Factors affecting child mortality

This study examines the factors that contribute to the rate of child mortality within a country. Through regression analysis, this model attempts to explain the rate of child mortality for a country as a function of factors including the adult female literacy rate, fertility rates, adult female labor force participation, rate of immunization for tuberculosis, access to safe water, income per capita, and prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus. This paper surveys a range of low-income countries from different regions including Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, and Latin America. The data used in the study is gathered from reliable databases including the World Bank, the CIA World Fact Book, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization. It was found that the rate of fertility, adult female literacy rate, prevalence of HIV, and access to an improved water source all significantly impacted the rate of child mortality for a country. My intention with this study is to contribute towards, or confirm existing, research on this topic, and increase knowledge available for activists who can then have a more specific focus in their efforts to eliminate unacceptably high rates of child mortality