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[Explaining racial disparities in infant health in Brazil]

Kwame A Nyarko1, Jorge López-Camelo2, Eduardo E Castilla2

  • 1Departamento de Gestión y Políticas de Salud, Universidad de Iowa en la ciudad de Iowa, Iowa, Estados Unidos de América, george-wehby@uiowa.edu.

Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica = Pan American Journal of Public Health
|May 30, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Racial disparities in low birth weight and preterm birth in Brazil are significantly influenced by differences in prenatal care and geographic location. These factors, along with socioeconomic status, explain a substantial portion of these health inequities.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health Disparities

Background:

  • Racial disparities in infant health outcomes, specifically low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB), are a significant concern in Brazil.
  • Understanding the multifactorial nature of these disparities is crucial for developing effective public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the extent to which socioeconomic, health care, demographic, and geographic factors contribute to racial disparities in LBW and PTB rates in Brazil.
  • To identify the primary drivers of these disparities between infants of African ancestry and European ancestry.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of a large sample of 8,949 infants born in Brazil between 1995 and 2009 across 15 cities and 7 provinces.
  • Utilized a decomposition model to assess the contribution of various factors to disparities in LBW (< 2,500 g) and PTB (< 37 weeks).
  • Compared infants of African ancestry (alone or mixed) with infants of European ancestry.

Main Results:

  • The model explained a significant portion of the disparities, ranging from 45% to 94% for LBW and 64% to 94% for PTB.
  • Differences in prenatal care utilization and geographic location were identified as the most influential factors.
  • Socioeconomic differences also played a notable role, with varying contributions for mixed and solely African ancestry groups.

Conclusions:

  • Public health policies aimed at reducing infant health disparities in Brazil should prioritize interventions addressing disparities in prenatal care and geographic access.
  • Targeting these key areas can help mitigate the significant health inequities observed between infants of African and European ancestries.
Abstract

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