Details of studies included in meta-analysis of the association of distance to health facilities and child mortality, 1980–2012
| First author | Study design | Country and year of publication | Years of data collection | Sample size | Number of deaths | Outcomes | Exposure (comparison groups) | Results |
| Included in meta-analysis | ||||||||
| Akello17 | Case–control | Uganda, 2008 | 2006 | 180 | 60 | Perinatal mortality | Distance from maternity centre (<5 km, 6–20 km) | OR =3.89 (1.96 to 7.74) |
| Becher18 | Longitudinal | Burkina Faso, 2004 | 1999 | 10 122 | 1340 | Infant mortality | Distance from health centre (<10 km, ≥10 km) | RR =1.33 (1.13 to 1.57) |
| Broeck19 | Cohort | DR Congo, 1996 | 1989 | 776 | 57 | Children who died between 0–<3 months | Distance from dispensary (<5 km, ≥5 km) | RR =1.6 (0.9 to 12.9) |
| Daga20 | Cohort | India, 1993 | 1987 | 5200 | – | Perinatal mortality | Distance from health centre (<5 km, ≥5 km) | OR =2.4 (1.78 to 13.32) |
| Diallo21 | Cohort | Burkina Faso, 2011 | 2006–2007 | 864 | 40 | Neonatal mortality | Distance from the health facility (<5 km, ≥5 km) | OR =2.1 (0.9 to 14.8) |
| Magnani22 | Cross-sectional | Niger, 1996 | 1986 | 2075 | 443 | Under-5 mortality | Distance from dispensary (<5 km ≥5 km) | OR =0.68 (0.49 to 0.94) |
| Malqvist23 | Case–control | Viet Nam, 2010 | 2009 | 11 708 | 197 | Neonatal mortality | Children living in remote area | OR=1.96 (1.40 to 12.75) |
| Moisi24 | Longitudinal | Kenya, 2010 | 2003–2006 | 93 216 | 1599 under-5 and 1125 under-1 | Infant and under-5 mortality | Travel time as continuous variable | HR =0.99 (0.095 to 1104) for under-5, HR =0.98 (0.95 to 1.02) for infants |
| Mtango25 | Case–control | Tanzania, 1992 | 1987 | 1160 | 610 | Under-5 mortality | Distance from dispensary (<2 km ≥2 km) | OR =2.30 (1.53 to 13.45) |
| Paul26 | Cross-sectional | Bangladesh 1991 | 1984 | 3781 | 149 | Infant mortality | Distance from qualified physician (<2 miles, ≥2 miles) | OR =1.15 (0.90 to 11.18) |
| Rutherford27 | Case–control | Gambia, 2009 | 2006 | 840 | 140 | Under-5 mortality | Distance from health centre (<3 km, ≥3 km) | OR =1.80 (0.59 to 5.56) |
| Schellenberg28 | Cross-sectional | Tanzania, 2008 | 2004 | 1414 | 559 | Infant mortality | Distance from the health facility (<5 km, ≥5 km) | RR= 1.25, CI (1.0 to 1.5) |
| Shoeps29 | Longitudinal | Burkina Faso, 2011 | 2007 | 24 555 | 3426 | Infant and under-5 mortality | (Travel time as continuous variable) | HR= 1.12 (1.07 to 1.17) |
| Excluded from meta-analysis | ||||||||
| Adair30 | Cross-sectional | Indonesia, 2011 | 2009 | – | – | Infant and under-5 mortality | Travel time to health facility (<30 min, ≥30 min) | Descriptive |
| Ahonsi31 | Cross-sectional | Nigeria, 1981–1986 | 1981–1986 | 3249 | 261 | Neonatal and infant mortality | Distance to a maternity centre (<5 km, ≥5 km) | Descriptive |
| Byass32 | Longitudinal | Ethiopia, 1987–2005 | 1987–2005 | 1884 | 122 infant death | Under-5 mortality | Distance from health centre (<5 km, ≥5 km) | HR =1.27 (0.87 to 1.84) |
| Ombok33 | Longitudinal | Kenya, 2008 | 2002–2006 | 54 057 | 4194 | Infant mortality | Distance from the health facility (<2.2 km, ≥2.2 km) | Descriptive |
| Sankoh34 | Longitudinal | Burkina Faso, 2001 | 1993–1998 | 29 463 | 1031 | Under-5 mortality | Children living > average distance from the village to health centre | Descriptive |
| Sartorius35 | Longitudinal | South Africa | 1992–2006 | 31 804 | 737 | Infant mortality | Distance from the health facility (<5 km, ≥5 km) | IRR=1.18, p=0.607 |
| Sartorius36 | Longitudinal | South Africa | 1992–2007 | 46 675 | 565 | Under-5 mortality | Distance from the health facility (<5 km, ≥5 km) | Descriptive |