Father's support and literacy--factors associated with child mortality in Gambat, Sindh-Pakistan.
OBJECTIVE
To determine Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) in Gambat and to identify causes of and factors associated with it.


METHODS
The study was conducted in taluka Gambat of Sindh, Pakistan from December 2002 to August 2003. The sample of at least 510 mothers was needed to capture expected 1020 live births. We interviewed mothers to elicit information about live births in the past five years, under-five mortality and its cause. Additionally, the mothers were also asked about their mobility and availability of husband's support in child's rearing, other than economic support. Approval was sought from Aga Khan University's Ethical Committee. Pre structured questionnaire was used. Data were double entered, validated and cleaned using Epi-Info 6 and analysed with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5.


RESULTS
We included 647 mothers, who reported 997 births in the past five years. The reported number of deaths was 169, with the estimated U5MR of 170/1000 live births/year. The five major causes of mortality were tetanus (17.8%), diarrhoea (11.8%), measles (6.5%), delivery related morbidities (6.5%) and Acute Respiratory Infections (4.5%). Fever was identified as a cause by 19.1% mothers. About 20% did not know the cause of death. The regression analysis showed father's literacy level (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-2.8) and father's support in child rearing (AOR 5.6, 95% CI 3.6-8.6) as factors significantly associated with mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing education among parents in rural areas like Gambat is important to reduce child mortality. Father's involvement in child rearing can play a role.
Agha
Ajmal
A
Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University.
Ajmal
Fozia
F
Iqbal
Azam
A
White
Franklin
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D046688:Child Mortality; D002668:Child Rearing; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult