Association between the Socio-Economic Indicators and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Iran

Background: Infant mortality is one of the main indexes in the assessment of a society’s access to the primary health care services. Many factors are involved in this regard. The present study aimed at determining the structural association between socio-economic variables and the rate of infant mortality rate. Methods: The required data and information were collected from the multiple indicator cluster surveys (MICS,1998), reports of the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) from the population indices in 2003, the project of Incomes and Costs of the Iranian Families (2002) and the National Health Survey on Iran (NHS- 1999). In this study dependent variable was IMR and independent variable was demographic and socioeconomic factors. The data were analyzed by Path Analysis method. Results: According to the standardized coefficients, the illiteracy rate of the women aged 15-46 years is one of the main factors that, not directly but indirectly awareness, attitude and performance of the women, increases IMR by as much as 0.8, partly about 0.3 due to the lack of access to the health services such as urbanity and the percentage of caesarean. In addition, the index of consumption costs has direct and decreasing effect of about 0.353 on the infant mortality rate. Conclusion: Reduction in women’s illiteracy rate, increase of the families, welfare and the present of access to high quality services are the most important factors that decrease IMR.