Exploring the impact of maternal marital status on child health: insights from the 2022 Tanzanian Demographic and Health Survey.

The SDG 2.2 targets the end of all forms of malnutrition by 2030. Despite the efforts by the Tanzania government to attain this goal, over 30 percent of children under-five are stunted. This study explored the relationship between maternal marital status and child health outcomes in Tanzania using the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey data set of 2022. A multiple logistic regression was conducted with the binary outcome variable "Stunted," using predictors such as the mother's age and education level, the child's birth size, birth order, and gender, as well as other household characteristics. The study findings highlight a significant association between maternal marital status and child stuntedness. The mothers in a marriage relationship are 30% less likely to have stunted children (OR=0.70, 95%CI, 0.56-0.86) compared to the mothers outside the marriage relationship. Mothers with primary and secondary education or higher, show a lower likelihood of having stunted children (OR=0.90, 95%CI 0.70-1.17) and (OR=0.68, 95%CI 0.44- 1.03) respectively compared to their uneducated counterparts. In other words, a mother being married or educated reduces the odds of her children being stunted. The probability of child stuntedness reduces as the wealth quintile of the household increases. This study contributes to the understanding of the factors influencing child health outcomes in Tanzania especially the role of marriage.

L'ODD 2.2 vise à mettre fin à toutes les formes de malnutrition d'ici 2030. Malgré les efforts du gouvernement tanzanien pour atteindre cet objectif, plus de 30 % des enfants de moins de cinq ans sont atteints de retard de croissance. Cette étude explore la relation entre le statut matrimonial des mères et les résultats de santé des enfants en Tanzanie en utilisant l'ensemble de données de l'Enquête Démographique et de Santé de Tanzanie de 2022. Une régression logistique multiple a été réalisée avec la variable de résultat binaire "retard de croissance", en utilisant des prédicteurs tels que l'âge et le niveau d'éducation de la mère, la taille à la naissance de l'enfant, l'ordre de naissance, le sexe, ainsi que d'autres caractéristiques du ménage. Les résultats de l'étude mettent en lumière une association significative entre le statut matrimonial des mères et le retard de croissance des enfants. Les mères mariées sont 30 % moins susceptibles d'avoir des enfants atteints de retard de croissance (OR = 0,70, IC à 95 %, 0,56-0,86) par rapport aux mères vivant hors d'une relation matrimoniale. Les mères ayant suivi des études primaires et secondaires ou supérieures présentent une probabilité moindre d'avoir des enfants atteints de retard de croissance (OR = 0,90, IC à 95 %, 0,70-1,17) et (OR = 0,68, IC à 95 %, 0,44-1,03) respectivement, par rapport à leurs homologues non éduquées. En d'autres termes, le fait que la mère soit mariée ou éduquée réduit les chances que ses enfants soient atteints de retard de croissance. La probabilité de retard de croissance infantile diminue à mesure que le quintile de richesse du ménage augmente. Cette étude contribue à la compréhension des facteurs influençant les résultats de santé des enfants en Tanzanie, en particulier le rôle du mariage.

Female education and maternal health care utilization: evidence from Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Maternal health care is among the key indicators of population health and economic development. Therefore, the study attempted to explore female education and maternal healthcare utilization in Uganda. The study identified the causal effect of introduction of free education by exploiting the age as an instrument at the second stage model (BMC Health Serv Res. 2015. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-015-0943-8 ; Matern Child Health J. 2009;14:988-98). This instrument provided an exogenous source of variation in the years of schooling and allowed to implement a regression discontinuity design which accounted for heterogeneity in the cohort overtime. METHODS: The study used the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) to help predict years of schooling that were used in the second stage model in the Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS). The study further used the Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) model with a running variable of birth years to observe its effect on education. To control for heterogeneity in regions in the second stage model, a fixed effects model was used. RESULTS: Female education indeed had a positive impact on maternal health care utilization. It was further found out that age also influences maternal health care utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, as an effort to improve professional maternal health care utilisation, there is need to focus on education beyond primary level. Uganda Government should also ensure that there is an improvement in community infrastructure and security across all regions and locations.

Maternal health care (MHC) utilization is one of the Millennium Development Goals (SDG) of pursuit. Globally, most low-income countries like Uganda contribute greatly to pregnancy-related mortalities that are largely preventable through adequate utilization of essential maternal health care services. Though Uganda over time has registered some increase in maternal utilization, this has been attributed to a number of factors. This study intended to demonstrate whether the introduction of free primary education in Uganda led to increase in the utilization of maternal health services. To address this, we used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Two Stage Least Squares (2SLS), Probit and Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) models using Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data 2006 and 2011. The study found out that indeed the introduction of free primary education increased the utilization of MHC.