Adolescent Mortality: Dissecting the Link Between Income Levels and Racial Disparities in Georgia
Abstract
Background:
Previous research has shown that adolescents from low-income families and marginalized racial and ethnic groups are more likely to experience premature death due to a wide range of social, economic, and environmental factors. To effectively combat the issue of adolescent mortality rates among vulnerable populations in Georgia, it is crucial to have a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between income inequality and racial disparities.
Objective:
This study aims to explore the correlation between income levels and adolescent total mortality in Georgia counties from 2010 to 2020. Specifically, it focuses on assessing racial disparities in adolescent mortality rates and examining how per-capita income influences the overall mortality rate for adolescents within this timeframe.
Methods:
This ecological study linked county-level aggregated data from 2010 to 2020 of the Georgia Department of Public Health Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS) and the United States Census Bureau. We assessed the association between county per-capita income, adolescent race percentages, county urbanity, and county-level adolescent mortality rates using linear regression.
Results:
A $10,000 increase in the per-capita income corresponds to an average 12.35 decrease in the total death rate per 10,000 adolescents in a Georgia county between 2010 and 2020. The estimate is statistically significant with a p-value <0.0001. Additionally, a 1 unit increase in the percentage of black adolescents corresponds to an average 0.15 increase in total mortality rate per 10,000 adolescents in a given Georgia county.
Discussion:
The results indicate that counties with higher per-capita income have a lower overall adolescent mortality rate. Hence, interventions to increase economic opportunities in Georgia's poorest counties may improve health across various indicators, including reducing adolescent mortality rates. Interventions to reduce mortality may benefit counties with higher proportions of black residents, but the role of chance cannot be ruled out in our findings.
Keywords
Adolescent Mortality, Per-Capital Income, Racial Disparities, Death Rate, Ecological Study
Adolescent Mortality: Dissecting the Link Between Income Levels and Racial Disparities in Georgia
Background:
Previous research has shown that adolescents from low-income families and marginalized racial and ethnic groups are more likely to experience premature death due to a wide range of social, economic, and environmental factors. To effectively combat the issue of adolescent mortality rates among vulnerable populations in Georgia, it is crucial to have a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between income inequality and racial disparities.
Objective:
This study aims to explore the correlation between income levels and adolescent total mortality in Georgia counties from 2010 to 2020. Specifically, it focuses on assessing racial disparities in adolescent mortality rates and examining how per-capita income influences the overall mortality rate for adolescents within this timeframe.
Methods:
This ecological study linked county-level aggregated data from 2010 to 2020 of the Georgia Department of Public Health Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS) and the United States Census Bureau. We assessed the association between county per-capita income, adolescent race percentages, county urbanity, and county-level adolescent mortality rates using linear regression.
Results:
A $10,000 increase in the per-capita income corresponds to an average 12.35 decrease in the total death rate per 10,000 adolescents in a Georgia county between 2010 and 2020. The estimate is statistically significant with a p-value <0.0001. Additionally, a 1 unit increase in the percentage of black adolescents corresponds to an average 0.15 increase in total mortality rate per 10,000 adolescents in a given Georgia county.
Discussion:
The results indicate that counties with higher per-capita income have a lower overall adolescent mortality rate. Hence, interventions to increase economic opportunities in Georgia's poorest counties may improve health across various indicators, including reducing adolescent mortality rates. Interventions to reduce mortality may benefit counties with higher proportions of black residents, but the role of chance cannot be ruled out in our findings.
