The DHS Program

Maternal Reading Skills and Child Mortality in Nigeria: A Reassessment of Why Education Matters
Authors:	Emily Smith-Greenaway
Source:	Demography, Volume 50, Issue 5, pp 1551-1561
Topic(s):	Childhood mortality Education
Country:	Africa Nigeria
Published:	OCT 2013
Abstract:	Mother’s formal schooling—even at the primary level—is associated with lower risk of child mortality, although the reasons why remain unclear. This study examines whether mother’s reading skills help to explain the association in Nigeria. Using data from the Demographic and Health Survey, the analysis demonstrates that women’s reading skills increase linearly with years of primary school; however, many women with several years of formal school are unable to read at all. The results further show that mother’s reading skills help to explain the relationship between mother’s formal schooling and child mortality, and that mother’s reading skills are highly associated with child mortality. The study highlights the need for more data on literacy and for more research on whether and how mother’s reading skills lower child mortality in other contexts.