Marion County Highlights
-
Throughout the 1990-2003 period, the infant mortality rate (IMR) in
Marion County has been higher than the IMR in Indiana, whereas the
race-specific rates are almost the same in Marion County and in the
State. This is mainly due to the fact that the proportion of blacks
among live births is higher in Marion County (27.3% in 2003) than in the
State (10.8% in 2003), and the overall IMR is significantly higher among
blacks (14.2 in 2003 in Marion County) compared to whites (7.4 in 2003
in Marion County).
(Table 7, Table 19,
Figure 39,
Figure 40)
-
Between 1990-1992 and 2001-2003, the IMR in Marion County declined
by 28.4 percent (from 11.6 to 8.3 deaths per 1,000 live births) among
all races combined, by 25.0 percent among whites, and by 31.6 percent
among blacks. However, the rates have been consistently and
significantly higher among blacks compared to whites.
(Table 19,
Figure 39,
Figure
40)
-
In 1999-2003, the IMR among blacks (or non-Hispanic blacks) in
Marion County was 14.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, almost double the
rate of 7.3 among non-Hispanic whites and more than triple the rate of
3.9 among Hispanics.
(Table 23,
Figure 41)
-
The majority of infant deaths occurred during the neonatal period
(<28 days). Between 1990-1994 and 1999-2003, the neonatal mortality
rates declined significantly and similarly among both whites (by 17.7%)
and blacks (by 18.1%). The postneonatal (28-364 days) mortality rate
declined by 22.8 percent among whites; but among blacks, the 27.2
percent decline in the postneonatal mortality rate did not reach
statistical significance mainly due to the small number of deaths in
this category.
(Table 19,
Figure 42)
-
The IMR declined among both female and male infants. The male
infants, however, had a consistently higher IMR than female infants
regardless of race.
(Table 20,
Table 21,
Table 22,
Table 24,
Table 25,
Table 26)
-
The IMR of singleton as well as multiple births declined among both
whites and blacks, with a persistent racial disparity in IMR which was
wider for singletons than for multiple births.
(Table 21,
Table 22)
-
There has been a downward trend in IMR among all birth-weight
categories for both whites and blacks, with a consistently higher IMR
among blacks.
(Table 21,
Table 22,
Figure 43,
Figure 44)
-
Between 1990-1994 and 1999-2003, the IMR of low birth-weight (LBW)
infants (<2,500 grams) declined significantly among whites (by 21.8%)
and among blacks (by 19.7%). The IMR of very low birth-weight (VLBW)
infants (<1,500 grams) declined significantly among blacks (by 21.6%)
but not among whites (by 18.8%). The IMR of normal birth-weight (NBW)
infants (≥2,500 grams) declined among both whites (by 27%) and blacks
(by 34.9%), but the decline was not statistically significant among
blacks.
(Table 25,
Table 26,
Figure 45,
Figure 46,
Figure 47)
-
Between 1990-1994 and 1999-2003, the IMR of preterm (<37 weeks of
gestation) as well as term (≥37 weeks) infants declined among whites and
blacks, but the change was statistically significant only among whites.
The infant mortality rates, however, were consistently higher among
blacks compared to whites for both preterm and term births.
(Table 25,
Table 26,
Figure 48,
Figure 49)
-
Throughout the 1990-2003 period, the IMR among infants born to
teenage mothers (<20 years of age) was higher than the IMR among infants
born to adult mothers (≥20 years of age) and the rates declined among
both age groups for blacks as well as for whites. The racial gap in IMR,
however, was persistent among both age groups.
(Table 20,
Table 21,
Table 22,
Figure 50,
Figure 51)
-
During the early 1990s in Marion County, the IMR among infants born
to adult mothers with less than high school education was noticeably
higher than the IMR among infants born to mothers with 12 or more years
of education for both whites and blacks. In recent years, however, the
IMR among infants born to less educated mothers has declined to levels
more similar to that of more educated mothers.
(Table 21,
Table 22,
Table 25,
Table 26,
Figure 52,
Figure 53)
-
Despite the decline in IMR among infants born to less educated
mothers, the magnitude of racial disparity has remained the same,
regardless of the maternal level of education.
(Table 21,
Table 22,
Figure 54,
Figure 55,
Figure 56)
-
Between 1990-1994 and 1999-2003, the IMR among infants born to adult
mothers with less than 12 years of education dropped by 47 percent among
whites (from 14.5 to 7.7 deaths per 1,000 live births) and by 28 percent
among blacks (from 21.9 to 15.8), but the change was statistically
significant only among whites.
(Table 25,
Table 26,
Table 12,
Figure 57)
-
Throughout the 1990-2003 period, the infant mortality rates were
higher among infants born to unmarried mothers than among infants born
to married mothers; however, the rates declined more noticeably among
infants born to unmarried mothers than among infants born to married
mothers.
(Table 20,
Table 21,
Table 22,
Figure 58,
Figure 59,
Figure 60)
-
Between 1990-1994 and 1999-2003, the IMR among infants born to
unmarried mothers declined significantly among both whites (by 34.9%)
and blacks (by 19.4%); however, the rates were higher among blacks
compared to whites, regardless of marital status.
(Table 25,
Table 26,
Figure 61)
-
The infant mortality rates were higher among infants born to women
who received adequate plus/intensive care or inadequate care than among
infants born to women who received adequate care. Between 1990-1994 and
1999-2003, the IMR declined to a greater extent among infants born to
mothers who received adequate plus care and inadequate care than among
infants born to mothers who received adequate care; however, the
magnitude of change was statistically significant only among white
mothers who received adequate plus care.
(Table 25,
Table 26,
Figure 62)
-
Throughout the 1990-2003 period, the IMR among infants born to
mothers who smoked during pregnancy has been higher than the IMR among
infants born to non-smoking mothers for both races, but the rates
declined consistently only among white smokers.
(Table 21,
Table 22,
Figure 63,
Figure 64)
-
Between 1990-1994 and 1999-2003, the IMR among infants born to
mothers who smoked during pregnancy declined by 41.0 percent among
whites (statistically significant) and by 16.4 percent among blacks (not
significant).
(Table 25,
Table 26,
Figure 65)
-
In general, the IMR declined in Marion County among both whites and
blacks. The magnitude of decline was larger among infants born to
mothers in higher risk categories such as teen, less educated, unmarried
mothers. The racial disparity in IMR, however, was present regardless of
the characteristics of the mother.
Back to Contents |