In all poor countries, malnutrition and infectious diseases are the major biological processes leading to child deaths, but the social, economic, and environmental determinants of the variations in these conditions in different societies are poorly understood. This 1985 volume contains papers by specialists within the two separate disciplines - demography and epidemiology - primarily concerned with investigating such topics. The overriding objective is to specify the many independent and proximate variables that determine health status and to point out critical interrelationships. The presentations are intended to promote vital policy-relevant research in less-developed countries.