Effect of mother’s migration on under-two mortality in Kenya
Migration
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Issue: 2
(12 - 2011)
This study examines the effect of mothers’ migration status controlling for other
proximate factors (socio-economic, environmental and bio-demographic charac-
teristics) on under two mortality in Kenya. Data used were drawn from 2003
Kenya Demographic Health Survey with focus on infants and children below two
years in age. A total of 5949 infants and children born five years before the survey
are used in the analysis. Cox proportional hazard model is used to assess the rel-
ative effect of the migration status (migrant or non-migrant) of the mother on
survival rates controlling for other explanatory variables. The general results
shows that children of migrant mothers especially those of urban-rural migrants
face a higher mortality risk compared to those of non-migrant mothers. The
results show that failure to account for migration may alter the estimation of
urban-rural differentials in childhood mortality.
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