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Effects of Social Determinants of Health on Infant Mortality in Washtenaw and Wayne County, Michigan

Infant mortality is the death of an infant within the first year of life, and an infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths per every 1,000 live births. This rate is a very useful statistic because it indicates population health and varies drastically between populations. It is hypothesized that these variations in infant mortality are associated with variations in social determinants of health, which are social factors that affect health outcomes. To study the effect of social determinants of health on infant mortality, two populations—Washtenaw County, Michigan, and Wayne County, Michigan—were studied because, although they share a border, they are very different regarding their average infant mortality rates and various social determinants of health. Infant mortality and social determinant of health data for each county were collected for the years 2010 to 2018 from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the United States Census Bureau (USCB), respectively. After assessing the strength of association between infant mortality and social determinants of health via a binomial regression, no association was found between the infant mortality rates and any one specific social determinant of health for either county. However, one social determinant is not likely to be a good predictor of infant outcomes, so several determinants must be targeted at once to implement meaningful interventions. This could include implementing programs for low-income, minority expecting mothers that educate participants on their heightened risk for infant mortality, provide more patient–provider interactions, and perform home visits for those who do not have reliable transportation. By better understanding how various social determinants of health affect the risk of infant mortality, more focused efforts can be made to address these determinants for vulnerable populations.