseph, Nigel & Tarke, Mah O. & Koh, Bomin, 2019. "The impact of basic utility services on infant mortality in Africa," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 1-1.
    4. Rafi Amir-ud-Din & Sameen Zafar & Muhammad Muzammil & Rabia Shabbir & Summaira Malik & Muhammad Usman, 2022. "Exploring the Relationship Between Maternal Occupation and Under-Five Mortality: Empirical Evidence from 26 Developing Countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(5), pages 2373-2399, October.
    5. Stephen Hall & Janine Illian & Innocent Makuta & Kyle McNabb & Stuart Murray & Bernadette AM O’Hare & Andre Python & Syed Haider Ali Zaidi & Naor Bar-Zeev, 2021. "Government Revenue and Child and Maternal Mortality," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 213-229, February.
    6. Ryota Nakatani & Qianqian Zhang & Isaura Garcia Valdes, 2024. "Health Expenditure Decentralization and Health Outcomes: The Importance of Governance," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 54(1), pages 59-87.
    7. Amaghouss, Jabrane & Ibourk, Aomar, 2019. "Higher Education and Economic Growth: A Comparative Analysis of World Regions Trajectories," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 72(3), pages 321-350.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Okechukwu D. Anyamele & Benedict N. Akanegbu & John O. Ukawuilulu, 2015. "Trends and Disparities in Infant and Child Mortality in Nigeria Using Pooled 2003 and 2008 Demographic and Health Survey Data," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    2. Okechukwu D. Anyamele & Benedict N. Akanegbu & Jean-Claude Assadand John O. Ukawuilulu, 2017. "Differentials in Infant and Child Mortality in Nigeria: Evidence from Pooled 2003 and 2008 DHS Data," Advances in Management and Applied Economics, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 7(6), pages 1-5.
    3. Leandro Prados de la Escosura, 2023. "Inequality Beyond GDP: A Long View," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 69(3), pages 533-554, September.
    4. Sunde, Uwe & Cervellati, Matteo, 2007. "Human Capital, Mortality and Fertility: A Unified Theory of the Economic and Demographic Transition," CEPR Discussion Papers 6384, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Kahouli, Sondès, 2020. "An economic approach to the study of the relationship between housing hazards and health: The case of residential fuel poverty in France," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    6. Bhalotra, Sonia & Rawlings, Samantha B., 2011. "Intergenerational persistence in health in developing countries: The penalty of gender inequality?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(3-4), pages 286-299, April.
    7. Yiqun Chen & Petra Persson & Maria Polyakova, 2019. "The Roots of Health Inequality and The Value of Intra-Family Expertise," NBER Working Papers 25618, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Katrina Kosec & Jie Song, 2021. "The effects of income fluctuations on undernutrition and overnutrition across the lifecycle," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(10), pages 2487-2509, September.
    9. Daniel Gallardo Albarr‡n, 2017. "Missed opportunities? The development of human welfare in Western Europe, 1913-1950," Working Papers 0114, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    10. Pierre-Richard Agénor, 2015. "Public capital, health persistence and poverty traps," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 103-131, June.
    11. Cervellati, Matteo & Sunde, Uwe & Valmori, Simona, 2011. "Disease Environment and Civil Conflicts," IZA Discussion Papers 5614, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Jona Schellekens, 2021. "Maternal education and infant mortality decline: The evidence from Indonesia, 1980–2015," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 45(24), pages 807-824.
    13. Welander, Anna & Lyttkens, Carl Hampus & Nilsson, Therese, 2014. "Globalization and Child Health in Developing Countries: The Role of Democracy," Working Papers 2014:11, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    14. Nandita Saikia & Abhishek Singh & Domantas Jasilionis & Faujdar Ram, 2013. "Explaining the rural-urban gap in infant mortality in India," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 29(18), pages 473-506.
    15. Hilary Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach & Douglas Almond, 2016. "Long-Run Impacts of Childhood Access to the Safety Net," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 106(4), pages 903-934, April.
    16. Kotschy, Rainer, 2021. "Health dynamics shape life-cycle incomes," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    17. Krzysztof Karbownik & Anthony Wray, 2019. "Educational, Labor-market and Intergenerational Consequences of Poor Childhood Health," NBER Working Papers 26368, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Pierre-Richard Agénor & Madina Agénor, 2014. "Infrastructure, women’s time allocation, and economic development," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 113(1), pages 1-30, September.
    19. Petter Lundborg & Carl Hampus Lyttkens & Paul Nystedt, 2016. "The Effect of Schooling on Mortality: New Evidence From 50,000 Swedish Twins," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(4), pages 1135-1168, August.
    20. Vanesa Jordá & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa, 2017. "Global inequality in length of life: 1950–2015," WIDER Working Paper Series 192, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:130:y:2017:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-015-1225-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.