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Infant mortality: explaining black/white disparities in Wisconsin
DeAnnah R Byrd1, Murray L Katcher, Paul Peppard
1Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. drbyrd@milwaukee.gov
Maternal and Child Health Journal
|May 3, 2007
Summary
Black infants face a significantly higher risk of mortality compared to white infants. While factors like birth weight and prenatal care reduce this disparity, a substantial gap remains, indicating underlying issues beyond these variables.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Perinatal Health
Background:
- Black/white disparities in infant mortality rates persist in Wisconsin.
- Understanding contributing factors is crucial for reducing these disparities and improving birth outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine multiple determinants of infant mortality.
- To understand the impact of specific risk factors on infant mortality rates for black and white infants in Wisconsin.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health database (1998-2002).
- Conducted bivariate analysis of relative risks (RR) for infant mortality (black vs. white).
- Employed regression analyses to examine the relationship between infant mortality rate and selected risk factors.
Main Results:
- Unadjusted, black infants had a 3.0 times higher mortality risk than white infants.
- Adjusting for gestational age and birth weight reduced the risk to 1.9 and 1.3, respectively.
- Even with similar risk profiles, black infants had a 2-fold excess risk of death; controlling for key factors like prenatal care and education reduced but did not eliminate this disparity.
Conclusions:
- Improving prenatal care and maternal education can lower infant mortality within racial groups but may widen the black/white gap.
- Targeted interventions are needed, as equal program application benefits the white population more.
- Further research is required to identify complex factors contributing to black infant mortality.
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