Effect of adolescent female fertility and healthcare spending on maternal and neonatal mortality in low resource setting of South Asia

Abstract

Background Maternal and neonatal mortality is high in South Asia. Recent studies have identified factors such as adolescent female fertility, healthcare spending is reducing maternal and neonatal mortality. The objective of this study is to examine the effect of adolescent female fertility and healthcare spending on maternal and neonatal mortality in South Asian countries. Methods A retrospective panel study design was used, a total of 8 South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) data from World development indicator 1990–2020 considered for analysis. Descriptive statistical method was used for summary. The effect of adolescent female fertility and healthcare spending on maternal and neonatal mortality were analysed using fixed and random effect regression with multiple imputation. Findings Adolescent female fertility, maternal, and neonatal mortality is very high in the aforementioned countries, and considerably varies among countries. A significant relationship between the maternal mortality and healthcare spending, neonatal mortality and adolescent female fertility was observed. We found neonatal and maternal mortality are more likely to decrease depends on healthcare spending. Healthcare spending has a significantly negative effect on neonatal mortality (− 0.182, 95% CI: [− 0.295 to −.069]; P-value < 0.01) and maternal mortality (− 0.169, 95% CI: [− 0.243 to − 0.028]; P-value < 0.05). A change in 1 % increases in healthcare spending should decrease by 0.182 neonatal mortality per 1000 live births and maternal mortality by 0.169 per 100,000 live births. Conclusions In south Asian countries, increasing healthcare spending and decreasing adolescent female fertility may contribute to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. In addition, number of service providers such as physicians supplied contributed to the decline of neonatal mortality. These findings have important implications for future improvement of healthcare spending in maternal and neonatal health programs.

Teenage pregnancy: focus on people with mental disorders

“…Therefore, the provision of counseling and perinatal health services by health care professionals to adolescent primigravida and their families with flexible and appropriate perinatal health programs based on adolescent primigravida risk factors will help improve the health of adolescent primigravida and their infants. According to studies, increasing health care expenditures and reducing adolescent female fertility may contribute to a reduction in maternal and neonatal mortality (14). There is a need to focus on improving the education of adolescents and removing economic barriers that prevent them from accessing maternal health services (31).…”

Exploring the impact of health expenditure and its allocation on neonatal and child mortality at national level across 188 countries from 2000 to 2019: insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study

“…[11] But thus far, the exact nature of the relationship, especially for public health expenditure, is not settled and results are controversial. [12][13][14][15] There is no consensus on the robust methods for exploring this association either. Some studies detected no association.…”