Determinants of Infant Mortality Rate in Chepalungu Bomet County, Kenya
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Date
2021
Authors
Mutai, Jane Chepkurui
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Globally, the infant mortality rate is regarded as an important indicator of
understanding population health and it stands as high as 31.9%. The rate varies
substantially across the world with the highest found in sub-Saharan Africa. In Bomet,
Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) stands higher compared with the national average. The
high Infant Mortality Rate is said to have been attributed by various factors such as
poor livelihood and health opportunities. These have a tendency of deteriorating
living conditions leading to prevailing low standards of living and raised living costs
which has risen cost of protein rich food rendering communities poor malnutrition and
susceptible to infection. Despite the renewed focus and recent progress in infant
mortality, achieving the sustainable development goal (SDG) target in infant mortality
of 25 deaths per 1000 live births will be a challenge unless factors influencing infant
mortality receive more attention. It has also been observed that infant mortality in
Chepalungu Sub County is not an exemption since infant mortality in Bomet County
is higher at 57 per 1000 compared with the National average of 54 per 1000.
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish determinants of high infant
mortality in Chepalungu sub-county. The study adopted a descriptive survey research
design. Descriptive survey research design describes the distribution of and
relationship among variables. The study targeted all household mothers in the
reproductive ages 18-49 and key informants in Chepalungu sub-county. Purposive
and Stratified simple random sampling techniques were used to select 381 mothers
and 4 key informants in Chepalungu Sub-County. Data was collected using
questionnaire and interview schedule. Quantitative data was analyzed using
frequencies, percentages, and Chi-square test while qualitative data was coded,
transcribed and organized thematically. The study findings may form a platform upon
which demographic and health policy may be formulated and may be useful to other
future researchers. The study concluded that high infant mortality was attributable to
low level of education of the mothers, large household sizes, difficulty in access to
health facilities, mothers‟ and spouses‟ incomes, place of delivery and type of
marriage contrary, place for medical attention for infants does not have any effect on
infant mortality. Further, environmental factors had a great bearing on infant health
and as such explain infant mortality. The study recommends that the communities
within Chepalungu Sub County ought to embrace family planning practices as a way
to control their household numbers. This is because a household with few individuals
is capable to meet medical needs thereby registering lower infant deaths. Study also
recommended that residents in Chepalungu should be encouraged to engage in
income generating activities besides subsistence farming. This will enable them to
have some income necessary for providing for the infant needs including nutrition and
medical needs. Furthermore, campaign programs should be designed with an aim of
discouraging unfair cultural practices that promote infant mortality. Such campaigns
can encourage the mothers to seek delivery at the health facilities. This can be done
through community health volunteers, increasing number of dispensaries and
providing ambulances. Lastly, the study recommended the need to conduct
environmental education program targeting the mothers on the human waste disposal,
safe drinking water and safe cooking fuel. Future research should be conducted to
include: causes of infant mortality, biological factors influencing infant mortality and
climatic determinants of infant mortality by region.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Arts (Population Geography) in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of Kenyatta University, November 2021
Keywords
Determinants, Infant Mortality Rate, Chepalungu, Bomet County, Kenya