The unique impact of abolition of Jim Crow laws on reducing inequities in infant death rates and implications for choice of comparison groups in analyzing societal determinants of health
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OBJECTIVES: We explored associations between the abolition of Jim Crow laws (i.e., state laws legalizing racial discrimination overturned by the 1964 US Civil Rights Act) and birth cohort trends in infant death rates. METHODS: We analyzed 1959 to 2006 US Black and White infant death rates within and across sets of states (polities) with and without Jim Crow laws. RESULTS: Between 1965 and 1969, a unique convergence of Black infant death rates occurred across polities; in 1960 to 1964, the Black infant death rate was 1.19 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18, 1.20) in the Jim Crow polity than in the non-Jim Crow polity, whereas in 1970 to 1974 the rate ratio shrank to and remained at approximately 1 (with the 95% CI including 1) until 2000, when it rose to 1.10 (95% CI = 1.08, 1.12). No such convergence occurred for Black-White differences in infant death rates or for White infants. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that abolition of Jim Crow laws affected US Black infant death rates and that valid analysis of societal determinants of health requires appropriate comparison groups.
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The ratio of Black infant mortality rates in Jim Crow versus non Jim Crow states fell from 1.19 from 1960 through 1964 to 1.0 from 1970 until 2000, with no changes in similar comparisons for White infants.
“The researchers find that the ratio of Black infant mortality rates in Jim Crow versus non Jim Crow states fell from 1.19 from 1960 through 1964 to 1.0 from 1970 until 2000, with no changes in similar comparisons for White infants.”
From Civil rights as determinants of public health and racial and ethnic health equity: Health care, education, employment, and housing in the United States (2018) · cites this paper as Krieger et al. (2013)
Health disparities in infant mortality between states with and without Jim Crow laws were eliminated following enactment and enforcement of the CRA.
“The finding suggests health disparities in infant mortality between states with and without Jim Crow laws were eliminated following enactment and enforcement of the CRA Krieger et al. (2013).”
From Civil rights as determinants of public health and racial and ethnic health equity: Health care, education, employment, and housing in the United States (2018) · cites this paper as Krieger et al. (2013)
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- Authors
- Krieger, N., Chen, J. T., Coull, B., Waterman, P. D., & Beckfield, J.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- American Public Health Association
- Published
- 2013-12
- Volume
- 103
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 2234-2244
- ISSN
- 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-0048
- PMC
- PMC3828968
- OpenAlex
- W2073537294
- Cited by
- 178
- References
- 67
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 7.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Cancer Institute (R21CA168470)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
- Keywords
- Jim Crow laws, infant mortality, racial disparities, Black infants, Civil Rights Act of 1964, comparison groups, racial discrimination, birth cohort trends
- MeSH terms
- Black or African American, Civil Rights, Humans, Infant Mortality, Infant, Newborn, United States, Cohort Studies, Confidence Intervals, Censuses, Supreme Court Decisions, White People, Racism
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