Interaction effect of Exogenous and Endogenous variables on childhood mortality in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

While maternal and child health statistics in Nigeria are still relatively high, indicators from several studies show that the southern region has significantly improved over the northern region. However, the childhood mortality rate in the southern part of the country is still higher than 70/80 per 1000 live births envisaged by Millennium Development Goal Four. The contributing factors identified in the literature can be grouped into endogenous and exogenous variables. The effects of the exogenous variables are indirect because they operate through the endogenous variables to affect child’s health. This study examines the interaction effect of endogenous and exogenous variables in southern Nigeria and its contributions to childhood mortality. Using the child file from Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey 2008 data, a total weighted sample of 10,769 births for southern Nigeria were selected for this study. The findings reveal that there is interaction effect of endogenous and exogenous variables on childhood mortality in Southern Nigeria. For both urban and rural area, children under five years with positive indicators have improved chances of survival than those who have less. Interacting breastfeeding pattern, source of drinking water and toilet facility with the residential area gave a robust finding, that even when the residential risk patterns are similar, the risk of childhood mortality in the urban areas is significantly lower than rural areas.