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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The Effects of Living Standards on Childhood Mortality in Malawi
Author:Doctor, Henry V.ISNI
Year:2004
Periodical:African Population Studies
Volume:19 Supplement A
Pages:241-263
Language:English
Geographic term:Malawi
Subjects:child mortality
standard of living
AIDS
Miscellaneous (i.e. Demography, Refugees, Sports)
Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups)
Economics and Trade
External link:http://www.bioline.org.br/pdf?ep04029
Abstract:According to a number of studies, membership in a higher socioeconomic status (SES) group has a significant effect on demographic outcomes such as lower infant and child mortality. Most of these studies have analysed the association between SES and chidren's survival by focusing on ownership of assets such as bicycles, radios or televisions; housing characteristics such as number of rooms or type of toilet facilities; and sources of water. These household characteristics are conceived as having a direct or indirect role on child mortality differentials. This paper uses principal components analysis to create a living standards index (LSI) based on household characteristics and to examine its relationship with childhood mortality in Malawi using 1987 and 1998 census data. When the LSI is applied to the 1987 census data, the results show an increase in mortality for children who come from poor households. However, the results in 1998 differ from those in 1987 in that child mortality is higher among rich households and also among households with middle-aged women. These results are consistent with parallel analysis of the 1902 and 2000 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey data. The author argues that, based on the magnitude of the HIV/AIDS prevalence in Malawi in the 1990s, and given the stage of the AIDS epidemic at the time of the 1998 census. the shift in the effect of the LSI on child mortality may be attributed to this deadly disease. App., bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]
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