Table 1 Distribution of the sample and observed under-five death cases over socio-demographic variables and the association of each variable with the death outcome

Overall sample

10,914 (100)

1,056 (9.7)

19,967 (100)

1,607 (8.1)

17,286 (100)

824 (4.8)

Child’s Sex

\(<0.0001\)

0.001

0.003

      Male

5,523 (50.6)

593 (10.7)

9,979 (50.0)

865 (8.7)

8,687 (50.3)

455 (5.2)

      Female

5,391 (49.4)

463 (8.6)

9,988 (50.0)

742 (7.4)

8,599 (49.8)

369 (4.3)

Birth order

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

      1

2,469 (22.6)

290 (11.8)

3,925 (19.7)

363 (9.3)

4,400 (25.5)

267 (6.1)

      2-5

6,403 (58.7)

566 (8.8)

12,049 (60.3)

876 (7.3)

10,370 (60.0)

414 (4.0)

      6+

2,042 (18.7)

200 (9.8)

3,993 (20.0)

368 (9.2)

2,516 (14.6)

143 (5.7)

Caesarean birth

0.641

0.012

0.006

      No

10,575 (97.0)

1,021 (9.7)

19,002 (95.4)

1,507 (7.9)

16,122 (93.5)

749 (4.7)

      Yes

326 (3.0)

34 (10.4)

907 (4.6)

93 (10.3)

1,116 (6.5)

72 (6.5)

Delivery type

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

      Singleton

10,547 (96.6)

938 (8.9)

19,104 (95.7)

1,396 (7.3)

16,618 (96.1)

707 (4.3)

      Multiple

367 (3.4)

118 (32.2)

863 (4.3)

211 (24.5)

668 (3.9)

117 (17.5)

Birth place

0.013

0.482

0.007

      Home or other

3,205 (29.7)

343 (10.7)

4,934 (25.5)

400 (8.1)

1,354 (7.8)

85 (6.3)

      Health facility

7,576 (70.3)

694 (9.2)

14,446 (74.5)

1,126 (7.8)

15,932 (92.2)

739 (4.6)

Maternal age

0.161

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

      <20

713 (6.5)

80 (11.2)

1,179 (5.9)

102 (8.7)

1,246 (7.2)

85 (6.8)

      20-34

8,254 (75.6)

775 (9.4)

14,792 (74.1)

1,109 (7.5)

12,647 (73.2)

558 (4.4)

      35-49

1,947 (17.8)

201 (10.3)

3,996 (20.0)

396 (9.9)

3,393 (19.6)

181 (5.3)

Preceding birth-interval

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

      <24 months

1,538 (18.3)

218 (14.2)

2,281 (14.3)

306 (13.4)

1,446 (11.3)

113 (7.8)

      24 to 36 months

2,994 (35.6)

252 (8.4)

6,327 (39.5)

429 (6.8)

3,705 (28.9)

169 (4.6)

      > 36 months

3,890 (46.2)

291 (7.5)

7,400 (46.2)

503 (6.8)

7,690 (59.9)

264 (3.4)

Contraceptive use

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

\(<0.0001\)

      Not using

7,957 (72.9)

863 (10.9)

11,484 (57.5)

1,037 (9.0)

7,021 (40.6)

436 (6.2)

      Using

2,957 (27.1)

193 (6.5)

8,483 (42.5)

570 (6.7)

10,265 (59.4)

388 (3.8)

Maternal educ

\(<0.0001\)

0.002

0.076

      No education

2,870 (26.3)

308 (10.7)

3,372 (16.9)

289 (8.6)

2,161 (12.5)

101 (4.7)

      Primary

6,967 (63.8)

678 (9.7)

13,865 (69.4)

1,145 (8.3)

11,456 (66.3)

573 (5.0)

      Secondary or above

1,077 (9.9)

70 (6.5)

2,730 (13.7)

173 (6.3)

3,669 (21.2)

150 (4.1)

Maternal job status

0.767

0.026

0.013

      Not working

4,449 (40.8)

435 (9.8)

8,194 (41.1)

617 (7.5)

5,938 (34.4)

250 (4.2)

      Working

6,464 (59.2)

621 (9.6)

11,733 (58.9)

986 (8.4)

11,348 (65.7)

574 (5.1)

Residence

\(<0.0001\)

0.696

0.033

      Urban

1,137 (10.4)

76 (6.7)

1,896 (9.5)

157 (8.3)

2,766 (16.0)

110 (4.0)

      Rural

9,777 (89.6)

980 (10.0)

18,071 (90.5)

1,450 (8.0)

14,520 (84.0)

714 (4.9)

Region

0.049

\(<0.0001\)

0.018

      Northern

1,349 (12.5)

106 (7.9)

3,560 (17.8)

232 (6.5)

3,208 (18.6)

126 (3.9)

      Central

4,141 (37.9)

418 (10.1)

6,866 (34.4)

544 (7.9)

6,023 (34.8)

316 (5.3)

      Southern

5,424 (49.7)

532 (9.8)

9,541 (47.8)

831 (8.7)

8,055 (46.6)

382 (4.7)