Introduction and Purpose: The mortality rate of children aged less than 5 years is considered as one of the indicators of development and health of a population, so identifying the causes of death of children is essential. The aim of this study was to investigate epidemiological features of the causes of death in under 5-year children.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study the sample size was 184 under 5-year children in which died in the selected cities in the study duration. We collected data by a checklist that its validity and reliability was confirmed. Data were analyzed using SPSS 16 and findings of the study reported in frequency, rates and Chi-square test was used for inferential statistics.
Results: The incidence rate of death in under 5-year children was 7.89 per 1000 live births. The most common cause of death was respiratory diseases. Significant number of them had birth weight less than 2500 gr (p<0.001). Birth rank of 52.2% of the study subjects was first (p<0001). In addition, 70.7% of them were born by caesarean operation. The education level of the majority of the parents and the level of household income were low (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The results showed that low birth weight, first birth rank, low levels of parents’ education and low level of household income increase the risk of mortality in young children. Moreover, based on the current study results, the majority of child deaths are preventable