Organizational Affiliation: Rhode Island Department of Health Office of Health Statistics
Author: Jay S. Buechner
Date: August 2000
Contact Information: Jay S. Buechner
RI Department of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI, 02905-5094
Pages: 2
Content Summary
The goal for this report is to present the result of the analyses of homicide rates, infant mortality rates, and lead poisoning rates as key indicators for revealing significant racial disparities in health in Rhode Island.
Major Findings
The key findings of these analyses were that there are indeed significant racial disparities in health. The homicide rates for blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics were significantly higher than those for Asians and whites. The rate for blacks was eight times the state wide rate. From 1989-1991 the homicide rate in Rhode Island decreased 33%. The rate declined 83% for Asians and 71% for Native Americans and 34% for Hispanics. However, blacks only experienced a 7% decline in that same time period. The infant mortality rate in Rhode Island is low in comparison to the rest of the US , but the racial disparities are significantly high. In the time period from 1995-1997, rates for blacks, Native Americans, and Hispanics were from 31% to 127% higher than the Rhode Island rate; however, the rate for Asians was 27% below the state average. Unfortunately, according to this report, since 1991 the infant mortality rate for Hispanics has increased by 31%. On the last health indicator analyzed for this report the trends of disparity were shown to be the same. In 1988, rates of elevated blood lead levels were higher for children in all minority populations and the rate for Asian children was almost six times the Rhode Island rate. Since that time, rates for Black and Native American children have decreased by 49% & 22%, respectively, but even these decreases have occurred less rapidly than the statewide average decline. In addition, the blood lead rate for Asian children has increased by 44%. These key indicators reveal that racial disparities in health are very dramatic in Rhode Island . The authors conclude that is important to address these disparities and to continue to strive for elimination of all racial disparities in health in Rhode Island.
Unaddressed Issues or Concerns
This report shows that the infant mortality rate for Hispanics has increased significantly, but does not adequately explain this phenomenon. Numerous studies have shown that women of color are at increased risk for poor birth outcomes compared to white women (Anachebe S40 & Gould e680). According to Gould et al, socioeconomic or demographic factors, immigration factors, extent of prenatal care, or established maternal perinatal outcomes do not wholly account for this disparity; instead the authors suggest that perhaps unidentified perinatal risk factors must be uncovered and addressed in order to address the disparity (Gould e681). In a 1998 study, on childhood lead poisoning, the authors suggest that regional histories of industrialization, housing, public policy intervention, and income, race, nativity, and geography must be analyzed to completely understand the racial disparities in the prevalence of childhood lead poisoning (Bailey 110). Therefore, more attention must be paid to uncovering newer explanations and analyses for these disparities are needed to understand current trends.
Reference List
Anachebe, Ngozi F. and Madeline Y. Sutton. (2003). " Racial Disparities in Reproductive Health Outcomes." American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 188(4): S37-42.
Bailey, Adrian J.; James D.Sargent, Megan K. Blake. "A Tale of Two Counties: Childhood Lead Poisoning, Industrialization, and Abatement in New England." Economic Geography. 74 (1998): 96-111.
Gould, Jeffrey B., Ashima Madan,Cheng Qin, and Gilberto Chavez. "Perinatal Outcomes in Two Dissimilar Immigrant Populations in the United States : A Dual Epidemiologic Paradox." Pediatrics. 111.6 (2003): e676-682.
How to Access Report http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/statistics/Hbn2-8.pdf