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Socio-Economic Inequalities in Child Health
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Socio-Economic Inequalities in Child Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2024) | Viewed by 2211

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Olufunke A. Alaba

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Health Economics Unit, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7935, South Africa
Interests: social determinants of health; health equity; health inequality; child health; health care financing; child and adolescent obesity; food security; economic burden of disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Irrespective of the level of development, socioeconomic disparity in child health is a disturbing reality currently exacerbated by the recent global health epidemic of COVID-19. Material and immaterial inequalities and injustices, evidenced in different spheres of life in different societies, are frequently observed and documented as they affect individual and collective health. Without a doubt, a child's well-being is important to their lifelong health and well-being. Even before birth, children whose parents are in socioeconomically vulnerable situations are likely to have worse health outcomes than those living in better circumstances. Although there is evidence that social determinants of health (such as relative poverty and income inequality) are associated with child well-being, social and health policies have been argued to reduce their impact rather than address their causes. Thus, children born into socio-economically disadvantaged families suffer from poor child welfare and its lifelong consequences in all societies around the world.

Socioeconomic status has a significant impact on the health status of children. A better understanding of how socioeconomic inequalities affect child health both in the short-run and long run is essential to inform the development of evidence-based child-friendly interventions and strategies. The purpose of this Special Issue is to take stock of the latest evidence of the consequences of socioeconomic disparity on child health outcomes, especially within the recent global pandemic experience of COVID-19. Cross-sectional, longitudinal, quantitative, and qualitative studies investigating this phenomenon are encouraged.

Dr. Olufunke A. Alaba
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • socioeconomic inequality
  • child health
  • income equality
  • social determinants of health
  • socioeconomic position
  • disparity

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1005 KiB  
Article
Under-5 Malaria and Fever Morbidities as Correlates of Anaemia in Niger: A Heteroscedasticity-Consistent Ordered Probit Approach
by Thonaeng Charity Molelekoa and Abayomi Samuel Oyekale
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(12), 1687; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121687 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 284
Abstract
Background: The relationship between malaria/other febrile infections and anaemia among under-5 children is a subject of significant policy relevance among African health policy makers. The international significance of addressing anaemia is prominently underscored in the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This paper [...] Read more.
Background: The relationship between malaria/other febrile infections and anaemia among under-5 children is a subject of significant policy relevance among African health policy makers. The international significance of addressing anaemia is prominently underscored in the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This paper therefore analysed the effect of malaria/other febrile infections and other maternal and child’s demographic variables on the prevalence of anaemia in Niger. Methods: We utilized the under-5 children’s module of the Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) for 2021, which was collected from women of reproductive age (15–49) in selected households. The data were analysed with heteroscedasticity-consistent ordered probit regression model. Results: The results showed that 73.73% of the children was anaemic, while malaria and other febrile infections were present in 14.00% and 33.87%, respectively. Anaemia was highest in the Tillaberi and Dosso regions, where 84.12% and 79.12% of the children were anaemic. The ordered probit regression revealed that anaemia was promoted by malaria, other febrile infections, being a male child, second of multiple birth, and birth order, while wealth index, age, urban residence, and access to newspaper and television reduced it. Conclusions: Anaemia remains a major public health problem among under-5 children in Niger. A comprehensive healthcare intervention to address the problem should consider regional, sectoral, and gender differences in the incidences, with drastic efforts towards prevention of malaria and other fever-inducing illnesses. In addition, interventions to promote households’ economic status, reduce maternal fertility, and facilitate preventive practices through nutrition enhancement and health-related media programs hold some promise. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socio-Economic Inequalities in Child Health)
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25 pages, 7197 KiB  
Article
Malaria Prevention for Pregnant Women and Under-Five Children in 10 Sub-Saharan Africa Countries: Socioeconomic and Temporal Inequality Analysis
by Denis Okova, Akim Tafadzwa Lukwa, Robinson Oyando, Paidamoyo Bodzo, Plaxcedes Chiwire and Olufunke A. Alaba
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(12), 1656; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121656 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
Background: Malaria remains a public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite gains from strategies like Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), significant socioeconomic inequalities persist, particularly among pregnant women and children under five. This study analyzed [...] Read more.
Background: Malaria remains a public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite gains from strategies like Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Intermittent Preventive Treatment during pregnancy (IPTp), significant socioeconomic inequalities persist, particularly among pregnant women and children under five. This study analyzed temporal and socioeconomic inequalities in malaria prevention in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods: Nationally representative Demographic Health Surveys from 10 SSA countries (Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, and Cameroon) were used, comparing two time periods. Changes in ITN use by pregnant women and children under five, as well as IPTp coverage, were assessed. Inequalities based on socioeconomic status (SES) and residence were analyzed using the Erreygers Normalized Concentration Index and Theil index. Results: The results revealed significant variability in ITN use and IPTp coverage within countries. Eight countries showed improvements in ITN use during pregnancy, with Nigeria seeing a 173.9% increase over five years. Burkina Faso and Tanzania consistently reported high ITN use (~87%) in children under five. IPTp coverage increased in all countries except Kenya. Decomposition using the Theil index indicated that within-group inequalities, particularly based on SES and residence, were the primary drivers of disparities. Conclusions: To ensure progress toward universal health coverage, malaria prevention programs must prioritize vulnerable populations and be continuously evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socio-Economic Inequalities in Child Health)
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13 pages, 1022 KiB  
Article
Revisiting Factors Influencing Under-Five Mortality in India: The Application of a Generalised Additive Cox Proportional Hazards Model
by Maroof Ahmad Khan and Sumit Kumar Das
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(10), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21101303 - 29 Sep 2024
Viewed by 652
Abstract
Background: Despite the implementation of various preventive measures, India continues to experience an alarmingly high under-five mortality rate (U5MR). The most recent nationwide data on U5MRs has provided an opportunity to re-examine the associated factors of U5MRs using advanced techniques. This study attempted [...] Read more.
Background: Despite the implementation of various preventive measures, India continues to experience an alarmingly high under-five mortality rate (U5MR). The most recent nationwide data on U5MRs has provided an opportunity to re-examine the associated factors of U5MRs using advanced techniques. This study attempted to identify the associated determinants of U5MRs via the generalised additive Cox proportional hazards method. Methods: This study analysed the fifth round of unit-level data for 213,612 children from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) to identify the risk factors associated with U5MRs, employing a generalised additive Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Results: The children who had a length of pregnancy of less than 9 months had a 2.621 (95% CI: 2.494, 2.755) times greater hazard of U5MRs than the children who had a gestational period of 9 months or more. The non-linear association with U5MRs was highest in the mother’s age, followed by the mother’s haemoglobin, the mother’s education, and household wealth score. The relationships between the mother’s age and the mother’s haemoglobin level with the U5MR were found to be U-shaped. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of addressing maternal and socioeconomic factors while improving access to healthcare services in order to reduce U5MRs in India. Furthermore, the findings underscore the necessity for more sophisticated approaches to healthcare delivery that consider the non-linear relationships between predictor variables and U5MRs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Socio-Economic Inequalities in Child Health)
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