Impact of Health Research Systems on Under-۵ Mortality Rate: A Trend Analysis

Background Between ۱۹۹۰ and ۲۰۱۵, under-۵ mortality rate (U۵MR) declined by ۵۳%, from an estimated rate of ۹۱ deaths per ۱۰۰۰ live births to ۴۳, globally. The aim of this study was to determine the share of health research systems in this decrease alongside other influential factors.   Methods We used random effect regression models including the ‘random intercept’ and ‘random intercept and random slope’ models to analyze the panel data from ۱۹۹۰ to ۲۰۱۰. We selected the countries with U۵MRs falling between the first and third quartiles in ۱۹۹۰. We used both the total articles (TA) and the number of child-specific articles (CSA) as a proxy of the health research system. In order to account for the impact of other factors, measles vaccination coverage (MVC) (as a proxy of health system performance), gross domestic product (GDP), human development index (HDI), and corruption perception index (CPI) (as proxies of development), were embedded in the model.   Results Among all the models, ‘the random intercept and random slope models’ had lower residuals. The same variables of CSA, HDI, and time were significant and the coefficient of CSA was estimated at -۰.۱۷; meaning, with the addition of every ۱۰۰ CSA, the rate of U۵MR decreased by ۱۷ per ۱۰۰۰ live births.   Conclusion Although the number of CSA has contributed to the reduction of U۵MR, the amount of its contribution is negligible compared to the countries’ development. We recommend entering different types of researches into the model separately in future research andincluding the variable of ‘exchange between knowledge generator and user.’

Keywords:

Under-Five Mortality Rate (U۵MR) , Research Impact Assessment , Research Payback , Research , Contribution