Impact of maternal education on under-five mortality of children in India: Insights from the National Family Health Survey, 2005–2006 and 2015–2016

Abstract

Under-five (U-5) mortality is a major public health problem in lower-middle income countries. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between maternal education and mortality of children below 5 years age in Indian context. We have used bi-variate and multivariate logistic regressions to assess the associations. Our study reveals that increasing level of education among women and in association with socio-economic and demographic factors significantly reduces the incidence of U-5 mortality. The findings suggest that increasing opportunities for female education and addressing socio-economic and demographic vulnerabilities could be effective strategies to combat the incidence of U-5 mortality.