Seminar: Effect of Racial Residential Segregation on Black Infant Mortality and Infant Mortality Disparities
Mary Hearst, M.P.H. Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota
| What | MPC Seminar Series |
|---|---|
| When |
April 02, 2007 07:15 AM
April 02, 2007 08:15 AM
April 02, 2007 from 12:15 pm to 01:15 pm |
| Where | MPC Seminar Room |
| Contact Email | mpc@umn.edu |
| Contact Phone | 612-624-8806 |
| Add event to calendar |
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ABSTRACT: Previous ecological studies have reported that segregation is associated with high U.S. black infant mortality rates (IMR). Segregation restricts social and economic advantage and imposes negative environmental exposures, subsequently affecting the social and environmental exposure that black women and infants experience. For this study, I included in my sample all black and white infants residing in cities with 250,000+ residents from the 2000-2002 U.S. Linked Birth Death (LBD) record, and used the isolation index dichotomized to represent high (≥0.60) and low segregated cities, stratified by economic condition of cities. Effect estimates were calculated for blacks and whites independently, with individual and ratio comparisons. Results indicate no statistically significant difference between the IMR of blacks or whites in segregated verses non-segregated cities, regardless of economic status of place. Although there appears to be no causal effect of segregation on black infant mortality or white infant mortality given the model, the IMR for blacks compared to whites are high (2-3 times higher) regardless of maternal characteristics, segregation and economic status of place.
MPC Seminars are held in 50 Willey Hall on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota Minneapolis Campus.