Context: Despite the many initiatives implemented over the past decades as part of the global priority on child survival, there still exists high infant mortality in Southern Africa. Although studies have examined factors contributing to poor child health outcomes including the effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, there is paucity of studies on the possible effect of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in the region. This study examines the association between infant feeding practices and infant mortality in Southern Africa. The need to reduce infant mortality is a global health concern hence the United Nations through the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) declared the reduction of infant and child mortality as one of its major targets by the year 2015. Methods: A merged dataset from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys for Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe was analysed in this study. A total number of 13, 218 infants born in the last five years preceding the surveys whose information on infant feeding practices was available formed the analysis sample. The outcome variable was infant mortality and infant feeding practices which had the categories, no breastfeeding, partial breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding was the main explanatory variable of the study. Other explanatory variables used in the study pertained to maternal demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as the infants’ bio-demographic characteristics. The Cox Hazard Regression Model was employed to examine both the unadjusted and adjusted effect of infant feeding practices on infant mortality in Southern Africa. Results: Although, exclusive breastfeeding was quite low (12%), its mortality reduction effect was significant, and infants who were exclusively breastfed exhibited a 97% lower risk of dying during infancy compared to no breastfeeding in the region. Further, variations exist by country in the levels and patterns of both infant mortality and infant feeding practices. Country, highest educational level, marital status, sex of child, preceding birth interval and birth weight were the significant predictors of infant mortality in Southern Africa. Conclusions: Overall, the study found that any form of breastfeeding whether exclusive or partial breastfeeding greatly reduces the risk of infant mortality, with the mortality reduction effect being higher among exclusively breastfed infants in the Southern African region. Thus, in order to reduce the upsurge of infant mortality, there is need to step up the effectiveness of child nutrition programmes that promote breastfeeding and put emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding of infants in the region.

MSc (Med), Population-Based Field Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Background Complications of childbirth and pregnancy are leading causes of death among women of reproductive age. Worldwide, developing countries account for ninety-nine percent of maternal deaths. The United Nations’ fifth millennium development goal (MDG-5) is to reduce maternal mortality ratio by three fourths by 2015. Aim The aim of this study is to explore the levels, trends, causes and risk factors associated with maternal mortality as put forward by World Health Organization (WHO) in rural settings of Tanzania. Specific objectives To establish the trend of maternal mortality ratios in Rufiji health and demographic surveillance system (RHDSS) during the period 2002-2006. To determine the main causes of maternal deaths in RHDSS during the period 2002-2006. To determine the risk factors associated with maternal mortality RHDSS during the period 2002-2006. Method Secondary data analysis based on the longitudinal database from Rufiji Health and Demographic Surveillance System was used to study the risk factors and causes of maternal death. Data for a period of 5 years between 2002-2006 was used. A total of 26 427 women v aged 15-49 years were included in the study; 64 died and there were 15 548 live births. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the risk factors associated with maternal deaths. Results Maternal mortality ratio was 412 per 100 000 live births. The main causes of death were haemorrhage (28%), eclampsia (19%) and puerperal sepsis (8%). Maternal age and marital status were associated with maternal mortality. An increased risk of 154% for maternal death was found for women aged 30-39 versus 15-19 years (HR=2.54, 95% CI=1.001- 6.445). Married women had a protective effect of 62% over unmarried ones (HR=0.38, 95% CI=0.176-0.839). These findings were statistically significant at the 5% level. Conclusion This analysis reinforced previous findings pointing to the fact that haemorrhage and eclampsia are the leading causes of maternal mortality in Tanzania and other developing countries. This indicates the need for better antenatal and obstetric care, particularly for women over thirty years of age, as well as implementing health care delivery strategies according to the regional specific risk factors of maternal deaths and not the global factors.

MSc (Med), Popualtion-Based Field Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Background Improving the health of the poor and reducing health inequalities between the poor and non-poor has become central goals of international organizations like the World Bank and WHO as well as, national governments in the contexts of their domestic policies and development assistance programmes. There are also unquantified and poorly understood inequalities in access to health services within and between various population groups. Little is known about the factors that determine these inequalities and the mechanisms through which they operate in various sub-groups. Objectives The aim of the study was first to describe under-five mortality trend according to wealth index; second to describe risk factors for under five mortality; and finally to investigate the relationship between socio-economic and demographic factors and under five mortality during the period 2001 to 2006. Methods The study involved all children born in 2001-2006. A total of 22,422 children younger than 5 years were found in 21,494 households yielding 36603.13 Person-Years Observed (PYOs) up to 31st December 2006. Household wealth index was constructed by use of Principal Component Analysis (PCA), as a proxy measure of each household SES. From this index households were categorized into five quintiles (i.e., poorest, poorer, poor, less poor and least poor). Life table estimates were used to estimate mortality rates per 1000 PYO for infants (0-1), childhood (1-5) and underfives children. Health inequality was measured by poorest to least poor mortality rate ratio and by computing mortality concentration indices. Trend test chi-square was used to determine significance in gradient of mortality rates across wealth index quintiles. Risk factors of child mortality were assessed by the use of Cox proportional hazard regression taking into account potential confounders. v Results The result indicates unexpected low mortality rate for infant (33.4 per 1,000 PYO, 95% CI (30.4 – 35.6)) and childhood (15.0 per 1,000 PYO, 95% CI (13.9 – 16.3)). Under-five mortality rate was 18.2 per 1,000 PYO (95% CI (75.6 – 108.0)). The poorest to least poor ratios were 1.1, 1.5 and 1.5 for infants, childhood, and under-five year olds respectively, indicating that children in the poorest quintile were more likely to die as compared to those in the least poor household. Computed values for concentration indices were negative (infant C= -0.02, children C= -0.09 and underfive C= -0.04) indicating a disproportionate concentration of under-five mortality among the poor. The mortality rates trend test chi-square across wealth index quintiles were significant for both childhood (P=0.004) and under-five year old children (P<0.005) but not for infants (P=0.134). In univariate Cox proportional hazard regression, children in the least poor households were shown to have a 35% reduced risks of dying as compared to children in the poorest category [crude H.R =0.65, P=0.001, 95% C.I (0.50 – 0.84)]. The results showed that for under five children, a boy is 1.15 times more likely to die as compared to a girl [crude H.R =1.14, P=0.038, 95% C.I (1.00 - 1.31)]. Second born had a 18% reduced risk of dying as compared to first born [crude H.R =0.82, P=0.048, 95% C.I (0.67 – 0.99)]. After controlling for potential confounders, the adjusted hazard ratio for wealth index decreased slightly. The estimated hazard for wealth index in the univariate was 0.65 while in the multivariate modeling the estimated hazard ratio is 0.60 in the first model. Conclusion The study shows that household socio-economic inequality is associated with underfive mortality in the Navrongo DSS area. The findings suggest that reductions in infant, childhood, and under five mortalities are mainly conditional in health and education interventions as well as socioeconomic position of households. The findings further call for more pragmatic strategies or approaches for reducing health inequalities. These could include reforms in the health sector to provide more equitable resource allocation. Improvement in the quality of the health services offered to the poor and redesigning interventions and their delivery to ensure they are more inclined to the poor.

Student Number : 0310359D - MSc project report - School of Public Health - Faculty of Health Sciences / Background: Studies into childhood mortality present the opportunity to identify the leading and common causes of childhood mortality in different populations. Objectives: To study the trends in all-cause mortality, and patterns of cause-specific mortality, in children 0-14 years living in the Agincourt sub-district of South Africa over the period 1992-2000. Methods: Secondary data analysis based on the longitudinal database from the Agincourt Demographic and Health Surveillance System was used to study trends in childhood mortality between 1992 and 2000, and a comparison was made between the earlier period (1992-96) and the later period (1997-2000). Results: Seven hundred and twenty four deaths occurred over the 9 year period, 1992 to 2000, in children aged 0-14 years in the Agincourt sub-district of South Africa. Over 80% of the deaths occurred in children under-five years of age. Death rates in children under one year in the periods 1992-1996 and 1997-2000 were 8.9/1000 live births and 18.0/1000 live births respectively. Children under five years between 1992-1996 and 1997-2000 had death rates of 18.0/1000 live births and 35.0/1000 live births respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in death rate in infants, and in children less than five years, in those who died over the period 1992-1996 and those who died during the later period 1997-2000, with mortality showing an increasing trend (p-values <0.0001 for infants and for children under five years). Overall mortality rates in all children under 14 years between 1992-1996 and 1997-2000 were 26.4/10000 person-years and 37.7/10000 person-years respectively. There was no significant statistical difference in the overall mortality trend among children aged 0-14 years between the two periods of time (p-value 0.614). Infectious and communicable diseases were the leading causes of death with diarrhoeal deaths accounting for 15.2%, HIV/AIDS 9.7% and malnutrition 7.6%. Deaths from diarrhoeal disease between 1992-1996 and 1997-2000 were 481/million and 449/million person-years respectively. Deaths from HIV/AIDS within the same time periods were 107/million and 607/million person-years respectively. HIV/AIDS showed a statistically significant difference over the two periods with an increased risk ratio of 5.59 (95% confidence interval of 4.6 to 70). Conclusion: This analysis reinforced previous findings pointing to the fact that infectious and communicable diseases are the leading causes of childhood mortality in South Africa and other developing countries. HIV/AIDS and diarrhoeal diseases have emerged as major causes of mortality in this analysis. Efforts to control the HIV epidemic and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS must be accelerated in the Agincourt sub-district.

MSc (Med), Population-Based Field Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / Background: Cluster detection analysis could be an appropriate approach to identify critical AIDS mortality locations for public health intervention. Methods: GIS and Kulldorff’s spatial scan statistic was used to investigate statistically significant AIDS mortality clusters (p 0.05). SaTScan was used to perform the spatial analysis scanning while MapInfo was used as a visualizing tool. Mortality data between 2000- 2006 were analyzed. Results: AIDS exhibit strong spatial clustering tendencies as measured by the Kulldorff’s spatial scan statistic method. Conclusion: Further work is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms responsible for the spatial clustering.

Utilizando-se como estratégia geral o estudo das mudanças na estrutura da mortalidade infantil (MI), o presente trabalho visa aproximar-se dos determinantes da evolução deste indicador na cidade de São Paulo. O estudo centra-se no periodo de 1973 a 1983, caracterizado pela queda acelerada e ininterrupta da variável. Compararou-se o nível e a estrutura (por idade e por causas) da MI, no município, no início da década de 70, com valores hipotéticos, calculados para essa realidade, constatando-se excesso de mortalidade por diarréia em crianças de 7 dias a 6 meses. Relacionou-se esta situação com os baixos índices de amamentação existentes na época. Estes antecedentes e a elaboração de um marco teórico da determinação da mortalidade por diarréia em crianças menores de 6 meses forneceram a base para hipóteses referentes à evolução da MI e de seus determinantes no período de 1973 a 1983. A partir de informações de registros oficiais e de pesquisas conduzidas no municipio, avaliou-se a coerência entre a evolução das variáveis (dependente e independentes) e as hipóteses propostas. Observou-se que 40 por cento da queda da MI se deveu ao declínio das causas diarréicas e que a intensidade da redução destas aumentou em razão inversa à idade. Entre os determinantes, o abastecimento de água mostrou a maior variação e a mais clara concomitência com a evolução da mortalidade por diarréia. Menos evidenter o aleitamento materno e o atendimento à sadde também mostraram particularmente após 1980. Descarta-se a possibilidade de serem as variáveis sócio-econômicas e demográficas, determinantes fundamentais da queda da MI no período. Argumenta-se a favor de uma compensação dos efeitos negativos do desmame sobre a diarréia em crianças menores através do acesso à água. Como decorrência, discute-se: a) a possibilidade de que a generalização do desmame precoce - em situação de baixa cobertura da água - tenha sido importante deteminante da elevação da MI na década de 60 em São Paulo e em outras áreas subdesenvolvidas, e b) a possibilidade de que o acesso à água tenha seus efeitos auffientados sobre a diarréia infantil em populações onde o desmame precoce é prática muito frequente. / This study seeks to create an approach to the identification of the causal factors behind the recent trend in infant mortality (IM) in the city of São Paulo by an analysis of the structure of and changes in the age and causes of infant deaths. The levels and structure (by age and causes of death) of IM in São Paulo at the beginning of the period are compared with the values \"expected\" for this context. An excess of diarrhoeal mortality in infants aged from 7 days to 6 months was verified and is understood to be related to the fact that the practice of breast-feeding was extremely uncommon in the city. These antecedents, together with an analytical framework proposed for diarrhoeal mortality in children under 6 months of age, have provided a basis for hypothesis relating to changes in IM and its determinant factors during the period 1973-1983. The basic information for the study was drawn from official registration records and surveys. It was found that 40 per cent of the decline in IM was due to the reduction in diarrhoeal causes, which is inversely related to age. Among the determinants, water supply showed the greatest variation and it was clearly concomitant to infant diarrhoeal mortality. Though less evidently, the practice of breast-feeding and the action of the health services seem to have made a positive contribution, particularly after 1980. Socioeconomic and demographic variables are shown not to be main determinants of the decline in IM in the period under study. It is argued that the accessibility of watersupply may have counterbalanced the negative effects of early weaning on diarrhoeal mortality in younger infants. The following corollaries are discussed: a) where the water supply is uncertain wide-spread early weaning may haye been an important cause of the increase in IM in São Paulo, in the sixties, as also in other underdeveloped areas; b) access to water supply may have had increased beneficial effect on infat diarrhoeal mortality in those populations where early weaning is widespread.

Thesis advisor: Andrew Beauchamp / Thesis advisor: Mathis Wagner / This dissertation considers changes of health insurance system of United States that affect health outcomes and labor market outcomes of population. The first chapter examines how Medicaid policy aimed to improve health status of low-income parents affects the health outcomes of young children. Estimates from variations in Medicaid rules across states and over time, show that there exist positive spillover effects on children from Medicaid expansions targeting parents. The child mortality declines more in states with higher level of generosity in Medicaid policy and the effect is larger among black children. Simulations indicate that recent Medicaid expansion under Affordable Care Act Reform can deepen the existing child mortality disparity across states due to different adoption of Medicaid expansion for low income adult population. The second chapter examines Massachusetts health care reform and its impact on labor market outcomes of older males approaching retirement. I find that older males are more likely to remain in full-time employed status rather to choose early retirement, and part-time employment increased only among low-income population who are eligible for subsidized health insurance. The results suggests that there exists employment-lock effect from increase of employers providing employersponsored health insurances following the reform. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

Thesis advisor: Robert C. Bartlett / Hannah Arendt contends that one can find in Thucydides' presentation of Pericles a “pure” form of politics, unadulterated by the advent of philosophy in general and of liberal political philosophy in particular. Periclean political practice, Arendt argues, is therefore a superior alternative to liberalism-superior because it is more authentic and hence more satisfying to permanent human political longings. After clarifying Arendt's claims about the pre-Socratic understanding of politics embodied in Pericles' statesmanship, the dissertation proceeds to test that account against a close reading of Thucydides' presentation of Pericles. Arendt's claim that Pericles' political practice is driven by a desire to escape the futility of human existence by creating an “immortal” story of his fame or glory proves to be unsubstantiated by Thucydides' account. To be sure, Pericles does seek glory, both for himself and for Athenians in general. But Arendt overlooks Pericles' preoccupation with deserving glory. Pericles' concern with cultivating Athenian citizens who can claim responsibility for their actions, and hence deserve praise for those actions, forces him to confront the complexities of human moral freedom and practical judgment in ways that Arendt ignores or overlooks. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Political Science.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de se estudar: - a concordância de um mesmo pesquisador, ao classificar, em ocasiões diferentes, as curvas de mortalidade proporcional, - a concordância entre diferentes pesquisadores na interpretação das curvas de mortalidade proporcional e ou - a concordância entre a curva de mortalidade proporcional e cada um dos indicadores, coeficiente de mortalidade infantil e razão de mortalidade proporcional, na indicação de alteração do nível de saúde de coletividades. Empreqou-se a estatística do tipo Kappa e encontrou-se: (GRÁFICO) / This study was realized with the purpose of examining: - the agreement of the same researcher, in classifying, on different occasions, the proportional mortality curves, - the agreement among different researchers in the interpretation of the proportional mortality curves, - the agreement among the proportional mortality curve and each one of the health indicators, infant mortality rate and proportional mortality ratio, in the indication of alteration of the level of health for communities. The statistics, type Kapna, was utilized and these were the findings: (GRAFICO)