Factors affecting infant and child mortality in Ondo State, Nigeria.

Following the logic of the proximate determinants framework for child survival analysis, the study shows how the main socioeconomic inequalities in neonatal, post-neonatal, and child mortality observed in 1981-86 Ondo State were produced. Unlike most previous studies of early childhood mortality factors in Nigeria, the study explicitly investigates the linking mechanisms between key socio-economic factors and child survival. Local area infrastructural development is shown to be the main socioeconomic factor in neonatal mortality while household disposable income status along with local area infrastructural development showed the strongest impacts upon post-neonatal mortality. Household disposable income status emerged as the main socioeconomic factor affecting mortality during ages 1-4, with maternal education showing no strong effects even in this age segment where its impact may be expected to be most strongly felt. The integrated analysis demonstrates that much of the observed infant mortality advantage of residence in more developed local areas is due to easier physical and real access to modern health services and that most of the child mortality benefits conveyed by high household income status derive primarily from better home sanitary conditions and secondarily from better quality of curative and home care for very ill children