Health Trends in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conflicting Evidence from Infant Mortality Rates and Adult Heights

Overview

Journal Econ Hum Biol

Specialties Biology
Social Sciences

Date 2010 Jul 17

PMID 20634153

Citations 9

Authors

Yoko Akachi

David Canning

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We investigate trends in cohort infant mortality rates and adult heights in 39 developing countries since 1961. In most regions of the world improved nutrition, and reduced childhood exposure to disease, have lead to improvements in both infant mortality and adult stature. In Sub-Saharan Africa, however, despite declining infant mortality rates, adult heights have not increased. We argue that in Sub-Saharan Africa the decline in infant mortality may have been due to interventions that prevent infant deaths rather than improved nutrition and childhood morbidity. Despite declining infant mortality, Sub-Saharan Africa may not be experiencing increases in health human capital.

Citing Articles

Scarring and selection effects on children surviving elevated rates of postneonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

Karlsson O SSM Popul Health. 2022; 19:101160.

PMID: 35846870 PMC: 9283665. DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101160.

Trends of infant mortality and its determinants in Ethiopia: mixed-effect binary logistic regression and multivariate decomposition analysis.

Tesema G, Seretew W, Worku M, Angaw D BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021; 21(1):362.

PMID: 33952208 PMC: 8097868. DOI: 10.1186/s12884-021-03835-0.

Distributional change of women's adult height in low- and middle-income countries over the past half century: An observational study using cross-sectional survey data.

Gausman J, Mejia-Guevara I, Subramanian S, Razak F PLoS Med. 2018; 15(5):e1002568.

PMID: 29750787 PMC: 5947892. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002568.

Adult height, nutrition, and population health.

Perkins J, Subramanian S, Davey Smith G, Ozaltin E Nutr Rev. 2016; 74(3):149-65.

PMID: 26928678 PMC: 4892290. DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuv105.

Comparing the Relationship Between Stature and Later Life Health in Six Low and Middle Income Countries.

McGovern M J Econ Ageing. 2015; 4:128-148.

PMID: 25590021 PMC: 4289608. DOI: 10.1016/j.jeoa.2014.09.011.

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