Evaluating the Prevalence of Maternal Health Indicators on Infant Mortality Rates in Florida

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Infant mortality rate (IMR) is a key public health indicator.
• Florida's IMR declined from 7.0% in 2000 to 5.8% in 2020.
• Significant disparities in IMR exist across Florida counties, particularly between the healthiest and unhealthiest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of risk factors on infant mortality outcomes in Florida.
• To compare infant mortality rates and associated factors between the healthiest and unhealthiest Florida counties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from Florida Health Charts and Pregnancy and Young Child Profiles.
• Analyzed data from 10 Florida counties (5 healthiest, 5 unhealthiest) based on 2022 County Health Rankings.
• Employed t-tests to assess relationships between county health status and health indicators.

Main Results:

• Significant difference in average infant mortality rate (2011-2020) between healthy and unhealthy counties (p-value=0.0000).
• Median household income, poverty rates, and child population percentages differed significantly by county health status.
• No statistically significant differences found for maternal education levels or prenatal care timing/adequacy.

Conclusions:

• Counties with fewer resources (unhealthy counties) experience higher infant mortality rates.
• Unhealthy counties exhibited lower median household income and less access to prenatal care.
• Socioeconomic factors appear to be significant drivers of infant mortality disparities in Florida.