Ramesh P. Adhikari|Yothin Sawangdee
Influence of women's autonomy on infant mortality in Nepal
Tribhuvan University|Mahidol University
nepalese women lag behind men many areas educational attainment participation decisionmaking health service utilization impact reproductive health outcomes paper aims examine factors influencing infant mortality specifically whether womens autonomy impact infant mortality nepali contextdata drawn nepal demographic health survey 2006 analysis confined 5545 children born within five years preceding survey association infant mortality explanatory variables assessed using bivariate analysis variables reexamined multivariate analysis assess net effect womens autonomy infant mortality controlling variablesthe infant mortality rate imr five years preceding survey 48 deaths per one thousand live births infant mortality rate high among illiterate women 56 per 1000 live births among involved decision making health care 54 per 1000 live births furthermore infant mortality high among women children comparison group birth intervals less two years multiple births rural areas poor whose source water river unprotected sources toilet facility household results logistic regression show womens autonomy plays major role infant mortality controlling variables mothers sociodemographic characteristics childrens characteristics household characteristics children literate women 32 percent lower chance 068 experiencing infant mortality children illiterate women furthermore infants women involved decisionmaking regarding health care 25 percent lower 075 chance dying infants whose mothers involved healthcare decisionsinfant mortality high nepal context mothers literacy involvement healthcare decision making appear powerful predictors reducing infant mortality hence order reduce infant mortality ongoing female education sustained expanded include women millennium development goals year 2015 attained addition programs focus increasing womens autonomy infant mortality decrease overall well family maintained enhanced