Religious affiliation and child mortality in Ireland: A country-wide analysis based on the 1911 Census

Abstract

BACKGROUND Previous studies have identified a link between religious affiliation and child mortality, yet the underlying factors that contributed to this association are not fully understood. OBJECTIVE This study investigates how religious affiliation impacted child mortality in early 20th century Ireland, controlling for socioeconomic status, literacy, and place of residence at both the individual and contextual level. METHODS We utilize the 1911 IPUMS Irish census, indirect techniques, and regression analysis to examine the role of religious affiliation in child mortality. We therefore perform various OLS regressions, controlling for demographic factors and socioeconomic conditions at both the individual and contextual level, as well as for the three major religious groups.