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Differences between Oklahoma Indian infant mortality and other races
1National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505.
Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
|January 1, 1991
Summary
Oklahoma Indian infant mortality rates (IMR) are underestimated due to misclassification on death certificates. Actual rates are significantly higher than reported, impacting public health data accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Demography
Background:
- Official infant mortality rates (IMR) for the Oklahoma Indian population show a declining trend.
- Previous data relied on death certificates without comprehensive race verification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the accuracy of reported Indian infant mortality rates in Oklahoma.
- To quantify the impact of racial misclassification on IMR data.
Main Methods:
- Linked 7,631 infant death certificates to birth certificates for the period 1975-1988.
- Analyzed racial concordance between birth and death records.
- Calculated adjusted IMR based on corrected race data.
Main Results:
- Infants identified as Indian at birth had a 28% chance of being misclassified as another race on death certificates.
- This misclassification led to an underestimation of the Indian IMR.
- The estimated actual Indian IMR for 1987-88 was 10.4 per 1,000 live births, compared to the reported 5.8.
Conclusions:
- Racial misclassification significantly inflates the accuracy of Indian infant mortality data in Oklahoma.
- Public health statistics require robust data linkage methods to ensure accurate representation of minority populations.
- Underestimated IMR may mask critical health disparities and hinder targeted interventions for the American Indian population.