Do improvements in outreach, clinical, and family and community-based services predict improvements in child survival? An analysis of serial cross-sectional national surveys
2011

Impact of Service Improvements on Child Survival

Sample size: 27 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Binkin Nancy, Chopra Mickey, Simen-Kapeu Aline, Westhof Dirk

Primary Institution: UNICEF

Hypothesis

Do improvements in outreach, clinical, and family and community-based services predict improvements in child survival?

Conclusion

Increasing access to clinical services, certain outreach services, and breastfeeding can significantly reduce under-five mortality rates.

Supporting Evidence

  • Access to clinical services showed the strongest correlation with reductions in under-five mortality.
  • Improvements in antenatal care and family planning services were also correlated with declines in mortality.
  • Breastfeeding practices were linked to significant changes in mortality rates.

Takeaway

If we make sure more kids get medical help, better family planning, and breastfeeding support, fewer kids will die before they turn five.

Methodology

The study analyzed data from sequential population-based surveys in 27 countries, calculating average annual changes in under-five mortality rates and service coverage.

Potential Biases

The analysis may be affected by unmeasured confounding factors and the ecological nature of the data.

Limitations

The study's findings may not be generalizable due to the limited number of countries and potential data inconsistencies.

Participant Demographics

The study included data from 27 high-burden countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = 0.02

Confidence Interval

95% CI not provided

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2458-11-456

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