Maternal age at birth and under-5 mortality in Nigeria.
OBJECTIVE
The paper examined the impact of maternal age at birth on under-5 death in Nigeria.


METHODS
Secondary data were generated from the 2003 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys in examining the relationship between maternal age at birth and under-5 mortality risk. Relationships between variables were tested through bivariate and logistic analyses.


RESULTS
Out of 7620 sampled women for the study, almost 60% were less than 30 years old, the median age was 26 years- a youthful population. Analyses of the data revealed a high under-5 mortality rate (45.4%), a general high home delivery (62.4%) among Nigerian women, which dictates a low rate at which assistance by health professional is being sought during childbirth . Furthermore, mothers' median age at first birth was less than 19, while under-5 death was significantly pronounced among younger (less than 20 years) mothers and older women (above 35 years) (p<0.05). Maternal education which was significantly low among younger mothers was a predictor of under-5 mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Under -5 mortality is still high especially among younger mothers. Thus resolving this challenge in Nigeria will be inadequate if early childbearing issues are not addressed using a tailored framework alongside with the need to improve maternal education in Nigeria.
Ayotunde
Titilayo
T
Department of Demography & Social Statistics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria. liasuavotunde@gmail.com
Mary
Obiyan
O
Melvin
Agunbiade Ojo
AO
Faniyi
Fasina Fagbeminiyi
FF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008428:Maternal Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult