School of Postgraduate Studies

Master of Public Health and Master of

Science in Epidemiology and

Biostatistics

MEB 632–Statistical Methods in

Epidemiology
[Distance]

Instructions:

1. the assignment cover given on the next page.

2. The assignment must be typed using Times New
Roman font type and size 12. Use 1.5 line spacing. Do
NOT convert your word document to pdf.

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3. Submit your assignment by 10th October 2022, 23:59
hrs using the Moodle Learning Management System
ONLY. .
4. Late submission of the assignment and copying from
each other will attract a mark of zero.

October 2022

UNIVERSITY OF LUSAKA
School of Postgraduate Studies

Master of Public Health and Master of

Science in Epidemiology and

Biostatistics

MEB632- Statistical Methods in

Epidemiology

[PART-TIME]

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 Names and Student Numbers:
…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………

Lecturer: Prof. Eustarckio Kazonga

Due Date: 10th October 2022

QUESTION 1
Reducing under-five mortality is now a global concern. In 2001 as part of the
Millennium Development goals (MDG) for health, nations pledged to ensure a two-
thirds reduction in under-five mortality between 1990 and 2015 and at once a
series of articles in Lancet by the Bellagio Study Group described various aspects
of child survival. Although under-five mortality is declining worldwide as a result of
socioeconomic development and implementation of child survival interventions,
nearly 8.8 million children die every year before their fifth birthday. Survival
Analysis for Under-Five Child mortality was conducted using secondary data and
part of the outputs are presented in the Tables 1.1 to 1.4.

Table 1.1 Cox-regression analysis Socio-economic and demographic factors of the child
survival status
Socio-economic and Demographic factors

S.No. B Sig. Exp(B) 95.0% CI for Exp(B)

Lower Upper
1. Educational level -.173 .003 .841 .751 .943
2. Sex of household head -.086 .577 .917 .677 1.242

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3. Women's age in years -.041 .000 .959 .939 .981
4. Current marital status .206 .100 1.228 .962 1.569
5. Husband/partner's education level -.082 .170 .921 .819 1.036
6. Husband/partner's occupation .005 .244 1.005 .997 1.012
7. Respondent currently working .158 .525 1.171 .720 1.905
8. Respondent's occupation -.006 .091 .994 .988 1.001
9. District -.002 .301 .998 .993 1.002
10. Religion -.310 .025 .734 .560 .962
11. Caste .081 .108 1.084 .982 1.197

Table 1.2: Cox-regression analysis Environment Factors of the child survival status
Environment Factors

95.0% CI for Exp(B)

S.No. B Sig. Exp(B) Lower Upper
1. Place of residence -.141 .607 .868 .506 1.489
2. Wealth index -.072 .474 .931 .764 1.134
3. Source of drinking water .014 .227 1.014 .992 1.036
4. Slum designation by observation -.124 .682 .883 .487 1.600
5. Type of toilet facility -.016 .148 .984 .963 1.006

Table 1.3 Cox-regression analysis The Proximate and Biological factor of the child survival
status

S.No. B Sig. Exp(B) 95.0% CI for Exp(B)

Lower Upper
1. Total children ever born 0.295 0.00 1.343 1.287 1.403
2. Births in last five years 0.645 0.00 1.905 1.796 2.021
3. Number of living children -0.747 0.00 0.474 0.454 0.494
4. Currently breastfeeding -0.622 0.00 0.537 0.483 0.596
5. Anemia level -0.045 0.102 0.956 0.905 1.009
6. Smokes cigarettes 2.064 0.00 7.881 2.53 24.545
7. Chewing tobacco 0.167 0.684 1.181 0.53 2.635
8. Desire for more children -0.155 0.00 0.857 0.833 0.882
9. Sex of child 0.016 0.737 1.016 0.927 1.113
10. Size of child at birth 0.151 0.00 1.162 1.12 1.207
11. Birth weight (kg) 0 0.055 1 1 1
Delivery by caesarean section 0.511 0.00 1.667 1.395 1.993
12.
13. ANC Visits -0.307 0.001 0.735 0.61 0.887
14. Birth Order 0.834 0.00 2.302 1.996 2.656
15. Media Exposure -0.033 0.51 0.968 0.879 1.066
16. Birth Interval 0.072 0.153 1.075 0.974 1.187

Table 1.4: Cox-regression analysis of combine factor of the child survival status

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 S.No. Covariates B Sig. HR 95.0% CI for
Exp(B)
Lower Upper
1. Women’s Age in Years -.043 .000 .958 .947 .969
2. Education Level -.020 .336 .980 .941 1.021
3. Religion -.009 .845 .991 .903 1.087
4. Total children ever born .493 .000 1.637 1.571 1.705
5. Births in last five years .324 .000 1.383 1.313 1.456
6. Number of living 0.00 .368 .354 .383
children -1.000
7. Currently breastfeeding -.415 .000 .660 .606 .719
8. Smokes cigarettes 1.979 .001 7.238 2.327 22.511
9. Desire for more children -.164 .000 .849 .830 .868
10. Size of child at birth .167 .000 1.182 1.146 1.219
a. Delivery by caesarean .143 .041 1.154 1.006 1.323
section
11. ANC Visits -.394 .000 .674 .580 .784
12. Birth Order .583 .000 1.792 1.642 1.956

REQUIRED
Write a report on your interpretation of the results presented in Tables 1.1 to 1.4
and indicate the conclusion(s). [TOTAL: 30 MARKS]

QUESTION 2
(a) Analyse the dataset MEB632 Assignment Dataset October
2022 Distance.xlsx using appropriate statistical methods.
(30 marks)
(b) Write a report on your interpretation of the results obtained
in (a)
(20 marks)
[TOTAL: 50 MARKS]

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END OF ASSIGNMENT

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