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Show Infant Mortality by Race/Ethnicity Race-specific infant mortality rates for minorities are hard to interpret in Utah because of the relatively small population of these subgroups. Almost 94% of Utah is characterized as white; the other races combined make up the remaining 6%. (See Table 5, p. 47). Smaller populations are more likely to have wider swings in rates from year to year. Three year averages are often used to try to mitigate this. National comparisons can also be useful. The comparison of white and black infant mortality rates for the U.S. show that blacks tend to have higher infant mortality rates than whites. National rates for other groups are not available. Infant mortality rates are often used as a measure of a population's general health. When these rates vary by race, as they do here, closer examination of health and social issues may be warranted. Table 28. Black/White Infant Mortality* Utah ** U.S. Year White Black White Black 1980 10.4 25.5 11.0 21.4 1983 9.2 8.2 9.7 19.2 1986 8.5 8.2 8.9 18.0 1989 7.0 12.4 8.2 17.7 1990 7.4 13.0 7.7 17.0 1991 - - 7.3 17.6 ?Deaths per 1,000 Live Births **Utah rates are based on a three-year average. Table 29. Infant Mortality by Race/Ethnicity* American Year Indian Black White Hispanic** Other 1980-1982 10.9 25.5 10.4 - 7.1 1983-1985 10.2 8.2 9.2 - 8.6 1986-1988 11.2 8.2 8.5 9.2 5.9 1989-1991 9.5 12.4 7.0 8.5 7.8 * Deaths per 1,000 Live Births **Hispanic origin can be of any race. Figure 18 Utah Infant Mortality by Race n > 1980-1982 1983-1985 1986-1988 1989-1991 American Indian Black ? White Other Hispanic Note: Hispanic origin can be of any race. Measuring health status is difficult for small populations where small differences in the number of deaths can have large effects on the rates. Utah's Health: An Annual Review 1995 63 |