RESEARCH REPORT

Mortality inequalities in times of economic growth: time trends in socioeconomic and regional inequalities in under 5 mortality in Indonesia, 1982–1997

Tanja A J Houweling, Anton E Kunst, Gerard Borsboom, Johan P Mackenbach

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
T A J Houweling
Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands; a.houweling{at}erasmusmc.nl

Study objective: To examine time trends in socioeconomic and regional inequalities in under 5 mortality in Indonesia during almost two decades of economic growth.

Design: Under 5 mortality was calculated for the total population and for subgroups by maternal education, household wealth, rural/urban residence, and island group, using the 1987, 1991, 1994, and 1997 Indonesian Demographic and Health Surveys. Inequalities were calculated using Cox proportional hazards analysis.

Setting: Indonesia, 1982–1997.

Main participants: 18 205, 33 907, 39 433, and 37 533 children respectively, aged under 5 years, born to women included in the above mentioned surveys.

Main results: Under 5 mortality declined substantially during the 1980s and 1990s. Educational inequalities in under 5 mortality decreased, although not statistically significantly, from a hazard ratio of 2.00 (95%CI 1.60, 2.50) to 1.52 (95%CI 1.27, 1.82). Inequalities between urban and not electrified rural areas increased, from 1.84 (95%CI 1.48, 2.28) to 2.18 (95%CI 1.70, 2.80). Inequalities between the Outer Islands and the central islands of Java/Bali increased from 1.16 (95%CI 0.92, 1.46) to 1.43 (95%CI 1.17, 1.74). Irregular time trends were seen for inequalities by household wealth. Trends in health care use were fairly similar for the low and high educated.

Conclusions: These results for education show that socioeconomic inequalities in under 5 mortality do not inevitably rise in times of rapid economic growth. Widening or narrowing of health inequalities in times of economic growth might depend on how equally this growth is distributed.

Keywords: child mortality; socioeconomic factors; residence characteristics; developing countries

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