Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shi Ting, Wenbin Zang, Chen Chen, Dapeng Chen
Summary: Income inequality has become one of the most serious social problems in China, affecting individuals' health. The study finds that an increase in the income share of the rich is associated with deteriorating health. There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between income inequality and individuals' health status. Additionally, income inequality affects health through accessibility to healthcare facilities and public infrastructure, as well as hazardous health behaviors such as smoking and alcohol use.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kamaldeen Mohammed, Abdul Razak Abubakari, Daniel Amoak, Roger Antabe, Isaac Luginaah
Summary: Despite significant advances in medicine and child healthcare globally, under-five mortality remains high in countries like Ghana in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzed data from Ghana in 2017 and found disparities in under-five mortality time across different geographic regions, with various factors significantly associated with the timing of child mortality. Therefore, policy interventions should prioritize healthcare services in rural areas and improvements in urban areas to reduce child mortality risk.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kiara Wyndham Douds, Ethan J. Raker
Summary: This article examines the geography of ethnoracial inequalities in low birth weight (LBW) in the United States, showing a stark racial hierarchy with Black infants experiencing the most disadvantage. Spatial variation in ethnoracial LBW inequalities is driven by greater variation in infants of color's health across counties relative to Whites. The contextual factors predicting LBW disparities include segregation, socioeconomic inequality, and urbanization in counties.
SSM-POPULATION HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Betregiorgis Zegeye, Gebretsadik Shibre, Jemal Haidar, Gorems Lemma
Summary: This study examined the inequality in Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in Yemen, finding that wealth, education, urban-rural, and sex-based disparities impact IMR. The results indicated a higher concentration of IMR among male infants from disadvantaged subpopulations such as poorest/poor households, uneducated mothers, and rural residents. Interventions targeting these vulnerable groups are needed to address the observed inequalities.
ARCHIVES OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alice Harpur, Jon Minton, Julie Ramsay, Gerry McCartney, Lynda Fenton, Harry Campbell, Rachael Wood
Summary: While Scotland has seen a decrease in infant mortality rates and stillbirth rates between 2000 and 2018, socio-economic inequalities persist, with trends suggesting a possible worsening of mortality rates among the most deprived groups.
Article
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Emily Rauscher, Ailish Burns
Summary: In the late 1980s, states implemented reforms to reduce administrative burdens and improve access to Medicaid and prenatal care, alongside Medicaid expansion for pregnant women and children. The study shows that the combination of administrative reforms resulted in increased Medicaid enrollment and significantly improved infant health, almost as much as Medicaid expansion. These reforms had greater benefits for racially and socioeconomically marginalized mothers, but targeted reforms could further address unequal barriers and improve equality. The benefits of these reforms were greater in states with a higher number of physicians per capita, particularly for marginalized mothers. Overall, the findings suggest that combined policy responses are necessary to address unequal barriers.
RSF-THE RUSSELL SAGE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Davidson H. Hamer, Hiwote Solomon, Gopika Das, Tanner Knabe, Jennifer Beard, Jon Simon, Yasir B. Nisar, William B. MacLeod
Summary: This analysis reviews the trends in early and exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and their impact on reducing childhood diarrhoea. The study found an increase in early and exclusive breastfeeding rates, but the uptake remains suboptimal globally.
JOURNAL OF GLOBAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mariko Kanamori, Naoki Kondo, Yasuhide Nakamura
Summary: This study revealed a rising inter-occupational inequality in infant mortality rate (IMR) in Japan from 1999 to 2017. The IMR was significantly higher for farming and unemployed workers compared to higher-income occupations. Further research using individual-level data is needed to understand the mechanisms behind this increase.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Stefanie J. Hollenbach, Loralei L. Thornburg, J. Christopher Glantz, Elaine Hill
Summary: This study examined the association between the redlining practice and modern obstetric outcomes disparities, indicating that historic structural racism continues to impact contemporary healthcare outcomes.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Megan Evans, Corina Graif, Stephen A. Matthews
Summary: Infant health problems in socioeconomically vulnerable communities in the United States affect interneighborhood commuting mobility and neighborhoods' integration into the citywide employment network. Longitudinal network analyses reveal that these health problems isolate communities from the employment network and reduce mobility ties between communities.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ronan McCabe, Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi, Ruth Dundas, Mika Gissler, Peter Craig
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of the Finnish Maternity Grant, which includes the Finnish Baby Box, on infant mortality rates. The introduction of the grant in 1938 was associated with an increase in infant mortality rates, while the universalization of the grant in 1949 was associated with a decrease in infant mortality rates. However, the changes in mortality rates cannot be solely attributed to the baby box policy, as other factors such as the Second World War may have influenced the results. Therefore, the relationship between the Finnish Baby Box or similar interventions and infant mortality remains unclear.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shaobin Wang, Zhoupeng Ren, Xianglong Liu
Summary: A Bayesian spatiotemporal model was applied to assess the detailed spatiotemporal evolution of neonatal mortality rate (NMR), infant mortality rate (IMR), and child mortality rate (CMR) globally. The results showed a continuous decreasing trend in NMR, IMR, and CMR worldwide, but significant differences and widening gaps still exist among countries. This study provides important implications for reducing health inequality in newborns, infants, and children's health globally.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marciane Kessler, Elaine Thume, Michael Marmot, James Macinko, Luiz Augusto Facchini, Fulvio Borges Nedel, Louriele Soares Wachs, Pamela Moraes Volz, Cesar de Oliveira
Summary: The Family Health Strategy plays a protective role in reducing social inequalities in mortality among older adults, particularly those aged 60 to 64. It modifies the effect of wealth on mortality, protecting the poorest from the impact of death.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Haoming Wu, Yang Wang, Huiying Li, Lu Meng, Nan Zheng, Jiaqi Wang
Summary: Endotoxin is a complex molecule derived from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, posing a threat to the health of infants by damaging the intestinal flora. Although there is no clear evidence that endotoxin levels in infant food cause significant immune symptoms or diseases in infants, it is still important to take preventive measures.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Cecilia Veas, Francisca Crispi, Cristobal Cuadrado
Summary: Gender inequality in OECD countries is associated with lower life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, increased premature mortality and morbidity. Promoting gender equality is crucial for optimizing population health outcomes.