Factors Affecting Infant and Child Mortality in Rural Sierra Leone

The determinants of infant and child mortality in Sierra Leone are examined using data from a sample of currently married rural women aged 15–49 years during a fertility and family planning survey. The analysis considers background (mother's tribe, religion, and current place of residence), demographic (mother's age, age at marriage, number of children ever born, and duration of breast feeding), and socioeconomic (maternal and paternal education and occupation, and household income) variables. A multivariate analysis using OLS regression model is carried out to obtain the net effect of each factor on mortality. The results indicate that maternal education and occupation, duration of breast feeding, number of children ever born, current place of residence, and household income affect mortality significantly.