Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Joseph Robare

Abstract

Muslim-majority countries of low socioeconomic status have higher rates of poor health and infant mortality. Among the six regions of Nigeria, Islamic religious affiliation is more common in the country’s Northern region. Gender inequality is one of the most critical issues in the Muslim community. Female children are more likely to die because of gender inequality. Previous research has been conducted on gender inequalities and religion; however, researchers have not determined if a relationship exists between Islamic religious affiliation and female infant mortality rates among Muslim wives across the six regions of Nigeria. This study used a quantitative correlational research design grounded in the socioecological model to determine if residing in any of the six regions of Nigeria and Islamic religious affiliation influenced female infant mortality rates among Muslim wives after adjusting for age, education, and wealth index. Using the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, a multiple regression analysis was conducted on a population of 28,361 women who identified as wives residing in Nigeria. Results were that religious affiliations (p < .001), marital status (p= 0.036), and sex of the child (p= 0.038) were significantly associated with infant mortality rates. Social change implications included the potential to create religious-based support systems for such women and implement healthcare initiatives to increase survival from birth to age 1 for children of Muslim women.

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