Reducing child mortality as well as improving children health are two of the major concerns by most governments, especially in developing countries. Lesotho is a developing country with one of the highest rates of infant and child mortality. This study uses the 2004 and 2009 Lesotho Demographic and Health Surveys (LDHS) to: 1) identify the risk factors that affect mortality at neonatal, post-neonatal, and child ages, and, specifically, to determine the effect of mother’s HIV status on child mortality; 2) investigate how the risk factors that affect mortality have changed between the two periods, 2000-2004 to 2005-2009; and 3) determine if the risk factors are age dependent, that is, whether the effects of risk factors vary for different child ages. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, environmental factors, and HIV status of mother, to identify the risk factors and to find how
they have changed over time. Log-rate models were used to find the effects of the risk factors on different ages of children.
The results revealed that the preceding birth interval, sex of the child, mother’s education and floor material are the significant risk factors for neonatal mortality. The important risk factors for child mortality are the preceding birth interval, mother’s education, and period of study. The results also show that the effects of education of the mother and sex of the child, at neonatal age, varied significantly between the two periods of study, 2000-2004 and 2005-2009.
The effects of preceding birth interval were significantly different between the two periods for post-neonatal mortality, and for child mortality, the effects of place of residence were significantly different. The effect of the preceding birth interval is more pronounced at neonatal age, while that of mother’s education and sex of child are more pronounced at neonatal and child ages. Floor material had more impact on post-neonatal mortality, and period of study had more effect on child mortality. The study concludes that the short preceding birth interval (less than 24 months) and being male are associated with increased risk of dying before age five. The study also found that mothers with secondary education or higher and households with finished floor materials are associated with lower risk of childhood mortality.