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Title: The Changing Relationships Between Local Socioeconomic Conditions and Racial Disparities in Infant Mortality

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2023

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Abstract: I investigate racial disparities in infant mortality in the United States and consider how local socioeconomic conditions have shaped these disparities over time, from 1962 to 2016. Initial investigations find higher non-white average incomes are associated with lower non-white infant mortality rates (IMR), while the relationships between white IMR and average white incomes are weak and statistically insignificant. This association is strongest in the early 1960s and the patterns are consistent across regions, counties, and levels of aggregation. Further investigation of this association shows that the finding does not appear to be driven by more local hospitals or hospital beds. In addition, hospitals and hospital beds do not consistently show significant differential associations with non-white infant mortality rates. Further, the average income association with the IMR does not appear to be influenced by fluctuations in unemployment rates. Associations between the IMR and unemployment itself are highly sensitive to the time period examined. Higher poverty rates are associated with higher infant mortality, but this association is present for both whites and non-whites. Including poverty rates in regressions of the IMR on incomes reduces the magnitude of the association between the non-white IMR with non-income somewhat, but a statistically significant relationship remains. Some counterintuitive results with income distribution and inequality point to a need for future investigation. Consistent with the literature, education rates show consistently statistically significant results that a greater share of non-white high school attainment is associated with lower non-white infant mortality rates. However, inclusion of this education measure does not appear to explain the association of non-white infant mortality with average non-white income.

Url: https://www.proquest.com/docview/2817256226/abstract/411843B77B2B48BEPQ/1?accountid=14586

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Authors: Green, E. K

Institution: University of Arizona

Department: Economics

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Pages: 1-159

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Poverty and Welfare, Race and Ethnicity, Reproductive and Sexual Health

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