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The Impact of Social and Economic Indicators on Maternal and Child Health

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  • Guang-zhen Wang

Abstract

As early as 1985, Rosenfield and Maine began to look at what is called the maternal child field (MCH). More than two decades later, maternal and infant mortality is still among the worst performing health indicator in resource-poor countries and regions, and it has barely changed since 1990. Although three of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals aim at reducing child mortality, maternal mortality, and promoting gender equality, most literature in the field is either clinical or exclusively deals with women’s health problems. In this study, I proposed an empirical model that tests the impact of gender equality, women’s human rights, and maternity care on MCH with economic and political development as background factors. The proposed model was tested by using structural equation analysis. Data were obtained from 137 developing countries. The proposed model is partially supported by the data. Empirical findings demonstrate that gender equality has a pivotal role to play in the promotion of MCH. The relationship between MCH and maternity care is found to be strong and statistically significant. This finding may permit a probable verification given the current social conditions in some developing countries, particularly the neglect of many of women’s health needs and the assignment of their primary responsibilities in childrearing. The women’s human rights hypothesis is not supported by the data. It is perhaps that human rights instruments provide a legal discourse for political functions and social welfare issues, but that the legal approach alone does not necessarily provide a moral and social foundation to ensure the implementation of social welfare and human well-being, particularly maternal and child health in developing countries. The findings also indicate the importance of economic development in predicting maternity care. Finally, a positive and statistically significant relationship is found between economic development and gender equality. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Guang-zhen Wang, 2014. "The Impact of Social and Economic Indicators on Maternal and Child Health," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(3), pages 935-957, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:116:y:2014:i:3:p:935-957
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-013-0330-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Easley, C.E. & Marks, S.P. & D'État, D. & Morgan R.E., Jr., 2001. "The challenge and place of international human rights in public health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(12), pages 1922-1925.
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    9. A. Geske Dijkstra & Lucia Hanmer, 2000. "Measuring Socio-Economic GENDER Inequality: Toward an Alternative to the UNDP Gender-Related Development Index," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 6(2), pages 41-75.
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    1. Jeet Saha & Zafar Iqubal, 2026. "Empirical Evidence on the Grand Convergence of Infant Mortality Rates," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 19(1), pages 181-204, February.
    2. Mariano Luque & Salvador Pérez-Moreno & José A. Robles & Beatriz Rodriguez, 2017. "Measuring Child and Maternal Health in Developing Countries: A Proposal of New Hybrid MDG Composite Indices," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 12(3), pages 737-758, September.

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