WOMEN’S STATUS AND CHILD HEALTH IN NORTHWEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

The results show that each of the following variables: levels of education, place of residence, wealth index are significantly related to child health- stunting (height for age) at 0.05% level of significance. Also, child health (vaccination) is significantly related to each of the following: age, place of residence and occupation at 0.05% level of significance. The study examined women’s status and child health in Northwest, Nigeria using 2013 NDHS children recode data set with a sample size of 9,906. Three levels of analyses were employed – univariate in form of percentage frequency distribution, bivariate in form of cross-tabulations and Chi-square test and multivariate analyses using binary logistic regression model. Findings revealed that 55.23% of children were stunted and 78.07% had received vaccination while 21.93% had not received vaccination in the study area. Women characteristics that significantly influenced stunting (child health) were wealth index and religion while those characteristics of women that significantly influenced child immunization status (child health) were residence and occupational status. The study concluded that intervention programmmes targeting women empowerment, by increasing their level of education in order to improve child health, also would achieve a lot if occupational status, wealth status, residence and religion of women in the study area are taken into consideration. Also, study revealed that low women status in Northwest, Nigeria such as education, residence, wealth index, occupation, have influenced on stunted growth of the children and number of children that had received vaccination. It show that women who have no education, who lives in rural area, poor were significantly associated with stunted growth of the children and also have influence on number of children that had received vaccination. The study concludes that government policy and initiatives should put more effort improving women’s status, to enhance child health: stunting and immunization status in Northwest, Nigeria