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Comparative Study
. 1998 Apr;88(4):651-6.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.88.4.651.

Infant mortality differences between whites and African Americans: the effect of maternal education

R Din-Dzietham  1 , I Hertz-Picciotto
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Infant mortality differences between whites and African Americans: the effect of maternal education

R Din-Dzietham et al. Am J Public Health. 1998 Apr.

Abstract

Objectives: Despite decreasing infant mortality in North Carolina, the gap between African Americans and Whites persists. This study examined how racial differences in infant mortality vary by maternal education.

Methods: Data came from Linked Birth and Infant Death files for 1988 through 1993. Multiple logistic regression models adjusted for confounders.

Results: Infant mortality risk ratios comparing African Americans and Whites increased with higher levels of maternal education. Education beyond high school reduced risk of infant mortality by 20% among Whites but had little effect among African Americans.

Conclusions: Higher education magnifies racial differences in infant mortality on a multiplicative scale. Possible reasons include greater stress, fewer economic resources, and poorer quality of prenatal care among African Americans.

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