The Role of Socio-economic and Female Indicators on Child Mortality Rate in Bangladesh: A Time Series Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to identify the role of socio-economic and female indicators on child mortality in Bangladesh from the data of 1975 – 2019. A number of econometric techniques of time series analysis like Augmented Dickey-Fuller, Autoregressive Distributive Lag bounds and pair-wise Granger causality tests have been applied to ascertain the desired outcomes. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller test has confirmed that neither series is integrated at level two and the Autoregressive Distributive Lag bounds testing approach has shown the cointegration and short-run and long-run relationship between the variables. Total fertility rate and urbanization have a positive effect, and female education, female life expectancy at birth, and economic growth rate have a negative effect on the child mortality rate. The pair-wise Granger causality test has shown the unidirectional and bidirectional causal relationship among the studied variables. All the outcomes are theoretically consistent and the policy recommendations are made based on findings.

The role of access to electricity, female education, and public health expenditure on female health outcomes: evidence from SAARC-ASEAN countries

“…Because education increases consciousness about important health issues, it is also considered to be an important element for improving health outcomes. The significant role of education on health outcomes is shown by many contemporary researchers like [ 8 , 15 – 22 ]. These researchers have focused on a range of disparate countries.…”

“…Anlimachie and Avoada [ 17 ] cited the rural education program in Ghana, which had improved the social and health wellbeing of the citizens. Rahman and Alam [ 8 ] used the data of 1975–2019 and employed ARDL bounds test and pair-wise Granger causality analysis and ascertained that female education significantly reduced the child mortality rate in case of Bangladesh. Hurt et al [ 18 ] established that females with at least minimum education had a lower mortality rate than those with no education in rural Bangladesh.…”

“…Economic growth ensures different health related advanced facilities and medical amenities that increase the health outcomes of people as observed in various works like [ 8 , 9 , 22 , 25 , 35 – 38 ]. Wang et al [ 25 ] found that economic growth was positively linked with life expectancy in Pakistan by employing ARDL bounds test approach.…”

“…Houweling et al [ 65 ] identified that economic growth was associated with a reduction in under-5 mortality in the case of 43 developing countries. Rahman and Alam [ 8 ] also established that economic growth led to a significantly negative impact on the child mortality rate in Bangladesh. Wang [ 38 ] discerned the importance of economic development for ensuring maternity care in 137 developing countries.…”

“…Urbanization has a mixed effect on health status by ensuring different modern medical facilities as well as creating negative penalties for the public [ 8 , 39 – 45 , 62 ]. Wang [ 39 ] revealed that the urbanization was positively related to global health outcome by reducing mortality, under-five mortality, and infant mortality and increasing life expectancy in 163 countries.…”