Transcript Child mortality and religious affiliation in Chiapas

Child Mortality and Religious Affiliation by Ethnicity in Chiapas, Mexico
Eunice D Vargas-Valle, University of Texas at Austin, [email protected]
Leticia Fernández, University of Texas at El Paso, [email protected]
Background
A considerable number of indigenous people in Mexico have converted to
Protestant religions in recent years.


Chiapas is characterized by large regional variations in religious affiliation
by ethnicity (see TABLE 1).

Ind
From 1970 to 2000, the proportion of the population of Chiapas affiliated
to Protestantism increased from 5 to 22%.1
Religious affiliation has been associated with child survival in other
populations, i.e. Protestantism in the case of historical populations 3-4 and
in northeast Brazil.5
REGION
Altos
Selva
Norte
Religious affiliation
For indigenous populations, the rate of affiliation to Protestant religions
was higher in 2000 than for non-indigenous groups.2
TABLE 2. Descriptive statistics, women 15-39 years old with CEB
TABLE1. Religious affiliation by ethnicity and region of
residence, Chiapanecan women aged 15-49
Catholic

N-Ind
Ind
N-Ind
Ind
VARIABLE
Other
N-Ind
Ind
N-Ind
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
53.8
60.8
53.6
88.5
51.0
65.1
66.7
69.8
Historical
7.7
1.7
14.8
1.1
23.0
4.7
4.1
3.5
Pentecostal/Evangelical
7.3
6.8
10.7
4.8
12.8
10.8
5.9
7.8
Biblical non-evangelical
22.8
17.1
4.9
2.1
3.1
8.3
15.2
8.4
No affiliation
8.3
13.1
15.4
2.8
8.9
10.3
7.9
10.4
Undetermined
0.2
0.4
0.5
0.7
1.4
0.8
0.2
0.2
TOTAL
It has been suggested that conversion and adherence to Protestantism
may buffer gender inequalities and reduce social isolation, economic
instability and ignorance about health care and hygiene.6-13 These factors
are likely to have an impact on children’s health and risks of mortality.
Age
Bilingual
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
 there is a statistical relationship between religious affiliation and child
mortality within indigenous and non-indigenous groups in Chiapas, Mexico
N-Ind
Categories
Ind
29.7
15.1
3.4
Pentecostal/Evangelical
11.0
72.3
42.4
Biblical non-evangelical
9.0
8.2 Rural place - - of residence
8.5
11.9 Region of
residence
Norte
13.7
7.2
Altos
33.1
4.1
36.7
4.4
*
15-19
9.8
7.3
Selva
20-24
24.8
21.6
Other
16.5
84.4
25-29
24.9
24.8
30-34
20.1
23.9
None
14.0
3.0
35-39
20.5
IMSS/ISSSTE/Pemex
11.4
20.2
SSA/IMSS Solidaridad
62.0
45.4
Private or other
12.7
31.4
---
38.4
19.3
19127
36550
---
53.0
Education No instruction
45.0
Medical
service
22.5 commonly
used
---
1-5 years
32.4
6-8 years
16.6
24.3 Unweighted N
30.4
Ind= Indigenous women, N-Ind= Non-Indigenous women
*Participation in Progresa and Procampo, governmental programs of development.
FIGURE 3. Brass-type estimates of the probability of child
mortality by religious affiliation, women aged 15-39
0.10
0.10
0.09
0.09
0.08
0.08
0.07
0.07
0.06
0.06
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
q(2)
q(3)
Indigenous
q(5)
q(10)
0.00
Non-Indigenous
q(1)
Catholic
TABLE 3. Incidence-rate ratios of child mortality by religious
affiliation, indigenous women aged 15-39 with CEB
Independent variables




Religious affiliation
(Catholic)
Historical Protestant
Pentecostal/Evangelical
Biblical Non-Evangelical
Model 1
IRR p>z
0.81 ***
0.88 *
0.94
Model 2
IRR p>z
0.83 ***
0.89 *
0.92
No religious affiliation
0.98
0.92 +
0.92 +
1.27
1.73
2.11
2.56
1.27
1.68
1.99
2.36
1.27
1.70
2.02
2.40
Categories
Model 3
IRR p>z
0.83 ***
0.89 *
0.93
q(2)
Historical
q(3)
Pentecostal/Evangelical
q(5)
q(10)
Biblical Non-Evangelical
No affiliation
Independent variables
Categories
Religious affiliation
(Catholic)
Historical Protestant
Pentecostal/Evangelical
Biblical Non-Evangelical
No religious affiliation
Model 1
IRR p>z
1.04
1.06
1.07
1.09 *
Age
(15-19)
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
1.14
1.25 **
1.40 ***
1.85 ***
Model 2
IRR p>z
1.00
1.01
0.97
0.98
1.18
1.32
1.44
1.79
Model 3
IRR p>z
0.99
1.00
0.96
0.97
Age
(15-19)
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
Sample size for multivariate analysis: 55,677 women aged 15-39 with
information about Children Ever Born (CEB), religion, ethnicity and
other socioeconomic and demographic characteristics (see TABLE 2).
Language
(Monolingual)
Education
(No formal instruction)
Bilingual
0.86 ***
0.86 ***
1-5 years
6-8 years
9 years and more
0.87 ***
0.72 ***
0.61 ***
0.87 ***
0.72 ***
0.61 ***
Education
(No formal instruction)
1-5 years
6-8 years
9 years and more
0.88 ***
0.66 ***
0.45 ***
0.89 ***
0.67 ***
0.49 ***
Floor (Dirt)
Other
0.85 ***
0.85 ***
Floor (Dirt)
Other
0.82 ***
0.83 ***
Place of residence
(Urban)
Region
(Norte )
Rural
0.94
0.96
Rural
1.06 +
1.04
Altos
Selva
Other
1.02
0.80 ***
1.16 ***
1.01
0.80 ***
1.13 *
Place of residence
(Urban)
Region
(Norte )
Altos
Selva
Other
0.97
0.66 ***
0.98
0.95
0.65 ***
0.98
Medical service used
(None )
IMSS, ISSSTE or Pemex
SSA/IMSS Solidaridad
Private or other
0.88 *
0.90 *
0.95
Medical service used
(None )
IMSS, ISSSTE or Pemex
SSA or IMSS Solidaridad
Private or other
0.93 *
Progresa or Procampo (No) Yes
***p<=.001 **p<=.01 *p<=.05 +p<=.1
Reference category in parenthesis.
Unweighted sample. Number of live children ever born is taken as exposure.
We follow INEGI’s general classification of religious affiliation.
Presbyterians and Baptists are considered Historical Protestants;
religions with Charismatic background and non denominational,
Pentecostal and Evangelical; and Adventists of the 7th day, Jehovah
Witnesses and Mormons, Biblical Non-Evangelical.
*
***
***
***
*
***
***
***
Progresa or Procampo (No) Yes
***p<=.001 **p<=.01 *p<=.05 +p<=.1
Reference category in parenthesis.
Unweighted sample. Number of children ever born is taken as exposure.
*
***
***
***
Also, regional mortality differentials need to be studied to understand the
reasons for Selva’s better child survival indicators.
Bibliography
TABLE 4. Incidence-rate ratios of child mortality by religious
affiliation, non-indigenous women aged 15-39 with CEB
10% sample of the 2000 Mexican Census by the National Institute of
Statistics, Geography and Information of Mexico (INEGI).14
Information about indigenous language is used to define indigenous
ethnicity of Chiapanecan women (34.4% are indigenous and 65.6%
are not).
 Among indigenous women, Historical Protestants present 17% lower incidence
of child mortality and Pentecostal-Evangelical 11% lower incidence of child
mortality in comparison to Catholics, after controlling for socioeconomic
covariates (see TABLES 3 and 4).
Further research should pay attention to unmeasured variables at the
community level (influence of the religion in the community) and socioeconomic
indicators such as access to educational and medical services.
0.02
0.01
q(1)
Data
Conclusions
0.03
0.00
Source: El Colegio de la Frontera SUR. San Cristóbal de las Casas:
Laboratorio de Análisis de Información Geográfica y Estadística, 2006.
[updated 2006 January 5]. Available from: www.ecosur.mx
Negative binomial regression17 to calculate the incidence rate ratios of child
mortality among different religions by ethnicity controlling for various
socioeconomic and demographic factors (see TABLE 2).
The social and cultural transformations that tend to accompany religious
conversion may have an impact on the health of disadvantaged populations
such as the indigenous people in Chiapas. For instance, people expand their
networks beyond the kinship, learn about hygiene and preventive health care,
and re-orient patterns of consumption.6-10 Also, men stop alcohol abuse and are
expected to look after their family as a personal goal.10,11 In addition,
Presbyterians train indigenous health promoters as part of their social
mission.12,13
0.04
FIGURE 1. Municipalities by economic
regions in Chiapas, Mexico
Brass-type estimates for the probability of child mortality using the adjustment
factors developed by Trussel for the West Model.15-16
Among non-indigenous women, religious affiliation did not affect the incidence of
child mortality.
0.05
 this effect is explained by socioeconomic differentials among churches
The analysis includes:
**
15.1 Progresa or
Procampo *
30.1
6.0
 We use information of Children Ever Born (CEB) and Surviving CEB (SCEB) to
estimate child mortality indirectly.
N-Ind
72.8
11.4
67.9 Floor
Note: Weighted sample
FIGURE 2. Brass-type estimates of the probability of child
mortality by ethnicity, women aged 15-39
VARIABLE
Dirt
9 years and more
0.11
We investigate whether:
Ind
53.6
No affiliation
0.12
Objectives
Categories
Religious Catholic
affiliation Historical
* Weighted percentages. Ind= Indigenous women, N-Ind= Non-Indigenous women

Methodology
Findings
+
***
***
***
1.19
1.33
1.46
1.82
+
***
***
***
0.68 ***
0.92
0.87 *
1.00
1.
2.
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