Important Risk Factors of Mortality Among Children Aged 1-59 months in Rural Areas of Shahroud, Iran: A Community-based Nested Case‑Control Study

International Journal of Preventive Medicine (Int J Prev Med)2008-780231220120121Important Risk Factors of Mortality Among Children Aged 1-59 months in Rural Areas of Shahroud, Iran: A Community-based Nested Case‑Control Study875879ENDepartment of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, IranSocial Development and Health Promotion Research Center (SDHPRC), Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Khorasan Razavi, IranDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, IranDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; National Institute of Health Research, and Iranian Epidemiological Association, Tehran, IranDepartment of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Semnan, IranDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranDepartment of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranDepartment of Community Medicine, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran201105222012012020111126 Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate potential risk factors of children mortality between 1‑59 months of age. Methods: This nested case-control study was conducted among children born from June 1999 to March 2009 in rural areas of Shahroud, located in the central region of Iran using health care visit reports and follow‑up data available in household health records. Results: Mortality was significantly associated with breastfeeding duration (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81‑0.93), total health care visits (OR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83‑0.98) and low birth weight (LBW) (OR: 7.38, 95% CI: 1.37-39.67). Conclusion: In our study, a longer breastfeeding period and more frequent health care visits were two important protective factors, while LBW was an important risk factor for 1‑59 month child mortality. It seems, that complex and multiple factors may be involved in mortality of under 5‑year‑old children, so combined efforts would be necessary to improve child health indicators. <span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA;">Key words: <span style="font-size: 11.0pt; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: FA;">Childhood, Iran, mortality, nested case‑control study, risk factors http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/view/195http://ijpm.mui.ac.ir/index.php/ijpm/article/download/195/736