Health behaviour and health awareness in infant mortality in the Gaza Strip.

BACKGROUND Infant death rate has declined over the past decades, yet remains high in Palestine. The topic of infant death is well researched and for the first time in Palestine. The objective of our study is to assess the level of awareness and health behaviour of mothers and how this behaviour has affected infant mortality. METHODS Person to person interviews were done with 550 mothers of infants (275 cases and 275 controls) in the Gaza Strip. Stillbirths were excluded. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to identify the relationship of health behavioural factors and infant mortality. RESULT The study showed that infant mortality risks were higher in mothers exposed to passive smoking. Infant mortality was lower for infants receiving exclusive breastfeeding. There was also a significant association between the sleeping position of the baby and infant mortality. CONCLUSION The findings underscore the importance of explicit attention to health education. A well-organized consultation and health promotion approach should focus on couples whose child has died, in order to combat infant mortality.