Early childhood survivorship in Vietnam

The effects on early childhood mortality of birth order, age of the mother at the time of the child's birth, mother's education, as well as infant mortality risk in the province, urban/rural residence, the presence of schools and other facilities and health care services, were examined using data from the 1988 Vietnam Demographic and Health Survey and the 1990 Study of Accessibility of Contraceptives in Vietnam. A total of 4137 urban and rural children born between 1983 and 1988 to the 4172 women interviewed in the Demographic and Health Survey were included in the hazard model analysis of maternal and child characteristics. However, since the Accessibility of Contraceptives Study included only rural respondents, the hazard model analysis of community development characteristics and health services effects on early childhood mortality was based on a subsample of 3314 rural children. Rural children in birth orders five and higher had the greatest risk of early childhood death, birth order one an intermediate risk and orders 2-4 the lowest risk of early childhood death. Rural children residing in communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants were at significantly greater risk of early childhood death than children from larger communes. Neither age nor education of the mother nor gender of the child, had a significant impact on early childhood survivorship independent of other variables. Risk of infant mortality in the child's province was of borderline significance.