State and Local Government Expenditures and Infant Mortality in the United States.
Journal
Pediatrics
ISSN: 1098-4275
Titre abrégé: Pediatrics
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0376422
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
11 2020
11 2020
Historique:
accepted:
26
08
2020
pubmed:
21
10
2020
medline:
15
12
2020
entrez:
20
10
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Evidence suggests that government expenditures on non-health care services can reduce infant mortality, but it is unclear what types of spending have the greatest impact among groups at highest risk. Thus, we sought to quantify how US state government spending on various services impacted infant mortality rates (IMRs) over time and whether spending differentially reduced mortality in some subpopulations. A longitudinal, repeated-measures study of US state-level infant mortality and state and local government spending for the years 2000-2016, the most recent data available. Expenditures included spending on education, social services, and environment and housing. Using generalized linear regression models, we assessed how changes in spending impacted infant mortality over time, overall and stratified by race and ethnicity and maternal age group. State and local governments spend, on average, $9 per person. A $0.30 per-person increase in environmental spending was associated with a decrease of 0.03 deaths per 1000 live births, and a $0.73 per-person increase in social services spending was associated with a decrease of 0.02 deaths per 1000 live births. Infants born to mothers aged <20 years had the single greatest benefit from an increase in expenditures compared with all other groups. Increased expenditures in public health, housing, parks and recreation, and solid waste management were associated with the greatest reduction in overall IMR. Investment in non-health care services was associated with lower IMRs among certain high-risk populations. Continued investments into improved social and environmental services hold promise for further reducing IMR disparities.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Evidence suggests that government expenditures on non-health care services can reduce infant mortality, but it is unclear what types of spending have the greatest impact among groups at highest risk. Thus, we sought to quantify how US state government spending on various services impacted infant mortality rates (IMRs) over time and whether spending differentially reduced mortality in some subpopulations.
METHODS
A longitudinal, repeated-measures study of US state-level infant mortality and state and local government spending for the years 2000-2016, the most recent data available. Expenditures included spending on education, social services, and environment and housing. Using generalized linear regression models, we assessed how changes in spending impacted infant mortality over time, overall and stratified by race and ethnicity and maternal age group.
RESULTS
State and local governments spend, on average, $9 per person. A $0.30 per-person increase in environmental spending was associated with a decrease of 0.03 deaths per 1000 live births, and a $0.73 per-person increase in social services spending was associated with a decrease of 0.02 deaths per 1000 live births. Infants born to mothers aged <20 years had the single greatest benefit from an increase in expenditures compared with all other groups. Increased expenditures in public health, housing, parks and recreation, and solid waste management were associated with the greatest reduction in overall IMR.
CONCLUSIONS
Investment in non-health care services was associated with lower IMRs among certain high-risk populations. Continued investments into improved social and environmental services hold promise for further reducing IMR disparities.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33077541
pii: peds.2020-1134
doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-1134
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Type : ErratumIn
Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.