Infant mortality and mothers' religion in Nigeria

Faith Nfii, University of the Witwatersrand

Infant mortality remains high in Nigeria despite the various policies being implemented to reduce it. Although studies have examined various factors that explain infant mortality, effects of mothers’ religion on infant mortality has been rarely explored. This study thus seeks to investigate the effects of religion on infant mortality. This cross-sectional study analysed secondary data from the 2013 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The population of interest was 31,482 women aged 15-49years and 2027 infants who had died. Cox Hazard Model was used to analyse data. Findings from the study showed that mothers’ religion had a statistically significant association with infant mortality, thus suggests an effect on infant mortality while controlling for other variables. Findings from this study will better inform policy interventions geared towards reducing the rates of infant mortality and also contribute to existing knowledge on infant mortality determinants in Nigeria.