title: The Role of Empowerment in the Association between a Woman's Educational Status and Infant Mortality in Ethiopia: Secondary Analysis of Demographic and Health Surveys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Socioeconomic status at national, sub-national, household, and individual levels explains a significant portion of variation in infant mortality. Women's education is among the major determinants of infant mortality. The mechanism through which a woman's own educational status, over her husband's as well as household characteristics, influences infant mortality has not been well studied in developing countries. The objective of this study was to explore the role of woman's empowerment and household wealth in the association between a woman's educational status and infant mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The association between a woman's educational status and infant death, and the role of woman's empowerment and household wealth in this relationship, were examined among married women in Ethiopia through a secondary, serial cross-sectional analysis utilizing data on birth history of married women from three rounds of the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the association between woman's education and infant death, and the possible mediation or moderation roles of woman empowerment and household wealth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female education and empowerment were inversely associated with infant death. The results indicated mediation by empowerment in the education-infant death association, and effect modification by household wealth. Both empowerment and education had strongest inverse association with infant death among women from the richest households.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest an important role of female empowerment in the education-infant death relation, and the complexity of these factors according to household wealth. Woman empowerment programs may prove effective as a shorter term intervention in reducing infant mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA; Department of Health Services Management, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yibeltal Kiflie
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Alemayehu
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Theall
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Wuleta
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lemma
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, USA.
authors.forename: Kifle Woldemichael
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Hajito
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Management, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Kora
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tushune
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005002:Ethiopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Demographic and Health Survey; Education; Empowerment; Ethiopia; Infant Mortality; Mediation; Moderation; Social Determinants; Woman