Ramesh Adhikari|Chai Podhisita
Household headship and child death: Evidence from Nepal
Tribhuvan University|Mahidol University
nepal seen substantial improvements reproductive health outcomes infant child mortality still high study attempts examine prevalence factors influencing experience child death mothers given birth fiveyear period specifically paper aims investigate whether household headship impact child death nepalthis paper reports data drawn nepal demographic health survey ndhs 2006 nationally representative sample survey analysis confined women given birth five years preceding survey n 4066 association experience child death mother explanatory variables assessed via bivariate analysis using chisquare test variables also examined using multivariate analysis binary logistic regression assess net effect household headship child death controlling variablesout mothers given birth fiveyears period 3229 794 maleheaded households remaining 837 206 femaleheaded households significantly higher proportion mothers maleheaded households 65 femaleheaded households 45 experienced death child five years preceding survey several sociodemographic economic cultural variables significant predicators death child instance women given birth three children hindu likely experience childs death counterparts hand women literate ever used family planning methods visited health facility utilized antenatal care last pregnancy femaleheaded households less likely see child die women comparison group notably keeping control variables constant logistic model women femaleheaded households 31 percent less likely experience death child odds ratio 069 women maleheaded householdsthe death children uncommon nepal single factor account high child mortality country many factors contribute problem controlling variables study found among many factors household headship strong predictor programs seeking help remedy problem focus issues identified regarding womens autonomy reducing number children born increasing womens literacy status increasing use family planning increasing use antenatal care increasing female household headship child mortality decrease overall wellbeing family maintained enhance