Estimating areas of common risk in low birth weight and infant mortality in Namibia: a joint spatial analysis at sub-regional level

Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology
Lawrence N Kazembe, N-B Kandala

Abstract

There is lots of literature documenting a positive association between low birth weight (LBW) and infant mortality (IM), however, little is known how the risk of LBW and IM are geographically co-distributed. We fitted joint spatial models of LBW and IM, and used data from Namibia, to examine their geographical variability. We used a Bayesian approach to measure and rank areas according to specific and shared risk of LBW and IM. Our findings show some degree of similarities in the spatial pattern of LBW and IM, with high risk in the central and north-eastern parts of the country. Results suggest a need for comprehensive programming of maternal and newborn interventions that reach areas of spatially concentrated risk of LBW and IM. It further presents an opportunity for generating hypotheses for further research aimed at improving child health, especially in higher risk constituencies thus identified.

References

Jan 10, 1985·The New England Journal of Medicine·M C McCormick
Feb 1, 2002·International Journal of Epidemiology·A J Wilcox
Jul 5, 2003·Lancet·Robert E BlackJennifer Bryce
Jul 1, 2006·Biostatistics·Jon Wakefield
May 20, 2008·Health & Place·Lawrence N KazembeChristopher Simoonga
Mar 30, 2010·Malawi Medical Journal : the Journal of Medical Association of Malawi·Boniface KalandaJohn Brabin
Mar 14, 2012·BMC Public Health·Ana Maria BarufiAntonio Paez

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Citations

Oct 20, 2015·Bulletin of the World Health Organization·Ziad ObermeyerUNKNOWN Acute Care Development Consortium
May 2, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Samuel MandaRobert Bergquist

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