Reconceptualizing Measures of Racial Disparity in Infant Mortality In U.S. Counties

Dr. Benjamin Sosnaud

Trinity University

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Research on racial disparities in infant mortality primarily relies on two measures
of inequality between black and white infants: rateratios and ratedifferences. In
this project, Dr. Sosnaud systematically evaluates these metrics as tools for
assessing variation in black-white disparities in infant mortality across U.S.
counties. He presents evidence that both metrics have limitations in identifying
counties that can serve as a model for, or target of, institutional interventions. In
response to these limitations, he introduces a new method for calculating these
measures that better captures disparities that are relevant to health policy and practice.