Cultural, Maternal and Environmental Factors Contributing to High Under-Five Mortality in Identified Hotspots in Nigeria
Under-five Mortality in Nigeria
The under-five mortality rate in Nigeria is among the world’s highest, with northern Nigeria having the most appalling under-five health indicators. Despite numerous studies, there is still a gap in understanding the cultural, maternal, and environmental factors contributing to high under-five mortality in the identified hotspots in Nigeria.
The study utilized data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) reports. Results revealed that spatial dependence across the study area was confirmed with Moran’s I testing positive (0.4689 and a P-value of 0.01), indicating the presence of autocorrelation. Six states namely Zamfara, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina, were identified as having the highest under-five mortality rates ranging from 162-221 deaths per 1000 live births from the spatial analysis.
The variables identified as contributing to the high under-five mortalities in these states were maternal education, age of the mother, religion, wealth index, antenatal visits, hospital delivery, postnatal visit, age at first birth, partner’s education, distance to the nearest health care facility, sanitation (flush toilet), and piped water. However, the variables age of the mother and age at first birth were relatively significant and consistent across the six states under examination.
The six states were also observed to be part of the poorest states in the country. Therefore, poverty and child marriage were observed to be common in these states, hence the likely clustering pattern observed and positive autocorrelation.
Awareness through the media and all available means need to be intensified on the practice of child marriages, while emphasis needs to be laid on effective programs, policies, and amendments of laws, especially those affecting children’s marriages and child rights. A uniform age should be set for a child to marry in order to protect the rights of children in the country and help eradicate/reduce the under-five mortality rate.
Programs that will help alleviate poverty in these regions should also be of utmost priority to stabilize families financially, improve living standards, provide better health care, and eradicate/reduce child marriages/under-aged mothers, which will eventually reduce under-five mortality in these regions.
Oluwabukola O. Adesuyi, Urbanus M. Kioko, and Martine O. Oleche (2021). Cultural, Maternal and Environmental Factors Contributing to High Under-Five Mortality in Identified Hotspots in Nigeria. European Journal of Development Studies. Vol 1, Issue 3. September 2021.
