IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/demogr/v51y2014i2p341-366.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Polygynous Contexts, Family Structure, and Infant Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Emily Smith-Greenaway
  • Jenny Trinitapoli

Abstract

Contextual characteristics influence infant mortality above and beyond family-level factors. The widespread practice of polygyny is one feature of many sub-Saharan African contexts that may be relevant to understanding patterns of infant mortality. Building on evidence that the prevalence of polygyny reflects broader economic, social, and cultural features and that it has implications for how families engage in the practice, we investigate whether and how the prevalence of polygyny (1) spills over to elevate infant mortality for all families, and (2) conditions the survival disadvantage for children living in polygynous families (i.e., compared with monogamous families). We use data from Demographic and Health Surveys to estimate multilevel hazard models that identify associations between infant mortality and region-level prevalence of polygyny for 236,336 children in 260 subnational regions across 29 sub-Saharan African countries. We find little evidence that the prevalence of polygyny influences mortality for infants in nonpolygynous households net of region-level socioeconomic factors and gender inequality. However, the prevalence of polygyny significantly amplifies the survival disadvantage for infants in polygynous families. Our findings demonstrate that considering the broader marital context reveals important insights into the relationship between family structure and child well-being. Copyright Population Association of America 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Emily Smith-Greenaway & Jenny Trinitapoli, 2014. "Polygynous Contexts, Family Structure, and Infant Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(2), pages 341-366, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:51:y:2014:i:2:p:341-366
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-013-0262-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s13524-013-0262-9
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s13524-013-0262-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephenson, R. & Baschieri, A. & Clements, S. & Hennink, M. & Madise, N., 2006. "Contextual influences on the use of health facilities for childbirth in Africa," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(1), pages 84-93.
    2. Wang, Limin, 2003. "Determinants of child mortality in LDCs: Empirical findings from demographic and health surveys," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 277-299, September.
    3. Siân Curtis & Ian Diamond & John McDonald, 1993. "Birth interval and family effects on postneonatal mortality in Brazil," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 30(1), pages 33-43, February.
    4. Gyimah, Stephen Obeng, 2009. "Polygynous marital structure and child survivorship in sub-Saharan Africa: Some empirical evidence from Ghana," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 334-342, January.
    5. Narayan Sastry, 1996. "Community characteristics, individual and household attributes, and child survival in brazil," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 33(2), pages 211-229, May.
    6. Gage, Anastasia J., 1997. "Familial and socioeconomic influences on children's well-being: An examination of preschool children in Kenya," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 45(12), pages 1811-1828, December.
    7. Øystein Kravdal, 2002. "Education and fertility in sub-Saharan africa: Individual and community effects," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 39(2), pages 233-250, May.
    8. Jacoby, Hanan G, 1995. "The Economics of Polygyny in Sub-Saharan Africa: Female Productivity and the Demand for Wives in Cote d'Ivoire," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(5), pages 938-971, October.
    9. Yasuko HAYASE & Kao-Lee LIAW, 1997. "Factors On Polygamy In Sub-Saharan Africa: Findings Based On The Demographic And Health Surveys," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 35(3), pages 293-327, September.
    10. D. Omariba & Roderic Beaujot & Fernando Rajulton, 2007. "Determinants of infant and child mortality in Kenya: an analysis controlling for frailty effects," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 26(3), pages 299-321, June.
    11. Øystein Kravdal & Ivy Kodzi, 2011. "Children's stunting in sub-Saharan Africa: Is there an externality effect of high fertility?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 25(18), pages 565-594.
    12. Van de Poel, Ellen & O'Donnell, Owen & Van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2007. "Are urban children really healthier? Evidence from 47 developing countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(10), pages 1986-2003, November.
    13. Ellen van de Poel & Owen O'Donnell & Eddy van Doorslaer, 2007. "Are Urban Children really healthier?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 07-035/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    14. Alex Ezeh, 1997. "Polygyny and reproductive behavior in sub-saharan Africa: A contextual analysis," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 34(3), pages 355-368, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Abigail Weitzman & Emily Smith-Greenaway, 2020. "The Marital Implications of Bereavement: Child Death and Intimate Partner Violence in West and Central Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(1), pages 347-371, February.
    2. Brian C. Thiede & Matthew Hancock & Ahmed Kodouda & James Piazza, 2020. "Exposure to Armed Conflict and Fertility in Sub-Saharan Africa," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(6), pages 2113-2141, December.
    3. Michael L. Goodman & Derrick C. Gibson & Philip H. Keiser & Stanley Gitari & Lauren Raimer-Goodman, 2019. "Family, Belonging and Meaning in Life Among Semi-rural Kenyans," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(5), pages 1627-1645, June.
    4. Laurie F. DeRose & Andrés Salazar-Arango & Paúl Corcuera García & Montserrat Gas-Aixendri & Reynaldo Rivera, 2017. "Maternal union instability and childhood mortality risk in the Global South, 2010–14," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 71(2), pages 211-228, May.
    5. Kieron J. Barclay & Robyn Donrovich Thorén & Heidi A. Hanson & Ken R. Smith, 2019. "The effect of widowhood on mortality in polygamous marriages: evidence from the Utah Population Database," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2019-010, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    6. Dessy,Sylvain Eloi & Tiberti,Luca & Tiberti,Marco & Zoundi,David Aime, 2021. "Polygyny and Farm Households' Resilience to Climate Shocks," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9663, The World Bank.
    7. Kieron J. Barclay & Robyn Donrovich Thorén & Heidi A. Hanson & Ken R. Smith, 2020. "The Effects of Marital Status, Fertility, and Bereavement on Adult Mortality in Polygamous and Monogamous Households: Evidence From the Utah Population Database," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(6), pages 2169-2198, December.
    8. Ashira Menashe-Oren & David A. Sánchez-Páez, 2023. "Male Fertility and Internal Migration in Rural and Urban Sub-Saharan Africa," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 39(1), pages 1-40, December.
    9. David Lawson & Mhairi A. Gibson, 2018. "Polygynous marriage and child health in sub-Saharan Africa: What is the evidence for harm?," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 39(6), pages 177-208.
    10. Vellore Arthi & James Fenske, 2018. "Polygamy and child mortality: Historical and modern evidence from Nigeria’s Igbo," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 97-141, March.
    11. Frings, Michael & Lakes, Tobia Maike & Müller, Daniel & Khan, M. M. H. & Epprecht, Michael & Kipruto, Samuel & Galea, Sandro & Gruebner, Oliver, 2018. "Modeling and mapping the burden of disease in Kenya," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 8, pages 1-9.
    12. Clifford Odimegwu & Marifa Muchemwa & Joshua O. Akinyemi, 2023. "Systematic review of multilevel models involving contextual characteristics in African demographic research," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 1-29, June.
    13. Julia A. Behrman, 2020. "Mother’s Relative Educational Status and Early Childhood Height-for-Age z Scores: A Decomposition of Change Over Time," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(1), pages 147-173, February.
    14. Hayley Pierce & Tim B. Heaton, 2020. "Cohabitation or Marriage? How Relationship Status and Community Context Influence the Well-being of Children in Developing Nations," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 39(4), pages 719-737, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ellen Poel & Owen O'donnell & Eddy Doorslaer, 2009. "What explains the rural-urban gap in infant mortality: Household or community characteristics?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 46(4), pages 827-850, November.
    2. Vellore Arthi & James Fenske, 2018. "Polygamy and child mortality: Historical and modern evidence from Nigeria’s Igbo," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 97-141, March.
    3. Marta Jankowska & Magdalena Benza & John Weeks, 2013. "Estimating spatial inequalities of urban child mortality," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 28(2), pages 33-62.
    4. Payal Hathi & Sabrina Haque & Lovey Pant & Diane Coffey & Dean Spears, 2017. "Place and Child Health: The Interaction of Population Density and Sanitation in Developing Countries," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(1), pages 337-360, February.
    5. Bove, Riley & Valeggia, Claudia, 2009. "Polygyny and women's health in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 21-29, January.
    6. D. Omariba & Michael Boyle, 2010. "Rural–Urban Migration and Cross-National Variation in Infant Mortality in Less Developed Countries," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 29(3), pages 275-296, June.
    7. Edlund, Lena & Ku, Hyejin, 2011. "The African Slave Trade and the Curious Case of General Polygyny," MPRA Paper 52735, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 16 Dec 2013.
    8. Natascha Wagner & Matthias Rieger, 2015. "Polygyny and Child Growth: Evidence From Twenty-Six African Countries," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(2), pages 105-130, April.
    9. Liu, Hong & Fang, Hai & Zhao, Zhong, 2013. "Urban–rural disparities of child health and nutritional status in China from 1989 to 2006," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 294-309.
    10. Pakrashi, Debayan & Saha, Sarani, 2020. "Intergenerational consequences of maternal domestic violence: Effect on nutritional status of children," GLO Discussion Paper Series 551, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    11. ERREYGERS, Guido & CLARKE, Philip & VAN OURTI, Tom, 2010. "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who in this land is fairest of all? Revisiting the extended concentration index," Working Papers 2010015, University of Antwerp, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    12. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam & Masud Alam & Munshi Naser .Ibne Afzal & Sakila Alam, 2021. "Nighttime Light Intensity and Child Health Outcomes in Bangladesh," Papers 2108.00926, arXiv.org, revised Sep 2022.
    13. Lara Cockx, 2022. "Moving toward a Better Future? Migration and Children’s Health and Education," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 70(3), pages 1229-1293.
    14. Julia Anna Matz, 2016. "Productivity, Rank, and Returns in Polygamy," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(5), pages 1319-1350, October.
    15. Mesbah Fathy Sharaf & Ahmed Shoukry Rashad, 2016. "Regional inequalities in child malnutrition in Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen: a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-11, December.
    16. Leng, Ganxiao & Filipski, Mateusz J. & Qiu, Huanguang, 2022. "Impacts of City Life on Nutrition: Evidence from Resettlement Lotteries in China," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322130, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    17. Paraje, Guillermo, 2009. "Child stunting and and socio-economic inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean," Revista CEPAL, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL), December.
    18. Prashant Kumar Singh & Rajesh Kumar Rai & Lucky Singh, 2012. "Examining the Effect of Household Wealth and Migration Status on Safe Delivery Care in Urban India, 1992–2006," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(9), pages 1-12, September.
    19. Aizawa, Toshiaki, 2019. "Ex-ante Inequality of Opportunity in Child Malnutrition: New Evidence from Ten Developing Countries in Asia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 144-161.
    20. Cockx, Lara & De Weerdt, Joachim, 2016. "From Corn to Popcorn? Urbanization and food consumption in Sub-Sahara Africa: Evidence from rural-urban migrants in Tanzania," 2016 Fifth International Conference, September 23-26, 2016, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 249270, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:51:y:2014:i:2:p:341-366. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.