Does Economic Inequality Relate to Infanticide? Analysis of 15 Years of Death Records and Representative Economic Data

Abstract

Background: Is there a relationship of economic inequality and fluctuations with infanticide? There is a lack of studies on socioeconomic factors that trigger infanticide. Our study aims to analyse statistically the effect of these factors on the infanticide rate. Methods: We used infant death records in South Korea from 2003 to 2017 and assessed the impact of unemployment rate and various statistical indicators (e.g. GDP and income inequality index) on the infanticide rate. A generalized additive model and quasi-Poisson regression were used for statistical analyses. Findings: A time-trend analysis shows that the infanticide rate tended to grow despite a decreasing trend in the total infant death rate. A 1% increase in the unemployment rate is associated with a significant rise in the relative risk of infanticide after a lag of two quarters. (RR [95% CI]: 1⋅66 [1⋅08-2⋅57]). RRs increased significantly after three and four quarters after 0⋅1 rise in the p80/p20 ratio (income inequality index) (1⋅08 [1⋅01-1⋅14], 1⋅07 [1⋅01-1⋅13], respectively). Interpretation: Policymakers should pay attention to these factors while formulating healthcare regulations to protect vulnerable infants and their parents, both of whom are victims of infanticide. Funding Statement: The authors state: None. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The data used in this study did not include any personal information. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Yonsei University Health System approved the current study design (IRB number: Y-2017-0100).