Interaction effects of maternal education and household environment on child mortality in Nigeria

Abstract

Various intervention programmes targeted at different preventable childhood infections that can lead to child mortality have been implemented in Nigeria. While these global initiatives and programmes may have contributed to decline in childhood mortality rates over the years, the rate is still high in Nigeria. The causes of death are specific to different age categories; child mortality (ages 12 to 59 months) has been linked in several studies in Nigeria to household environment and maternal characteristics, among others. However, there is a dearth of information on the interaction effect of maternal education and household characteristics on child mortality in Nigeria. The key question is does maternal education affect the handling of household environment and related practices to the extent of being a significant predictor of child mortality? This paper therefore examined the interaction of maternal education and household environment on child mortality in Nigeria. Using Mosley and Chen’s analytical framework, 45,603 children (12-59 months) were selected from NDHS 2013 dataset. Interaction of maternal education and household environment is significant (p<0.05) predictor of child mortality in Nigeria. Children aged 12 to 59 months that live in a disadvantaged household environment and whose mothers do not have formal education have a higher risk of child mortality than those with formal education. This study confirms the significance of maternal education to child survival in Nigeria.