Assessment of Factors Affecting Infants Mortality in Sudan: Application of Generalized Additive Model

Abstract

Abstract Background The evaluation of the factors influencing infant mortality entails examining the various factors that contribute to the high rate of infant deaths in Susan. These factors encompass access to healthcare services, nutritional status, sanitation, maternal health, vaccination, and socio-economic circumstances. This study aims to assess the factors affecting infant mortality in the Gezira state in Sudan. Methods The study adopted the questionnaire as a tool for data collection. The sample size reached 322 participants from Sudan, mainly the localities in Gezira state. The study applied the Generalized Additive Model. Results The study results revealed that the effects of socio-economic, demographic, and health factors have been identified using the Generalized Additive Model with non-parametric age at first marriage, current age of the mother, and child age. In addition to these effects, other parametric effects included in the model were residence, nature of the child, sex of the child, mother follow-up, place of antenatal care, place of child delivery, breastfeeding from the breast only, child infected with malaria, child suffered from malnutrition, child suffered from septicemia, child suffered from cough and child suffered from pneumonia. In addition to the main effects, nine two-way interaction effects were included in the model. Also, infant mortality is high for poor economic backgrounds. Moreover, giving birth at an early age showed an increased risk of infant mortality. In addition, for older mothers, the chance of a child dying before reaching age one is lower.