On the Structure of Infant Mortality using Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) Model: A Comparative Study based on National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Data in India

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effect of socioeconomic and demographic factors on infant mortality in India. The Paper also examines reasonable comparison of the three National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the largest sample survey of India from the 1993–1994, 1998–1999 and 2005–06 with respect to different determinants of infant mortality. Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) model is used to measure the direct effect of the above factors on the survival of infants. On the basis of Akaikes Information Criterion (AIC), the Weibull AFT model fits better to other selected models. In all the three NFHS, Weibull AFT model shows the significant effect of the factors on infant survival.