The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia

Sear, R.; Steele, F.; McGregor, I.A.; Mace, R.

doi:10.1353/dem.2002.0010

The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia

Sear, R.; Steele, F.; McGregor, I.A.; Mace, R.

Authors

R. Sear

F. Steele

I.A. McGregor

R. Mace

Abstract

We analyzed data that were collected continuously between 1950 and 1974 from a rural area of the Gambia to determine the effects of kin on child mortality. Multilevel event-history models were used to demonstrate that having a living mother, maternal grandmother, or elder sisters had a significant positive effect on the survival probabilities of children, whereas having a living father, paternal grandmother, grandfather, or elder brothers had no effect. The mother’s remarriage to a new husband had a detrimental effect on child survival, but there was little difference in the mortality rates of children who were born to monogamous or polygynous fathers. The implications of these results for understanding the evolution of human life-history are discussed.

Citation

Sear, R., Steele, F., McGregor, I., & Mace, R. (2002). The effects of kin on child mortality in rural Gambia. Demography, 39(1), 43-63. https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2002.0010

Journal Article Type	Article
Publication Date	Jan 1, 2002
Deposit Date	Oct 19, 2010
Journal	Demography
Print ISSN	0070-3370
Electronic ISSN	1533-7790
Publisher	Duke University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	39
Issue	1
Pages	43-63
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1353/dem.2002.0010