The Relationship between Health Facility-based Delivery and Child Mortality in Nigeria: Insights from 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

Abstract

Background: Health facility-based delivery has been considered to be an important factor in reducing maternal and child deaths. Evidence suggests that 63 per cent of women aged 15-49 years deliver at home. This study seeks to examine the effect of health facility-based delivery on child mortality in Nigeria. Methods: Secondary data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey was used. Variables on place of delivery as well as demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the study sample were analysed. Data analysis was carried out using STATA 12. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Results: Results showed that health facility-based delivery was not significantly associated with child mortality. However, being a child of women aged 25-34 years, being a child of women aged 35 years or older, being a child of a woman with secondary or higher education, being a child of a woman living in rural area, being a child of a woman living in North West region, being a child of a woman living in South East region, being a child of a married woman, being a child of a woman with more than five members, being a child of a woman with 2-4 birth order, being a child of a woman with five or more birth order, being a child of a woman with 3 and 4 children and being a child of a woman with five or more children were significantly associated with child mortality. Conclusions: Our study concludes that health facility-based delivery is not a significant predictor of child mortality in Nigeria. However, demographic and socio-economic factors were significantly associated with child mortality. Therefore, policy makers need to target these factors in their effort to reduce child mortality.