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Global Health Econ Sustain Household food insecurity and Under-five Mortality

contradicting the findings from a previous study (Zewudie thus indicating that male children possess a relatively
et al., 2020). The rationale for this phenomenon lies in the weaker biological construct and increased vulnerability to
correlation between maternal education and the adoption illnesses compared to their female counterparts (Pongou,
of health-promoting practices, which encompass the 2013).
cultivation of healthy dietary habits and the provision Furthermore, the risk of under-five mortality is
of optimal child care. Maternal education results in a significantly associated with birth order at p < 0.05. This
modification of their familial role, permitting them to finding corroborates previous studies (Ahinkorah et al.,
partake in essential measures that enhance the well-being 2022; Ayele et al., 2017; Zewudie et al., 2020) but contrasts
of their children and facilitate the effective utilization of with the findings of a previous study (Ayele et al., 2022).
innovative health-care services (Ahinkorah et al., 2022). The association between under-five mortality and birth
The age at first birth demonstrates a significant order can be elucidated by the observation that first births
association with under-five mortality at p < 0.05. This exhibit a greater predisposition to immunity against
finding is consistent with several studies (Ahinkorah, neonatal tetanus compared to sixth and higher-order
2021; Ayele et al., 2022; Zegeye et al., 2021) but contrasts births. Neonatal tetanus, a leading cause of infant mortality
with the findings of a previous study (Zewudie et al., in numerous developing nations, is frequently attributable
2020). This association can be explained by the prevailing to inadequate adherence to hygienic protocols during the
circumstances where early births are often undesired and delivery process (CSA, 2016).
unsupported, thus giving rise to maternal emotional, 4.4. Study’s strengths and limitations
psychological, and social predicaments. Consequently,
these predicaments result in inadequate child care, support, The study findings have been reinforced through the
and nutrition, ultimately increasing under-five mortality utilization of rigorous statistical analysis techniques and the
(Sakai et al., 2017). attainment of high response rates during the data collection
process. Moreover, the use of a thoroughly validated,
4.3. Bio-demographic characteristics and under-five structured questionnaire could have effectively mitigated
mortality the presence of instrumental and inter-rater biases. Despite
The study identified the initiation of breastfeeding, child the extensive exploration of the interrelationship between
sex, and birth order as strong predictors of under-five household food insecurity and under-five mortality, while
mortality. The results demonstrate a positive association adjusting for potential confounding variables, the cross-
sectional design of the dataset restricts our ability to
between breastfeeding and the survival status of a child, draw definitive causal inferences between outcome and
which was significant at p < 0.05. This finding is consistent independent variables.
with the previous studies (Ayele et al., 2022; Zewudie
et al., 2020). The phenomenon can be attributed to the 5. Conclusion
timely initiation of breastfeeding, particularly within
the 1 h postpartum, which has the potential to prevent This study demonstrates that food insecurity is a
st
unfavorable health outcomes, such as under-five mortality significant public health problem and a potential predictor
associated with diverse infections and reduce morbidity. of under-five mortality, after adjusting for confounding
This observation underscores the significance of the factors such as maternal education, age at first birth,
early adoption of exclusive breastfeeding in promoting initiation of breastfeeding, age and sex of the child, birth
continuum care for the mother and the newborn. Such order, number of children ever born, and household food
an intervention promotes bonding between mother and insecurity status. It provides justification for examining
child and ensures that the infant receives colostrum, under-five mortality at the sub-regional level, not only to
which is crucial for their first immunization. In addition, validate these findings but also to explore the feasibility
there is potential for long-term impact on the health and of implementing societal interventions aimed at reducing
neurological development of the child (CSA, 2016). under-five mortality. Municipal authorities should
prioritize formulating policies and programs to address
Under-five mortality among children was 80% household food insecurity as a key strategy for mitigating
higher among those born male compared to their female the potential risk of under-five mortality. Government
counterparts at birth. This finding concurs with Zewudie initiatives such as the Urban Safety Net Program (2017)
et al. (2020) but contradicts findings from other studies and the National Food and Nutrition Policy in 2019
such as Ahinkorah et al. (2022) and Ayele et al. (2022). are expected to significantly contribute to ensuring the
These phenomena can be attributed to variances in sustainable provision, accessibility, and utilization of a
genetic and biological constitutions between genders, diverse, secure, and wholesome food supply. Moreover,

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.1682