Abstract

Objective

Few studies in Ethiopia have explored the impact of the mothers' education on infant survival. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and analyze the proximate factors in the relationship between maternal education and infant survival in Ethiopia.

Methods

This study used the nationally representative 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey dataset. It analyzed a sample of 3831 newborn children using Cox regression models.

Results

The findings revealed that infants born to educated mothers had lower odds of infant mortality than those born to mothers without formal education. Specifically, infants whose mothers had completed secondary school and had a better antenatal care attendance rate had 49.9% lower odds of infant mortality than those born to mothers with no formal education and a poor antenatal care attendance rate. Furthermore, infants whose mothers had at least some postsecondary education and who used delivery by health-care professionals, clean drinking water, and improved toilet facilities had 65.3%, 56.3%, and 68.6% lower odds of infant mortality, respectively, than those born to mothers with no formal education and who did not use those facilities.

Conclusions

This study concluded that the mothers' educational disparity is intimately tied to infant mortality, and that access to formal education, mainly for women, increases infant survival in Ethiopia. Future research should focus on mothers without formal education who do not have access to antenatal care visits for safe pregnancy, delivery by health-care professionals, clean drinking water, and improved toilet facilities in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa.