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Title Socio-Economic Factors affecting Child Health in Pakistan: A Cross Sectional Analysis

Author(s) Mr. Abdul Mansoor

Abstract This study examines the economic, socio-demographic, and housing factors affecting child health in Pakistan. This study employs a Household Integrated Economic Survey of Pakistan (2018-19) for the empirical findings. A total sample of 24809 families, having at least one child (under five years) is considered to explore the factors affecting child health and, in some cases, leading to child death. This study adopts a procedure of indirect relationships (mediation) among the variables that provide a new rationale for this research. This study develops two factors determining child health i.e. food insecurity and asset poverty, that strengthen its significance and broadens its scope. This study employs a Logistic regression model to gauge the empirical magnitudes of the variables and a binary outcome variable while Haye’s process of mediation is for the deep insight of indirect nexus among variables. This study is aiming to assess the SDG of the United Nations by quantifying the critical socio-economic and demographic factors of child health on both national and provincial levels in Pakistan. The study concludes that expenditures on health strongly mediate the relation between adverse child health leading mortality in Pakistan. Economic factors like food security are one of the major factors that bring improvement in child health. In addition, rural-urban migration, house ownership, technical gadgets at home, and the type of fuel used for cooking deeply matter in reducing adverse child health conditions. This study draws the attention of the policymakers to understand the grass root level socio-economic factors of the household that plays a vital role in improving child health but are oversighted. Electricity, availability of clean drinking water, and toilet facility with proper sewerage system boosts the immune system of children and hence the ratio of child sickness and mortality rates are low in houses availing these facilities. In rural areas, a fuel other than natural gas for cooking or heating purpose adversely affects the health of children because of the emissions of hazardous gases. Generating income, motivation for utilizing health gadgets at home, knowledge, and attitude towards the positive use of mobile and internet facilities are suggested as appropriate measures to enhance the health status of mothers and children.

Type Thesis/Dissertation PhD

Faculty Management Sciences

Department Economics

Language English

Publication Date 2023-11-16

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