The study on the determinants of under-five
mortality in Abim district, Karamoja region,
Uganda, was to examine how maternal age at
first birth, maternal age, previous birth interval,
maternal education, maternal occupation,
paternal occupation, latrine use, and source of
drinking water affects on under-five mortality
prevalence by Okello (2015). The respondents for
this study were mothers in the reproductive age of
15-55 years selected by purposive sampling. A
logistic regression model was used for a dummy
(1=death, 0=survival) and the independent
variables.
The odds of the logistic estimates revealed that
under-five mortality was significantly high at 95%
confidence level among mothers who had first
birth below 20 years of age, maternal age at birth
of less than 20 years, previous birth interval of
less than 2 years, and households that use
borehole water. Other factors like maternal
education, maternal/paternal occupation and
latrine/toilet use were insignificantly related to
under-five mortality. Hence it was recommended
that campaign against early marriage and
teenage pregnancy be explicitly done, mothers be
encouraged to exclusively breastfeed for at least
2 years, mothers be sensitized about the
advantages of family planning, personal hygiene
and good sanitation be continuously practiced if
under-five mortality in the Abim District is to be
controlled.