Women’s Autonomy and Under-Five Mortality in Cameroon

Abstract

Under-five mortality is a key indicator of the health and development of a country. Though under-five mortality has significantly reduced over time in Cameroon, the number of deaths per 1000 live births occurring before the age of five remains high. This situation may be attributed to the mother’s inferior status in the household. This study aimed to examine the association between women’s autonomy and under-five mortality. Decision-making, asset ownership, and domestic violence were considered as the dimensions of autonomy. The study used data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic Health survey. The association between under-five mortality and the explanatory variables was assessed using bivariate analysis. Binary logistic models were then employed to re-examine the net effect of women's autonomy and the various dimensions of women’s autonomy on under-five mortality. Under five mortality was highest among women with no formal education (35.24%) compared to their counterparts with primary education (28.19%) and those with secondary or more education (16.09%) in the five years preceding the survey. Results show that out of the three dimensions of autonomy considered, women’s decision-making autonomy and autonomy from domestic violence were significant predictors of under-five mortality in Cameroon. Specifically, the odds of under-five mortality decrease with an increase in the woman’s decision-making autonomy and opposition to domestic violence. Other sociodemographic characteristics that predicted under-five mortality were respondents’ age, level of education, wealth status, child’s age and sex. In this context, maternal literacy and involvement in healthcare decision-making appear to be the most powerful predictors of under-five mortality. Thus, to reduce under-five infant mortality, current efforts to improve women's ability to make decisions, particularly those concerning their health and that of their children, should be encouraged.