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Prior and proximate causes of infant survival in Ghana, with special attention to polygyny

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Adansi A. Amankwaa
Adansi A. Amankwaa
Affiliation:
Department of Corrections, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
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Summary

This study examines the role of marriage form in infant mortality and tests the relative effects and mechanisms through which polygyny affects infant survival. A sample of infants born in the 5 years preceding the 1988 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey was used. A causal model was constructed and polygyny was found to be an important mediating factor in understanding infant survival. The findings highlight the relevance of family structure (polygyny) as an intervening factor, but also reveal the complex role of ethnicity, dietary supplement and birth interval in accounting for infant survival.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 28 , Issue 3 , July 1996 , pp. 281 - 295
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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