Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.

Under-five mortality is declining in Ghana and many other countries. Very few studies have measured under-five mortality-and its social and environmental risk factors-at fine spatial resolutions, which is relevant for policy purposes. Our aim was to estimate under-five mortality and its social and e...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Raphael E Arku, James E Bennett, Marcia C Castro, Kofi Agyeman-Duah, Samilia E Mintah, James H Ware, Philomena Nyarko, John D Spengler, Samuel Agyei-Mensah, Majid Ezzati
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2016-06-01
Series:PLoS Medicine
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4915620?pdf=render
_version_ 1828847307549835264
author Raphael E Arku
James E Bennett
Marcia C Castro
Kofi Agyeman-Duah
Samilia E Mintah
James H Ware
Philomena Nyarko
John D Spengler
Samuel Agyei-Mensah
Majid Ezzati
author_facet Raphael E Arku
James E Bennett
Marcia C Castro
Kofi Agyeman-Duah
Samilia E Mintah
James H Ware
Philomena Nyarko
John D Spengler
Samuel Agyei-Mensah
Majid Ezzati
author_sort Raphael E Arku
collection DOAJ
description Under-five mortality is declining in Ghana and many other countries. Very few studies have measured under-five mortality-and its social and environmental risk factors-at fine spatial resolutions, which is relevant for policy purposes. Our aim was to estimate under-five mortality and its social and environmental risk factors at the district level in Ghana.We used 10% random samples of Ghana's 2000 and 2010 National Population and Housing Censuses. We applied indirect demographic methods and a Bayesian spatial model to the information on total number of children ever born and children surviving to estimate under-five mortality (probability of dying by 5 y of age, 5q0) for each of Ghana's 110 districts. We also used the census data to estimate the distributions of households or persons in each district in terms of fuel used for cooking, sanitation facility, drinking water source, and parental education. Median district 5q0 declined from 99 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 70 in 2010. The decline ranged from <5% in some northern districts, where 5q0 had been higher in 2000, to >40% in southern districts, where it had been lower in 2000, exacerbating existing inequalities. Primary education increased in men and women, and more households had access to improved water and sanitation and cleaner cooking fuels. Higher use of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking was associated with lower 5q0 in multivariate analysis.Under-five mortality has declined in all of Ghana's districts, but the cross-district inequality in mortality has increased. There is a need for additional data, including on healthcare, and additional environmental and socioeconomic measurements, to understand the reasons for the variations in mortality levels and trends.
first_indexed 2024-12-12T22:05:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-52c43c65d3d040f0b1ee6d322dec8b47
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1549-1277
1549-1676
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-12T22:05:46Z
publishDate 2016-06-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Medicine
spelling doaj.art-52c43c65d3d040f0b1ee6d322dec8b472022-12-22T00:10:23ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Medicine1549-12771549-16762016-06-01136e100203810.1371/journal.pmed.1002038Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.Raphael E ArkuJames E BennettMarcia C CastroKofi Agyeman-DuahSamilia E MintahJames H WarePhilomena NyarkoJohn D SpenglerSamuel Agyei-MensahMajid EzzatiUnder-five mortality is declining in Ghana and many other countries. Very few studies have measured under-five mortality-and its social and environmental risk factors-at fine spatial resolutions, which is relevant for policy purposes. Our aim was to estimate under-five mortality and its social and environmental risk factors at the district level in Ghana.We used 10% random samples of Ghana's 2000 and 2010 National Population and Housing Censuses. We applied indirect demographic methods and a Bayesian spatial model to the information on total number of children ever born and children surviving to estimate under-five mortality (probability of dying by 5 y of age, 5q0) for each of Ghana's 110 districts. We also used the census data to estimate the distributions of households or persons in each district in terms of fuel used for cooking, sanitation facility, drinking water source, and parental education. Median district 5q0 declined from 99 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to 70 in 2010. The decline ranged from <5% in some northern districts, where 5q0 had been higher in 2000, to >40% in southern districts, where it had been lower in 2000, exacerbating existing inequalities. Primary education increased in men and women, and more households had access to improved water and sanitation and cleaner cooking fuels. Higher use of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking was associated with lower 5q0 in multivariate analysis.Under-five mortality has declined in all of Ghana's districts, but the cross-district inequality in mortality has increased. There is a need for additional data, including on healthcare, and additional environmental and socioeconomic measurements, to understand the reasons for the variations in mortality levels and trends.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4915620?pdf=render
spellingShingle Raphael E Arku
James E Bennett
Marcia C Castro
Kofi Agyeman-Duah
Samilia E Mintah
James H Ware
Philomena Nyarko
John D Spengler
Samuel Agyei-Mensah
Majid Ezzati
Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.
PLoS Medicine
title Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.
title_full Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.
title_fullStr Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.
title_full_unstemmed Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.
title_short Geographical Inequalities and Social and Environmental Risk Factors for Under-Five Mortality in Ghana in 2000 and 2010: Bayesian Spatial Analysis of Census Data.
title_sort geographical inequalities and social and environmental risk factors for under five mortality in ghana in 2000 and 2010 bayesian spatial analysis of census data
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4915620?pdf=render
work_keys_str_mv AT raphaelearku geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT jamesebennett geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT marciaccastro geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT kofiagyemanduah geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT samiliaemintah geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT jameshware geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT philomenanyarko geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT johndspengler geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT samuelagyeimensah geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata
AT majidezzati geographicalinequalitiesandsocialandenvironmentalriskfactorsforunderfivemortalityinghanain2000and2010bayesianspatialanalysisofcensusdata