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Mapping Geographic Variation in Infant Mortality and Related Black-White Disparities in the US
Lauren M Rossen1, Diba Khan, Kenneth C Schoendorf
1From the aInfant, Child, and Women's Health Statistics Branch, Office of Analysis and Epidemiology, bOffice of Research Methodology, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD. cThe Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai, Baltimore, MD.
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|May 20, 2016
Summary
Black infants face higher mortality rates than white infants across all US counties. Infant mortality disparities show geographic variation, highlighting the need to address racial inequities in the US.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- Black infants experience more than double the mortality rate of white infants in the first year of life.
- Previous research on infant mortality disparities was confined to large metropolitan areas, leaving much of the US unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze geographic variations in county-level infant mortality rate disparities between Black and white infants across the contiguous US.
- To map mortality rates and disparities for Black and white infants at the county level.
Main Methods:
- Utilized national linked birth and infant death data from 2004-2011 for the 48 contiguous states and District of Columbia.
- Employed Bayesian shared component models in OpenBUGS to analyze spatial and racial variations.
- Generated posterior estimates for infant mortality rates and disparities.
Main Results:
- Black infants consistently had higher infant mortality rates than white infants in all counties analyzed.
- Significant geographic variation was observed in the magnitude of both relative and absolute infant mortality disparities.
- The average infant mortality rate for Black infants was 5.9 per 1,000 higher than for white infants, and 2.2 times greater overall.
Conclusions:
- County-level analysis of infant mortality rates and racial disparities is crucial for understanding and addressing inequities.
- Findings can inform targeted interventions to reduce the disproportionate burden of infant mortality among Black infants in the US.
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