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Sociology Project Topics

Socio-economic Condition of Mothers and Infant Mortality Rate

Socio-economic Condition of Mothers and Infant Mortality Rate

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Socio-economic Condition of Mothers and Infant Mortality Rate

CHAPTER ONE

Researchย Objectives

Generalย Objectives

Theย generalย objectiveย wasย toย establishย howย socio economic condition of mothers influences ย infantย mortalityย in Jos North L.G.A.

Specificย Objectives

  1. To establish whether socio-economic condition of mothers influenced infant mortality in Jos North L.G.A.?
  2. To determine whether maternal education influenced infant mortality in Jos North L.G.A.?
  3. To find out whether income level affects infant mortality in Jos North L.G.A.?

CHAPTERย TWO

LITERATUREย REVIEW

Theoreticalย background

According to Mosley and Chen (1984), all social and economic determinants of childย mortality necessarily operate through a common set of biological mechanisms, or proximateย determinants (intermediate variables) to directly influence the risk of mortality. This studyย adoptsย thisย approachย toย compareย howย socio-economicย factorsย contributeย toย infantย mortalityย in Jos North L.G.A.

Figure 1 below illustrates the path to a healthy child or a sick child and eventual death. Theย socioeconomic factors operate through maternal, biological, environmental, nutritional andย healthย seekingย behaviourย factors leadingย toย aย healthyย child orย sickย child.

This framework assumes thatย in an optimal setting, over ninety-seven per cent ofย newborn infants can be expectedย to survive through the first five years of life, and thatย reductionย inย thisย survivalย probabilityย inย anyย societyย isย dueย toย theย operationย ofย social,ย economic,ย biologicalย andย environmentalย forces.ย Itย furtherย assumesย thatย impact of povertyย (independentย variables)ย mustย operateย throughย moreย basicย proximateย determinantsย thatย in turnย influenceย the risk ofย diseaseย andย the outcomeย of diseaseย processes.

And that specific diseases and nutrient deficiencies observed in a surviving populationย mayย beย viewedย asย biologicalย indicators ofย the operationsย of theย proximateย determinants.

Growth faltering and ultimately mortality too in children (the dependent variable) are theย cumulativeย consequencesย ofย multipleย diseaseย processesย (includingย theirย biosocialย interactions). Only infrequently is a childโ€˜s death the result of a single isolated episode (Ibid).

 

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CHAPTERย THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Aaker et al (2002) defines a research design as the detailed blue print used to guide a research study towards its objectives. Method design, sample design and analysis design was used. Cross section studies were used during data collection. According to Saunders et al (2004) a cross sectional design allows data to be collected at a single point in time without repetitions from a sample selected to represent some large population and therefore using minimum time and resources. In this study, the design was favourable because of limited resources like time, labour (personnel) and transport.

Sampling Procedure

The study population involved all the communities in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The main target groups of sampling were the nurses and nursing mothers. The sampling methods that were used to get the required sample included systematic random sampling and purposive sampling techniques.

CHAPTERย FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT PRESENTATION

Distributionย ofย birthsย byย theย studyย variables

Table 1 belowย summarizesย the frequenciesย andย percentages of the variables used inย the studyย ofย the area.

CHAPTERย FIVE

SUMMARY,ย CONCLUSION ANDย RECOMMENDATIONS

Summaryย ofย findings

This project attempted to examine the effects of socio-economic condition of mothers andย infant mortality in North Jos. The study used a combined dataย forย the area to achieveย thisย objective.

The study found out that the type of birth, whether single or multiple, was negativelyย associated with infant mortality in the area under the study. An indication thatย infant children born to mothers through multiple births were less likely to experienceย mortality before their fifth birth day. This is a unique outcome from what many researchย studies have found out, but it is possible from the researcherโ€˜s findings that despite the smallย number of multiple births reported for the area, it can occur that such births when theyย occur in towns tend to receive maximum attention from their mothers and relatives to theย extent that all the twins or the triplets are able to survive to their fifth birthday. Alternatively,ย when such births occur in families with high socio-economic status, then the children who areย products of such births tend to live long to surpass their fifth birthday since their mothers canย adequatelyย provideย forย their needs just havingย oneย child.

Inย addition,ย theย studyย alsoย revealedย thatย theย ageย ofย theย motherย atย birthย wasย anย important factor in determining infant mortality in the cities under study. Thisย findingย thatย infantย childrenย bornย toย mothersย inย agesย lessย thanย 20ย yearsย wereย moreย likelyย to experience high mortality compared to those who were born to mothers whose ages wereย betweenย 20-34ย years.

Nevertheless, this study found out that mothers whose ages were 35 years and aboveย were less likely to contribute to infant mortality in the area than those whose agesย were in the middle at 20- 34 years of age. At the bivariate analysis level, women whose agesย ranged between 20 to 34 years were significant at p=0.025, while when the socio-economicย factors were fitted in the model, this level was insignificant in predicting the outcome. Atย multivariate analysis, the third category of women whose ages were 35 years and above wasย statistically significant thus indicating that the age of the mother has an important influence inย theย infantย mortalityย experienced in theย area.

Thisย study further revealed thatย infantย childrenย whose mothersย didย notย haveย proper toilets were most likely to experience infant mortality in the area underย study than those children who come from households with proper toilets. This finding isย confirmed by Hala (2002) who found out in a study that was carried out in Egypt that accessย to water and proper sanitation impact on child mortality and that access to municipal waterย decreases the risk of child mortality, but sanitation was found to have a more significantย impact on mortality than water. Access to proper toilet facilities help to improve on sanitationย thusย reducingย the occurrenceย of infantย mortality.

This study also found out that place of delivery was also statistically significant inย explaining infant mortality in the area covered in the study. Infant childrenย who were delivered inย private facilities were more likely to die than those who had theirย birthsย atย home.ย Thisย outcomeย contradictsย whatย isย knownย inย literatureย thatย deliveriesย doneย atย are at high risk of death than those done in health facilities. This can partly be explained byย theย findingsย ofย Chinkhumbaย etย alย (2014)ย thatย pregnantย mothersย deliveringย inย facilitiesย haveย a significantย higherย riskย of experiencingย aย maternalย deathย andย soย toย theirย newborns,ย thanย women delivering at home because those seeking care at facilities may be complicated casesย with higher risk of mortality. They further assert that in such settings, higher mortality atย facilitiesย would be expected dueย to high risk selection.

Conclusion

Theย study intendedย toย establishย theย influenceย ofย socio-economic condition of mothers andย infant mortality in North Jos. It found out that the wealth of mothers,ย theย educationย ofย theย motherย andย theย workย statusย ofย theย motherย playย anย importantย roleย in the choice of place of residence that will ensure easy access to proper toilet facilities,ย healthcare services and late entry into marriage owing to the level of education of the mother,ย to influence infant mortality in the three major cities of North Jos. This study confirmsย theย theoryย ofย Mosleyย andย Chen(1984)ย inย explainingย thatย socio-economicย factorsย ofย theย household act through the proximate determinants such as maternal factors, environmentalย factorsย and health-seekingย behaviour toย influenceย infantย mortalityย inย cities ofย North Jos.

Recommendationย 5.4.1Recommendationsย forย policy

Theย governmentsย ofย theย areaย inย theย studyย shouldย encourageย compulsoryย education up to secondary level in order to delay early marriages. This will help the girl-childย to experience child birth after attaining the age of twenty and above. This will further help inย increasing their knowledge in health issues, a factor that will lead to reduced infantย mortalityย inย theย cities.ย Havingย higherย educationย willย alsoย increaseย chancesย ofย mothersย participating in labour opportunities which lead to women empowerment and their decisionย makingย moreso in theย choiceย ofย health matters.

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