Determinants of infant and child mortality in Kenya: an analysis controlling for frailty effects

D. Omariba (), Roderic Beaujot and Fernando Rajulton

Population Research and Policy Review, 2007, vol. 26, issue 3, 299-321

Abstract: In this paper, Weibull unobserved heterogeneity (frailty) survival models are utilized to analyze the determinants of infant and child mortality in Kenya. The results of these models are compared to those of standard Weibull survival models. The study particularly examines the extent to which child survival risks continue to vary net of observed factors and the extent to which nonfrailty models are biased due to the violation of the statistical assumption of independence. The data came from the 1998 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey. The results of the standard Weibull survival models clearly show that biodemographic factors are more important in explaining infant mortality, while socioeconomic, sociocultural and hygienic factors are more important in explaining child mortality. Frailty effects are substantial and highly significant both in infancy and in childhood, but the conclusions remain the same as in the nonfrailty models. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

Keywords: Determinants of infant and child mortality; Mortality differentials; Unobserved heterogeneity; Frailty; Sub-Saharan Africa; Kenya (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:26:y:2007:i:3:p:299-321

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DOI: 10.1007/s11113-007-9031-z

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