Mortality risks under age five are estimated using data from the 1990 Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey for children in monogamous and polygynous families. Integrating existing theories on polygyny's relationship with infant and child mortality and some demographic concepts, the study shows that polygyny has different effects on infant and child mortality at different ages. The results indicate that polygyny does not have a significant effect on neonatal mortality (age less than one month). In contrast to the results of previous research, polygyny is significantly associated with lower child mortality during the post-neonatal period (1-11 months), but not during childhood (12-59 months). The study found socio-economic factors to be important confounders of the relationship between polygyny and mortality during the neonatal and post-neonatal periods. The protective effect of polygyny during the post-neonatal period suggests the need to further investigate circumstances that may favour post-neonatal child survival in polygynous families including availability of childcare.Polygyny 1 was the predominant form of marriage in pre-industrial societies (Murdock 1967;Strassmann 1997), and evidence from sub-Saharan Africa suggests that polygyny remains an important sociocultural institution in this region. In spite of the influences of modernization, the prevalence rate for polygyny is still very high in sub-Saharan Africa, and there is evidence that many monogamous men have a strong desire for more wives (Aryee 1978;Speizer 1995;Stokes 1995;Ezeh 1997). However, recent national surveys in sub-Saharan Africa suggest the level of polygyny is declining (Timaeus and Reynar 1998).Research on the implications of polygyny for demographic outcomes has been biased toward the relationship of polygyny with reproductive behaviour. The lack of emphasis on the relationship between polygyny and mortality is rather surprising, given the high mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa (United Nations 1988; Population Reference Bureau 1996), and the relationship between reproductive behaviour and mortality (Alam 1995;Hobcraft, McDonald and Rutstein 1985;Rutstein 2000). The limited research that previously examined polygyny and child mor-
This study explored the relationships between individual-, household-, and community-level variables and condom use to prevent HIV infection in women and men in Uganda and Tanzania using multilevel modeling. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys for Uganda (1995) and Tanzania (1996) as well as data collected by the MEASURE Evaluation Project at the Carolina Population Center for Tanzania (1996 and 1999), the study found higher condom use among men than women. There was also heterogeneity in condom use among different clusters for both women and men. More specifically, women and men living in clusters with higher indicators of development were more likely to use condoms to prevent HIV infection. In addition, condom use was much more prevalent in areas where health care services were nearby (0-5 km). In addition, condom use was more common among women (but not men) who lived in clusters where HIV/AIDS testing, counseling, and treatment were provided. The results further revealed that education improved condom use; however, the effect of education was considerably reduced in the models that included HIV/AIDS knowledge and cluster-level variables. The positive effect of household wealth on condom use also diminished after controlling for the effects of the knowledge and cluster-level factors. Knowledge about HIV and perceiving oneself to be at risk for contracting HIV infection improved condom use.
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