Effect of Parental Characteristics on Child Mortality in Myanmar

Nyaung Tai, Su Hlaing Tin Htut, Thiri Swe, Hein Min Htet

Central Statistical Organization, Ministry of Planning and Finance, Office(32), +9567, Naypyitaw, Myanmar.

Abstract: This paper investigates that effect of parental characteristics on child mortality such as infant mortality, neonatal mortality, and under-5 mortalities in Myanmar. This research paper examines the health conditions of the 2015-2016 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) that is the first DHS conducted in Myanmar, which is a nationally representative population-based survey with large sample sizes. According to the logistics regression estimation, parental characteristics such as wealth quintile, rich was less likely to compare with the poor for under-5 mortality and infant mortality that were statistically significant by (OR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.26-0.94; p=0.033 and OR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.24-0.92; p=0.060); the risk of under-5 child mortality, infant mortality, and neonatal mortality were strongly significant smaller for size of child (OR: 2.22; 99% CI: 1.24-3.95; p=0.007), (OR: 2.26; 99% CI: 1.25-4.06; p=0.007), and (OR: 3.76; 99% CI: 1.89-7.50; p=0.000) respectively. Utilization of health care services such as tetanus injection before birth, assistance of nurse/midwife, and assistance of traditional birth attendant were strongly significant parental characteristics such as wealth quintile, rich (OR: 1.78; 99% CI: 1.27-2.49; p=0.000), (OR: 1.40; 99 % CI: 1.07-1.83; p=0.013), and (OR: 0.22; 99 % CI: 0.15-0.33; p=0.000) respectively. The parental characteristics as wealth quintile, rich was more likely to compare with the poor for utilization of health care services such as tetanus injection before birth and assistance of the nurse/midwife; wealth quintile, rich was less likely to compare with poor for the assistance of traditional birth attendant. This paper finds suggests a significant and negative relationship between parental characteristics and child mortality; a positive relationship between health care services and parental characteristics.

Keywords: Logistics Regression Method, Child Mortality, Parental Characteristics, Utilization of Health Care Services.

Pages: 52 – 67 | Full PDF Paper