The effects of parents’ education and occupation on infant and child mortality in Zanzibar

Infant and child mortality is generally affected by parents' socioeconomic status and mother's characteristics. Since there are a lot of variations among parents, it is also obvious to think that there are variations in infant and child mortality as well. It was this kind of thought that prompted me to work on this study. And since parents' characteristics could take a long list, only two main characteristics were taken for the study named parents' education and occupation. The study aimed at finding out whether or not in Zanzibar, both Unguja and Pemba islands and both rural and urban areas infant and child mortality rates were related to educational levels of parents or their occupations. How the education levels and occupations of parents operate to affect infant and child mortality is explained in this study through a series of mechanisms for both education and occupation. The data used in this study were largely from the household interviews. Thus the interview schedule was the main instrument employed in collecting the data. Estimates by indirect method of infant and child mortality by mother's education showed a negative relationship implying higher mortality of children born to non-educated mothers. The education of father was found to be of less importance in affecting infant and child mortality. The difference in place of residence (rural or urban) was also a factor explaining infant and child mortality. Urban areas have relatively lower mortality rates than the rural areas. The other factor that was considered was the age of mother at first birth which showed that bearing children while still very young (less than 20 years) increases the risk of dying to children. Occupations of parents were also important in explaining mortality. Of all the different occupations used to measure the variable, agriculture and / or livestock keeping gave the highest mortality rates. The study concluded by giving some recommendations which include: women be equipped with basic skills that would make them execute their multidimensional roles as home makers, mothers and wives; provision of safe and clean water and provision of simple health services especially in rural areas.