Related Experiment Videos
Race- and rank-specific infant mortality in a US military population
1Department of Pediatrics, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash 98431-5000.
Insights
Black infant mortality rates were lower in a military population compared to the US average. This suggests that guaranteed healthcare access and socioeconomic factors may reduce racial disparities in infant mortality.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Sociology
Background:
- Significant racial disparities exist in US infant mortality rates, with Black infants experiencing approximately double the mortality of White infants.
- These disparities are often linked to socioeconomic factors like poverty and unequal access to healthcare for Black Americans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate race- and rank-specific infant mortality rates within a military population.
- To compare these rates to national averages and explore potential contributing factors.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of infant mortality data for dependents of military personnel at Madigan Army Medical Center from 1985 to 1990.
- Comparison of mortality rates across different racial groups and military ranks.
Main Results:
- The overall infant mortality rate in the study population was 9.3 deaths per 1000 live births, comparable to the US national rate in 1987.
- Infant mortality rates did not significantly differ between families of junior enlisted soldiers and officers.
- The mortality rate for Black infants in this cohort was 11.1 deaths per 1000 live births, notably lower than the 1987 US national rate of 17.9 for Black Americans.
Conclusions:
- The military setting, with its guaranteed healthcare access, higher educational attainment, and income levels, may mitigate racial disparities in infant mortality.
- These findings highlight the potential impact of socioeconomic factors and healthcare accessibility on reducing racial inequalities in infant health outcomes.
Abstract:
Mortality among black infants in the United States is approximately twice that among white infants. The disparity has been attributed in large part to the higher incidence of poverty and limited access to health care among black Americans. We investigated race- and rank-specific infant mortality rates among dependents of military officers and soldiers at Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, Wash, between 1985 and 1990. The overall infant mortality rate was 9.3 deaths per 1000 live births compared with 10.1 deaths per 1000 live births in the United States in 1987. Mortality rates for infants born to families of junior enlisted soldiers were similar to those for infants born to families of noncommissioned and commissioned officers. The mortality rate among black infants was 11.1 deaths per 1000 live births compared with 17.9 deaths per 1000 live births among all black Americans in 1987. These lower rates of mortality among black infants may be due to guaranteed access to health care and higher levels of family education and income in the multiracial subpopulation served by our medical center compared with the nation as a whole.