Place Matters: Individual and Community Level Effects of Autonomy on Ethiopian Children’s Immunization Status

Jane Ebot, University of Texas at Austin

This study uses data from the 2011 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey to investigate the link between individual and community levels of women’s autonomy on children’s number of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended vaccines. The results of this analysis show that net of women’s socioeconomic status and pregnancy behaviors, women’s own autonomy and the average autonomy of other women around them, were positively and significantly associated with number of immunizations. Overall, the implications of this study align with the evidence showing the importance of women’s autonomy. In addition, this research places itself within a growing body of research that aims to understand how community context shapes children’s health.