Table 1 Background factors and mortality among children under-five years old in 2008 and 2014 (n = 6,098)

Age(months)

 < 1

46 (2.2)

26(1.4)

20 (46.0)

< 0.001

68 (1.6)

41(1.0)

27 (47.8)

< 0.001

 1 to 5

294 (14.1)

288(14.1)

6 (13.5)

545 (12.7)

538(12.7)

7 (12.2)

 6 to 11

319 (15.2)

312(15.1)

7 (16.9)

577 (14.8)

569(14.7)

8 (15.2)

 12 to 59

1386 (68.6)

1379(69.4)

7 (23.6)

2863 (71.0)

2852(71.5)

11 (24.7)

Sex

 Male

1043(51.5)

1016(51.2)

27(69.7)

0.03

2118(52.7)

2095(52.8)

23(43.1)

0.22

 Female

1002 (48.4)

989(48.8)

13 (30.3)

1935 (47.3)

1905(47.2)

30 (56.9)

Birth size)

 >=2.5 kg

1763(88.0)

1730(88.0)

33(86.8)

0.83

3545(88.5)

3503(88.5)

42(84.9)

0.45

 < 2.5 kg

266 (12.0)

260(12.0)

6 (13.2)

505 (11.5)

495(11.5)

10 (15.1)

Preceding birth interval

 >=2 years

1852(90.5)

1818(90.7)

34(81.5)

0.09

3700(90.8)

3654(90.9)

46(86.1)

0.37

 < 2 years

188 (9.5)

182(9.3)

6 (18.5)

342 (9.2)

335(9.2)

7 (13.9)

Birth order

 < 3

1191 (59.7)

1177(60.0)

14 (42.6)

0.04

2318 (59.8)

2295(59.9)

23 (44.6)

0.06

 ( > = 3)

854 (40.3)

828(40.0)

26 (57.4)

1735 (40.3)

1705(40.1)

30 (55.4)

Gestation

 Singleton

1994 (97.5)

1959(97.7)

35 (85.7)

< 0.001

3951 (97.5)

3902(97.5)

49 (93.3)

0.05

 Multiple birth

51 (2.5)

46(2.3)

5 (14.3)

102 (2.5)

98(2.5)

4 (6.7)

Delivery type

 Vaginal

1913(92.9)

1877(93.1)

36(86.1)

NA

3611(86.8)

48(89.6)

3563(86.8)

0.65

 Caesarean

130 (7.1)

126(7.0)

4 (13.9)

442 (10.5)

437(13.2)

5 (10.5)

Had NHIS

 No

1198(60)

1174(59.9)

24(64.9)

0.56

1238(33.0)

1219(32.9)

19(39.4)

0.38

 Yes

847(40)

831(40.1)

16(25.1)

2814(67.0)

2780(67.1)

34(60.6)

Household size

 Less than 6

1099 (57.4)

1082(57.6)

17 (45.0)

0.14

2255 (59.1)

2230(59.3)

25 (46.1)

0.1

 >=6

946 (42.6)

923(42.4)

23 (55.0)

1798 (40.9)

1770(40.7)

28 (53.9)

Region

 Northern belt

676 (22.7)

657(22.6)

19 (33.8)

0.20

1363 (19.0)

1341(18.9)

22 (26.1)

0.21

 Middle belt

669 (37.6)

657(37.6)

12 (38.8)

1221 (36.0)

1205(35.9)

16 (42.2)

 Southern belt

700 (39.6)

691(39.8)

9 (27.5)

1469 (45.0)

1454(45.2)

15 (31.7)

Rural/urban residence

 Urban

725(40.3)

712(40.4)

13(35.2)

0.54

1669(46.2)

1651(46.3)

18(39.0)

0.38

 Rural

1320 (59.7)

1293(59.6)

27 (64.8)

2384 (53.8)

2349(53.7)

35 (61.0)

Wealth quintile

 Poorest

617 (23.2)

599(23.0)

18 (33.5)

0.67

1279 (21.7)

1258(21.5)

21 (33.0)

0.42

 Poorer

450 (22.0)

443(22.1)

7 (19.6)

865 (20.1)

851(20.1)

14 (24.0)

 Middle

348 (18.6)

342(18.7)

6 (18.6)

750 (19.6)

742(19.6)

8 (16.2)

 Richer

368 (20.8)

363(20.8)

5 (18.7)

641 (19.6)

635(19.6)

6 (16.4)

 Richest

262 (15.4)

258(15.5)

4 (9.6)

518 (19.1)

514(19.2)

4 (10.5)

Mother’s age

 < 35

1623(80.7)

1597(80.9)

26(72.0)

0.18

3148(78.0)

3110(78.1)

38(71.5)

0.35

 35 to 49

422(19.3)

408(19.1)

14(28.0)

905(22.1)

890(21.9)

15(28.5)

Maternal education

 None

748 (31.2)

730(31.1)

18 (37.1)

0.0001

1371 (26.6)

1347(26.5)

24 (36.7)

0.14

 Primary

481 (24.2)

464(23.6)

17 (50.6)

824 (19.5)

814(19.4)

10 (25.9)

 Secondary or higher

816 (44.6)

811(45.3)

5 (12.3)

1858 (53.9)

1839(54.1)

19 (37.4)

Religion

 Orthodox

530 (25.2)

522(25.3)

8 (19.7)

0.04

960 (21.7)

948(21.7)

12 (23.3)

0.54

 Pentecostal

851 (46.2)

838(46.4)

13 (36.7)

1937 (54.5)

1917(54.7)

20 (44.3)

 Islam

399 (18.2)

390(18.2)

9 (18.7)

836 (16.8)

818(16.7)

18 (24.7)

 Others

265 (10.4)

255(10.1)

10 (24.9)

320 (7.0)

317(7.0)

3 (7.7)

Ethnicity

 Akan

793 (46.5)

779(46.5)

14 (45.3)

0.98

1515 (46.5)

1502(46.7)

13 (33.7)

0.27

 Mole-Dagbani

528 (20.4)

515(20.4)

13 (20.2)

1090 (17.3)

1074(17.3)

16 (20.9)

 Others(Ga/Dangbe/Eve)

724 (33.1)

711(33.1)

13 (34.5)

1448 (36.2)

1424(36.0)

24 (45.4)

Married

 No

575(31.3)

566(31.4)

9(28.3)

1370(37.3)

1349(37.3)

21(44.6)

0.36

 Yes

1470 (68.7)

1439(68.7)

31 (71.7)

0.72

2683 (62.7)

2651(62.7)

32 (55.5)

Polygamous home

 No

1428(80.5)

1406(80.8)

22(68.2)

2801(84.8)

2773(84.9)

28(75.5)

0.1

 Yes

386 (19.5)

374(19.2)

12 (31.8)

0.09

651 (15.2)

639(15.1)

12 (24.5)

Mother’s employment status

 Not employed

248 (12.5)

241(12.3)

7 (19.5)

0.20

811(19.9)

800(19.9)

11(22.2)

0.72

 Employed

1786 (87.5)

1753(87.7)

33 (80.5)

3240(80.1)

3198(80.1)

42(77.8)

Number of children < 5 years in household

 1–2

1769 (86.9)

1736(87.0)

33 (82.3)

0.45

3557 (88.7)

3509(88.6)

48 (92.2)

0.39

 3–9

276 (13.1)

269(13.0)

7 (17.7)

496 (11.3)

491(11.4)

5 (7.8)

Maternal anaemia

 Not anaemic

788(38.9)

776(39.0)

12(34.2)

0.58

1169(56.7)

1153(56.6)

16(64.8)

0.45

 Anaemic

1204(61.1)

1177(61.0)

27(65.8)

876(43.4)

867(43.4)

9(35.2)

Maternal Body Mass Index (BMI)

 Normal

1120(63.2)

1110(63.3)

10(59.2)

0.77

1034(54.9)

1031(54.9)

3(35.9)

0.03

 Abnormal

609(36.8)

603(36.8)

6(40.8)

734(45.2)

730(45.1)

4(64.2)

Maternal height

 > 145 cm

1989(98.6)

1950(98.7)

39(96.9)

NA

2052(99.0)

2028(99.0)

24(97.4)

NA

 <=145 cm

29(1.4)

28(1.3)

1(3.1)

20(1.0)

19(1.0)

1(2.6)

Infant given other milk with 3days after birth

 No

1961(97.0)

1929(96.9)

32(100)

NA

3974(98.9)

3940(98.8)

34(100)

0.61

 Yes

56(3.0)

56(3.0)

0(0.0)

49(1.2)

49(1.2)

0(0.0)

Total

2045 (100)

2005(100)

40 (100)

4,053 (100)

4000(100)

53 (100)