Factors affecting child mortality in Saudi Arabia.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate levels and trends, gender differentials, effect of modes of living, regional differentials, and the effect of parental educational on infant and child mortality.


METHODS
A nationwide stratified random sample was used to estimate levels, trends and differentials of infant and child mortality in Saudi Arabia. The study was executed during the period February 2006 to June 2006 and covered all the 20 health regions of Saudi Arabia. The randomly selected sample was limited to ever married Saudi women in the reproductive age group (15-49 years).


RESULTS
The findings show a continuous and considerable infant and child mortality decline during the 1994-2004 period. The infant mortality rate has decline from 22 per 1,000 live births in 1994 to 17 per 1,000 live births in 2004; while the child mortality rate has declined from 34 to 22 per 1,000 live births in the same period. There is a strong relation between infant and child mortality and the mode of living and parental education.


CONCLUSIONS
The study proves the continuous decline of infant and child mortality during the study period and affirms the effect of parental education on these indicators.
Al-Mazrou
Yagob Y
YY
Department of Curative Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Alhamdan
Nasser A
NA
Alkotobi
Abduelelah I
AI
Nour
Osman M
OM
Farag
Mohamed A
MA
D002648:Child; D046688:Child Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires