Housing Correlates of Under-Five Mortality in Urban Ethiopia

Little studies and analysis have been undertaken to investigate the housing determinants of under-five mortality in Ethiopia. This study, therefore, explores the impacts of urban housing variables on the levels and patterns of under-five mortality in the country based on the SPSS （Statistic Package for Social Science） file of the 2005 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey （EDHS）. This survey covered a sample of about 4,420 households/housing units of urban Ethiopia. The under-five deaths are computed for women in the age group 15-49 by subtracting the number of children living from children ever born （CEB） and established the proportion dead by dividing deaths by CEB corresponding to the categorical variables of housing structure, facilities, and household durables. The analytical techniques of the study included univariate, bivariate, and multivariate data analysis of the proportional variations of childhood mortality patterns being manifested by ＂bar graphs＂ with respect to housing situations as well as household durables. Amongst the categorical variables of the housing structures, facilities, and household durables with the highest no prevalence of under-five mortality levels are found to be the units of unconventional walls, thatched/leaf/reed roofing, animal dung flooring, shared pit latrine/use of bucket/bush, using kerosene, firewood/straw/charcoal for cooking, unconventional lighting, unprotected water supply, households with no durables.