Maternal health and child survival in relation to socioeconomic factors

The health of 280 rural Somali women of reproductive age was studied using a structured questionnaire, measuring weight, height, arm circumference and estimations of hemoglobin. Mean height and weight were 159 cm and 53 kg, respectively. 12.7% had a weight below 50 kg and 5.6% had a height below 150 cm. One third of the women had a body mass index of 19 indicating sub/malnutrition. Mean hemoglobin was 105 g/l. Every fourth woman had a hemoglobin level between 85 and 100, while every tenth had a value below 70 g/l. A higher hemoglobin level and better child survival rate were associated with the husband's reading ability, whether the household owned a farm, whether the woman had a second job, whether the woman possessed gold and the household's possession of a radio.