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Show A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INFANT MORTALITY IN WEBER COUNTY, SALT LAKE COUNTY AND THE BALANCE OF UTAH, 1985-89 By Barry Nangle, PhD, and Peter C. van Dyck, MD, MPH Introduction This report was prompted by a request from the Weber/Morgan District Health Department for technical assistance in analyzing infant mortality statistics. Despite an overall state-wide decline in the infant mortality rate during the late 1980's, the infant death rate in Weber County during the same period actually increased. The District Health Department hoped that the localized problems contributing to Weber County's persistently high infant death rate might be clarified by comparing maternal and infant health indicators for Weber County with data from other areas of Utah. An important concern in the analysis of infant mortality in metropolitan areas is the lack of socioeconomic homogeneity within these areas. For example, previous analyses have shown that infant mortality in Wasatch Front counties is heavily concentrated in certain low income areas. Thus, public health measures to lower infant mortality are most often targeted at these low-income sectors of the community. Therefore, this analysis uses data concerning Medicaid funded births for Utah from 1985 to 1989 (See Appendix). In some measure, this data set controls for income in the subject populations, and enables a comparison of birth outcomes for low income mothers in Weber County with mothers in other areas of the state. Data Analysis From 1985 to 1989 the Utah infant death rate fell from 9.6 to 8.0 deaths per 1,000 live births. During that same period, infant mortality in Weber County increased from 10.7 to 11.6. Figure 1 shows the rising trend in Weber County infant mortality over this period, compared with a steady decline in the infant death rate in Salt Lake County and the balance of the state. During this period, Utah experienced expanded prenatal services Figure 1 Infant Mortality by County of Residence: Utah, 1985-89 14 13 12 CO 11 sz "C 10 CD 9 o o o 8 «-" 7 <5 Q. 6 52 5 (0 ?c 4 3 2 1 0 Salt Lake County Weber County Balance of State 84 85 86 87 Year 88 89 90 Utah's Health: An Annual Review 1993 125 |