FERTILITY, CHILD MORTALITY AND MATERNAL LABOUR PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The relationship between fertility, child mortality and maternal labour participation remains inconclusive because of the interrelationship among them and also consequences of health, productivity on welfare of individuals and households. Several studies have examined the relationship between pairs of these variables, but few evidence exist on the simultaneous relationship among the three. While studies have found significant effect of child mortality on fertility, calculating the replacement rate for births to a child death remains an unfilled gap in Nigeria. This study, therefore, examined the interrelationship among fertility, child mortality and maternal labour participation by estimating their determinants.

The theoretical framework rests on the economic theory of time allocation between two substitute roles - motherhood and working. Data were obtained from the recent 2010 Harmonised Nigeria Living Standard Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics. The survey covered 332, 928 individuals from 77, 390 households. A total of 41, 575 women (9,798 urban and 31,777 rural), within the reproductive ages of 15 - 49 with at least one child ever born was used. A simultaneous equation model comprising three equations of determinants of fertility, child mortality and maternal labour participation was estimated. Following endogeneity tests, two-stage estimation technique was employed for each of the equations at national, urban and rural levels. The Olsen method was used to calculate the replacement rate for births to a child death. Data were analysed at p≤0.05.

The average age was 32.6 ± 8.1, 24.0%, 6.0% and 54.0% indicated women with primary, post secondary and no western education respectively. Significant relationships were observed among fertility, child mortality and maternal labour participation at all levels. Child mortality had a positive effect on fertility nationally (β= 2.59), in urban (β= 2.81) and rural (β= 2.20) locations. Mothers employed in the formal sector, with at least secondary education, had fewer births than those with no education (β= -0.37). Women outside the labour force, having less than post secondary education, had higher fertility than others. The replacement rate for births to a child death was 0.57 nationally, 0.59 in urban, and 0.56 in rural locations. There was a negative effect of fertility on child mortality at the national level if mothers were educated (β= -0.04), in urban (β= -0.11) and rural (β= -0.02) locations. Mothers employed in the formal sector had less number of child deaths than other women (β= -0.05). Mothers experiencing high number of child deaths were less likely to seek formal sector employment (β= -0.00) but more likely to seek informal sector employment (β= 0.01). Post secondary education increased maternal labour participation (β= 0.57); age at first childbirth had a negative effect on fertility (β= -0.00); and hospital delivery reduced child mortality (β= -0.43).

There were clear strong interrelationships among fertility, child mortality and maternal labour participation in Nigeria. Higher maternal educational attainments should be encouraged to increase maternal labour participation as this would reduce child mortality.

Key words: Child mortality, Maternal labour participation, Fertility, Child replacement rate Word count: 481