Measuring variation in infant mortality and deaths of despair by US congressional district in Pennsylvania: a methodological case study.

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  • Additional Information
    • Source:
      Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7910653 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1476-6256 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00029262 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Epidemiol Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Publication: Cary, NC : Oxford University Press
      Original Publication: Baltimore, School of Hygiene and Public Health of Johns Hopkins Univ.
    • Subject Terms:
      Infant Mortality*/trends ; Health Status Disparities*; Humans ; Pennsylvania/epidemiology ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn
    • Abstract:
      Many ecological studies examine health outcomes and disparities using administrative boundaries such as census tracts, counties, or states. These boundaries help us to understand the patterning of health by place, along with impacts of policies implemented at these levels. However, additional geopolitical units (units with both geographic and political meaning), such as congressional districts (CDs), present further opportunities to connect research with public policy. Here we provide a step-by-step guide on how to conduct disparities-focused analysis at the CD level. As an applied case study, we use geocoded vital statistics data from 2010-2015 to examine levels of and disparities in infant mortality and deaths of despair in the 19 US CDs of Pennsylvania for the 111th-112th (2009-2012) Congresses and 18 CDs for the 113th-114th (2013-2016) Congresses. We also provide recommendations for extending CD-level analysis to other outcomes, states, and geopolitical boundaries, such as state legislative districts. Increased surveillance of health outcomes at the CD level can help prompt policy action and advocacy and, hopefully, reduce rates of and disparities in adverse health outcomes.
      (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].)
    • Grant Information:
      DP5 OD026429 United States OD NIH HHS; K01 AI168579 United States AI NIAID NIH HHS; R21 MH125261 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS
    • Contributed Indexing:
      Keywords: areal units; congressional districts; health disparities; mortality; political epidemiology
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20240227 Date Completed: 20240708 Latest Revision: 20240724
    • Publication Date:
      20240726
    • Accession Number:
      10.1093/aje/kwae016
    • Accession Number:
      38412272