Background: The study examined the effects of the determinants of under-five mortality in
Malawi. It therefore aimed to estimate the rate or prevalence of under-five mortality in
Malawi and to examine differentials in infant and child mortality by socio-economic,
demographic, environmental, health-seeking behaviour and nutritional value.
Methods: This study involved a secondary data analysis of the 2010 Malawi Demographic
and Health Survey (MDHS) data set of children under five years old and women who had
given birth in the five years preceding the survey. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and
multivariate hazard analysis were used to examine the relationship between under-five
mortality and socio-economic. demographic, environmental, health-seeking behaviour and
nutritional factors.
Results: The results show that birth order, mother's education, place of residence. region and
exclusive breastfeeding were significantly associated with under-five mortality. The results
also show that there was no significant association between under-five mortality and other
indicators of socio-economic. demographic. environmental, health-seeking behaviour. The
results also show that more deaths of under-fives occurred during inlancy than during
childhood.
Conclusion: The results show that more deaths occurred during the first months after birth
than after 12 months of age. This showed that mother's education, birth order, place of
residence, region and breastfeeding had a greater influence on the survival of the child.