Trend and determinants of under-five mortality rate in Tanzania

This study attempts to establish the trend and determinants of under-five mortality rate in Tanzania. The study uses individual level data from the 2004 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey. Logistic regression model was employed in estimation due to the categorical nature of the dependent variable; the dependent variables are mother’s age, mother’s education, mother’s religion, mother’s place of residence, total number of children, household wealth, preceding birth interval, marital status, birth order, and place of delivery and size of a child. Both standard coefficients and marginal effects are presented and discussed, however much emphasis is placed on marginal effects. The analysis shows that preceding birth interval, birth order, child’s birth size, mother’s age at birth, place of residence, marital status of the mother, attainment of secondary education by mothers, total number of children a woman gives birth to, and place of delivery are the major determinants of under-five mortality. Based on the findings of this study, encouraging women to practice child spacing, discouraging women under the age of 20 and over the age of 32 years from giving birth, attainment of secondary or higher education by women, encouraging women to deliver their children at any medical facility, among others, would help reduce the possibility of having a child die before the age of five