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Socioeconomic and health care determinants of child survival in Kuwait

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Nasra M. Shah  and
Makhdoom A. Shah
Nasra M. Shah
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait
Makhdoom A. Shah
Affiliation:
Health Information Administration Department, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences and Nursing, Kuwait University, Kuwait
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Summary

This paper analyses the socioeconomic and health care determinants responsible for the decline over the last two decades in infant mortality in Kuwait. Published data and the results of a national health survey conducted in 1984–85 show the following. With the overall affluence of the society, health care in terms of immunization has improved dramatically and more than 90% of all children are covered. Of all births, 99% now occur in a hospital or clinic. About half of the mothers continue to breast-feed their babies for about 16 months. Despite these favourable conditions, differences still exist between social classes. The risk of stillbirth remains much higher among the poorer women, those without any education and those who gave birth at home. These findings are consistent with developed countries like the USA and Japan, where the social class differences in mortality still persist.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , April 1990 , pp. 239 - 253
Copyright
Copyright © 1990, Cambridge University Press

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