Document Detail


Child mortality in rural Malawi: HIV closes the survival gap between the socio-economic strata.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20596521     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: As HIV-related deaths increase in a population the usual association between low socioeconomic status and child mortality may change, particularly as death rates from other causes decline.
METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: As part of a demographic surveillance system in northern Malawi in 2002-6, covering a population of 32,000, information was collected on socio-economic status of the households. Deaths were classified as HIV/AIDS-related or not by verbal autopsy. Poisson regression models were used to assess the association of socio-economic indicators with all-cause mortality, AIDS-mortality and non-AIDS mortality among children. There were 195 deaths in infants, 109 in children aged 1-4 years, and 38 in children aged 5-15. All-cause child mortality in infants and 1-4 year olds was similar in households with higher and lower socio-economic status. In infants 13% of deaths were attributed to AIDS, and there were no clear trends with socio-economic status for AIDS or non-AIDS causes. For 1-4 year olds 27% of deaths were attributed to AIDS. AIDS mortality was higher among those with better built houses, and lowest in those with income from farming and fishing, whereas non-AIDS mortality was higher in those with worse built houses, lowest in those with income from employment, and decreased with increasing household assets.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In this population, since HIV infection among adults was initially more common among the less poor, childhood mortality patterns have changed. The usual gap in survival between the poor and the less poor has been lost, but because the less poor have been disproportionately affected by HIV, rather than because of relative improvement in the survival of the poorest.
Authors:
Andreas Jahn; Sian Floyd; Nuala McGrath; Amelia C Crampin; Lackson Kachiwanda; Venance Mwinuka; Basia Zaba; Paul E M Fine; Judith R Glynn
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2010-06-28
Journal Detail:
Title:  PloS one     Volume:  5     ISSN:  1932-6203     ISO Abbreviation:  PLoS ONE     Publication Date:  2010  
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-07-02     Completed Date:  2010-09-01     Revised Date:  2011-12-26    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101285081     Medline TA:  PLoS One     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  e11320     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Child
Child Mortality*
Child, Preschool
Humans
Infant
Malawi / epidemiology
Poisson Distribution
Population Surveillance
Rural Population*
Social Class*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
079828//Wellcome Trust; //Wellcome Trust
Comments/Corrections

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