%0 Journal Article
%T Maternal Mortality and Female Literacy Rates in Developing Countries during 1970¨C2000: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis
%A Vijayan K. Pillai
%A Arati Maleku
%A FangHsun Wei
%J International Journal of Population Research
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/163292
%X Background. The gross longitudinal relationship between female literacy and maternal mortality ratios has not been adequately investigated even though the knowledge of the relationship is crucial for designing maternal mortality reduction programs through female literacy campaigns and improvements. The objective of the study was to examine the dynamic relationship between female literacy and mortality ratios. A longitudinal study design spanning three decades, 1970¨C2000, was used. Country level data on 143 nations belonging to six geographical regions for the duration 1970¨C2000 were secured from websites hosted by global agencies such as World Bank and the United Nations were utilized. Maternal mortality ratios (1970¨C2000) ranged from 147 to 271 across the six regions. The longitudinal relationship between female literacy rates and maternal mortality ratios was examined using a latent growth curve approach. The study found that rates of change in female literacy and maternal mortality ratios are negatively related. Steady rates of increase in female literacy were associated with declining maternal mortality ratios as well. We find that female literacy programs are of immense value in reducing maternal mortality ratios given their ability to yield sustained reductions in mortality levels in developing countries. 1. Introduction Each year, globally, about 210 million women become pregnant [1]. Only about 75 percent of these pregnancies are safe without life threatening complications. As a result, annually an estimated half a million women die of either pregnancy or child birth [2]. One in 350 pregnancies carries a high mortality risk due to causes such as hemorrhage, infection, unsafe abortion, eclampsia, and obstructed labor [3]. These five problems contribute to almost 70 percent of maternal deaths [4, 5]. In developing countries, the likelihood of women dying from pregnancy related causes is nearly 1 in 50 [6]. Bezruchka [7] presents three categories of general sources of threat to the life of the mother during pregnancy and child birth. The first of the three, poor accessibility to health services in supply, is often the most immediate cause of death during child birth. The second category includes a large number of indicators of health status including woman¡¯s constitution, age, and parity. The last risk category is composed of several social economic and environmental factors such as literacy status income and cultural factors. Even though causes of maternal mortality are health related complications, unavailable, inaccessible, and unaffordable
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijpr/2013/163292/