Health behaviour and health awareness in infant mortality in the Gaza Strip

M. Abuqamar, D. Coomans, F. Louckx
2011 European Journal of Public Health  
Infant death rate has declined over the past decades, yet remains high in Palestine. The topic of infant death is well researched and for the first time in Palestine. The objective of our study is to assess the level of awareness and health behaviour of mothers and how this behaviour has affected infant mortality. Methods: Person to person interviews were done with 550 mothers of infants (275 cases and 275 controls) in the Gaza Strip. Stillbirths were excluded. Binary logistic regression
more » ... s were used to identify the relationship of health behavioural factors and infant mortality. Result: The study showed that infant mortality risks were higher in mothers exposed to passive smoking. Infant mortality was lower for infants receiving exclusive breastfeeding. There was also a significant association between the sleeping position of the baby and infant mortality. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of explicit attention to health education. A well-organized consultation and health promotion approach should focus on couples whose child has died, in order to combat infant mortality. P < 0.05 indicates a significant association. P-value and Adjusted OR: all variables were entered in one model with adjustment for pregnancy duration (pre-term, term) P-value* and Adjusted OR*: all variables were entered in one model-related infant mortality for only term baby.
doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckr105 pmid:21873276 fatcat:apokp5ww2raxjk2wvtyjrlgely