Trends in racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality rates in the United States, 1989-2006.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

We sought to measure overall disparities in pregnancy outcome, incorporating data from the many race and ethnic groups that compose the US population, to improve understanding of how disparities may have changed over time.

Methods

We used Birth Cohort Linked Birth-Infant Death Data Files from US Vital Statistics from 1989-1990 and 2005-2006 to examine multigroup indices of racial and ethnic disparities in the overall infant mortality rate (IMR), preterm birth rate, and gestational age-specific IMRs. We calculated selected absolute and relative multigroup disparity metrics weighting subgroups equally and by population size.

Results

Overall IMR decreased on the absolute scale, but increased on the population-weighted relative scale. Disparities in the preterm

SUBMITTER: Rossen LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4103228 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature