Individual- and County-Level Factors Associated with Racial Disparities in Cause-Specific Infant Mortality: Florida 1980–2000

Abstract

The period 1980–2000 was important for infant health in the United States. During this time, dramatic social change and substantial improvements in medical perinatal care produced striking improvements in infant health and survival. Despite overall declines in infant mortality from all causes some evidence has suggested that relative racial disparities have persisted and even widened during this period. While the maternal socio-demographic factors associated with these racial disparities are well-established, several points remain unclear. First, there is some uncertainty regarding which causes have contributed to the widening racial disparities in infant mortality. Second, it is uncertain how the changing social context may have affected these patterns. Finally, it is unknown which has been more influential, changes in the social context or changes in maternal socio-demographic characteristics.