info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Explaining Racial Disparities in Infant Health in Brazil
Fecha
2013-09Registro en:
Nyarko, Kwame A.; López Camelo, Jorge Santiago; Castilla, Eduardo Enrique; Wehby, George L.; Explaining Racial Disparities in Infant Health in Brazil; American Public Health Association; American Journal Of Public Health; 103; 9; 9-2013; 1675-1684
0090-0036
1541-0048
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Nyarko, Kwame A.
López Camelo, Jorge Santiago
Castilla, Eduardo Enrique
Wehby, George L.
Resumen
OBJECTIVES: We sought to quantify how socioeconomic, health care, demographic, and geographic effects explain racial disparities in low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB) rates in Brazil.
METHODS: We employed a sample of 8949 infants born between 1995 and 2009 in 15 cities and 7 provinces in Brazil. We focused on disparities in LBW (< 2500 g) and PTB (< 37 gestational weeks) prevalence between infants of African ancestry alone or African mixed with other ancestries, and European ancestry alone. We used a decomposition model to quantify the contributions of conceptually relevant factors to these disparities.
RESULTS: The model explained 45% to 94% of LBW and 64% to 94% of PTB disparities between the African ancestry groups and European ancestry. Differences in prenatal care use and geographic location were the most important contributors, followed by socioeconomic differences. The model explained the majority of the disparities for mixed African ancestry and part of the disparity for African ancestry alone.
CONCLUSIONS: Public policies to improve children's health should target prenatal care and geographic location differences to reduce health disparities between infants of African and European ancestries in Brazil.