The effect of sociodemographic factors on infant mortality according to cause of death: A birth cohort in Seoul, Korea, 1999-2003

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of socioeconomic status and demographic factors on infant mortality, classified by cause of death, in a group of children born in Seoul, Korea during 1999-2003. Methods: Linked infant birth and death data were collected from the Korea National Statistical Office. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the effect of socioeconomic and demographic factors on infant mortality. The results were adjusted to take into account the infants' length of gestation and birth weight. Results: Infant death rates from all causes tended to decrease as the parents' educational level increased. We observed a similar pattern for deaths from other specific causes. We also found higher mortality rates for mothers less than 20 years of age and over 35. Conclusions: Our analysis shows that socioeconomic and demographic factors affect infant mortality. In the case of postneonatal infant death, we confirmed that adequate follow-up care can reduce the risks of death from these acquired factors. This suggests that these are important factors to consider in reducing infant mortality.