Prior and Proximate Causes of Infant Survival in Ghana, With Special Attention to Polygyny

Based upon 1990 estimates the infant mortality rate in Ghana is approximately 9.4 times higher than in the US. This paper examines the role of polygyny upon infant mortality. Data for the study were drawn from the 1988 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey with a conceptual causal model developed of the effects of polygyny upon infant survival. Polygyny was determined to be an important mediating factor in understanding infant survival. Rural residence and other Ghanaian ethnicity have a strong positive direct influence upon polygyny compared to maternal education and occupation. Polygyny does not however influence infant survival directly but has a significant indirect effect through maternal behavior variables. Study findings highlight the relevance of family structure as an intervening factor but also reveal the complex role of ethnicity dietary supplement and birth interval in accounting for infant survival.