Date of Conferral

1-20-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Sciences

Advisor

Dr. Howell Sasser

Abstract

Child mortality has remained a public health issue that is prevalent among families living in Nigeria and low- and middle-income countries. Factors associated with post-discharge pediatric mortality among children under 5 have not been explored. The study involved examining associations between timely individual follow-up visits, availability of healthcare facilities for follow-up care, and likelihood of post-discharge mortality among children under 5 while adjusting for household income, geographical location, mothers’ age, and mothers’ education. The theoretical framework was the social ecological model. Data were generated from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey. A sample size of N=21,671 was used to determine associations between independent, dependent, and covariant variables. Findings from this study indicate children with timely follow-up visit were 45% less likely to die posthospital discharge (AOR = 0.550, 95% CI: 0.467–0.646, p < .001) and those from richer homes (AOR = 0.687, 95% CI: 0.581–0.813, p = .001) or better educated mothers had 24-31% lower odds, showing a significant effect. Availability of healthcare facilities and urban or rural residence did not have a significant effect. Findings from this study have the potential for positive social change via public health interventions which target follow-up care for children from low-income households whose families often lack education, resources, or support systems that are necessary to ensure continued care after discharge in Nigeria.

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