Page 67 - IJPS-11-4

International Journal of
Population Studies Early marriage and infant mortality in SSA

Table 2. Percentage distribution of infant mortality by Table 2. (Continued)
child marriage, women’s empowerment, and selected
characteristics Characteristics Infant ꭓ 2
mortality
Characteristics Infant ꭓ 2 (% who died
mortality before age 1)
(% who died Dead Alive
before age 1)
Richer 4.6 95.4
Dead Alive
Richest 4.1 95.9
Age at first marriage 3.68*
Place of residence 2.86
18+ 4.3 95.7
Rural 4.3 95.7
15 – 17 4.8 95.2
Urban 4.8 95.2
<15 4.3 95.7
Family structure 2.04
Maternal age 51.07***
Monogamous 4.6 95.4
15 – 19 5.9 94.1
Polygamous 5.1 94.9
20 – 24 4.1 95.9
Place of delivery 45.51***
Women’s empowerment 15.21**
Home 5.6 94.4
Less empowerment 4.9 95.1
Facility-based 4.1 95.9
More empowerment 3.0 96.0
Other 5.9 94.1
Educational attainment 16.28**
Antenatal care visits 89.65***
No formal education 5.2 94.8 <4 5.7 94.3
Primary 4.8 95.2
4+ 3.6 96.4
Secondary or higher 4.0 96.0
Note: *p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001.
Occupation 9.84
Not working 4.3 95.7
Table 3. Cox proportional hazard model examining the
Professional/technical/managerial work 5.8 94.2 effects of child marriage and women’s empowerment on
Clerical/sales/agriculture/service 5.0 95.0 infant mortality
Manual labor 4.4 95.6
Variables Model 1 Model 2
Child’s sex 10.26*
Age at first marriage
Male 5.0 95.0 10 0.56 (0.13 – 2.29) 0.55 (0.13 – 2.28)
Female 4.3 95.7 11 0.75 (0.23 – 2.14) 0.76 (0.24 – 2.41)
Birth order 41.94***
12 1.19 (0.60 – 2.32) 1.18 (0.60 – 2.31)
First 5.4 94.6
13 1.74 (0.93 – 3.26) 1.72 (1.00 – 3.23)*
2 – 3 3.9 96.1
14 1.39 (0.95 – 2.32) 1.38 (0.94 – 2.03)
4+ 4.9 95.6
15 1.65 (1.18 – 2.31)** 1.66 (1.19 – 2.32)**
Number of births 346.10*** 16 1.40 (1.04 – 1.90)* 1.42 (1.05 – 1.93)*
Singleton 4.3 95.7 17 1.30 (0.93 – 1.83) 1.34 (0.95 – 1.88)
Multiple births 18.5 81.5
18+ (RC) 1.00 1.00
Religion 13.17*
Women’s decision-making
Christianity 4.6 95.4
Less empowerment 1.34 (1.05 – 1.71)*
Islam 5.5 94.5 More empowerment 1.00
Others 4.3 95.7
Note. *p<0.05, **p<0.01.
Wealth quartile 18.05* Abbreviation: RC: Reference category.
Poorest 4.6 95.4
Poorer 5.1 94.9 outcome calls for more concerted efforts and interventions
Middle 4.5 95.5 to bolster child survival rates during the 1 month after
st
(Cont’d...) birth.

Volume 11 Issue 4 (2025) 61 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2411