Table 3

Logistic regression of correlates of childhood morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa

VariableChildhood morbidity
FeverCoughDiarrhoea
aOR (95% CI)aOR (95% CI)aOR (95% CI)
Mother’s age
 15–241.46*** (1.29 to 1.64)1.32*** (1.17 to 1.48)1.47*** (1.33 to 1.61)
 25–341.19*** (1.08 to 1.30)1.19*** (1.09 to 1.31)1.23*** (1.12 to 1.34)
 35+111
Education
 None0.85** (0.77 to 0.94)0.65*** (0.59 to 0.72)1.14** (1.04 to 1,26)
 Primary1.04 (0.95 to 1.14)0.99 (0.92 to 1.09)1.26*** (1.14 to 1.39)
 Secondary/higher111
Household wealth
 Poorest1.37*** (1.19 to 1.58)1.09 (0.93 to 1.27)1.28** (1.11 to 1.49)
 Poorer1.18* (1.03 to 1.35)1.01 (0.88 to 1.16)1.21** (1.05 to 1.39)
 Middle1.15* (1.01 to 1.31)0.99 (0.87 to 1.14)1.07 (0.93 to 1.24)
 Richer1.109 (0.97 to 1.24)1.02 (0.89 to 1.15)1.10 (0.96 to 1.27)
 Richest111
Residence
 Urban111
 Rural1.04 (0.94 to 1.15)0.96 (0.86 to 1.07)0.94 (0.85 to 1.05)
Employment
 Not working0.79*** (0.74 to 0.86)0.85*** (0.79 to 0.92)0.88*** (0.82 to 0.94)
 Working111
Media exposure
 Not exposed0.98 (0.91 to 1.05)0.98 (0.91 to 1.05)
 Exposed11
ANC attendance
 Never attended1.00 (0.93 to 1.09)1.01 (0.92 to 1.10)1.05 (0.96 to 1.14)
 Attended111
Sex of child
 Male11
 Female0.96 (0.89 to 1.02)0.92* (0.86 to 0.98)
Child’s age (months)
 0–110.84*** (0.78 to 0.91)0.91* (0.83 to 0.99)1.15** (1.06 to 1.26)
 12–231.13** (1.05 to 1.21)0.97 (0.90 to 1.05)1.69*** (1.57 to 1.82)
 24–59111
Ever had vaccine
 No0.68*** (0.62 to 0.74)0.67*** (0.60 to 0.69)0.58*** (0.52 to 0.64)
 Yes111
Birth order
 First-order birth11
 Second-order birth1.16** (1.07 to 1.27)1.05 (0.96 to 1.13)
 Third or higher order birth1.33*** (1.19 to 1.49)1.14* (1.01 to 1.29)
Child’s size at birth
 Large111
 Average0.81*** (0.76 to 0.87)0.82*** (0.77 to 0.88)0.82*** (0.76 to 0.88)
 Small1.16** (1.07 to 1.23)1.12* (1.02 to 1.22)1.14** (1.04 to 1.25)
Source of water
 Improved111
 Non-improved0.99 (0.93 to 1.07)0.97 (0.89 to 1.04)0.94 (0.87 to 1.01)
Type of toilet facility
 Improved111
 Non-improved1.08 (0.99 to 1.17)1.09* (1.00 to 1.18)1.15** (1.05 to 1.25)
Goodness of fit
F-adjusted test statistic0.5310.5500.972
 Prob>F0.8530.8390.461
  • Level of significance at *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001.

  • ANC, antenatal care; aOR, adjusted OR.