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Race and 1918 Influenza Pandemic in the United States: A Review of the Literature

Author

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  • Helene Økland

    (Department of Business, History and Social Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Raveien 215, 3184 Borre, Norway)

  • Svenn-Erik Mamelund

    (Work Research Institute, OsloMet—Oslo Metropolitan University, PO. Box 4, St. Olavs Plass, 0130 Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

During epidemics, the poorest part of the population usually suffers the most. Alfred Crosby noted that the norm changed during the 1918 influenza pandemic in the US: The black population (which were expected to have higher influenza morbidity and mortality) had lower morbidity and mortality than the white population during the autumn of 1918. Crosby’s explanation for this was that black people were more exposed to a mild spring/summer wave of influenza earlier that same year. In this paper, we review the literature from the pandemic of 1918 to better understand the crossover in the role of race on mortality. The literature has used insurance, military, survey, and routine notification data. Results show that the black population had lower morbidity, and during September, October, and November, lower mortality but higher case fatality than the white population. The results also show that the black population had lower influenza morbidity prior to 1918. The reasons for lower morbidity among the black population both at baseline and during the herald and later waves in 1918 remain unclear. Results may imply that black people had a lower risk of developing the disease given exposure, but when they did get sick, they had a higher risk of dying.

Suggested Citation

  • Helene Økland & Svenn-Erik Mamelund, 2019. "Race and 1918 Influenza Pandemic in the United States: A Review of the Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:14:p:2487-:d:247810
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. James J. Feigenbaum & Christopher Muller & Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, 2019. "Regional and Racial Inequality in Infectious Disease Mortality in U.S. Cities, 1900–1948," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1371-1388, August.
    2. Andrew Noymer & Michel Garenne, 2000. "The 1918 Influenza Epidemic's Effects on Sex Differentials in Mortality in the United States," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 26(3), pages 565-581, September.
    3. Margaret M. Weden, 2007. "Twentieth Century U.S. Racial Inequalities in Mortality Changes in the Average Age of Death and the Variability in the Age of Death for White and non-White Men and Women, 1900-2002," Working Papers WR-497, RAND Corporation.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Zhijuan Song & Xiaocan Jia & Junzhe Bao & Yongli Yang & Huili Zhu & Xuezhong Shi, 2021. "Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Influenza-Like Illness and Prediction of Incidence in High-Risk Regions in the United States from 2011 to 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Basco, Sergi & Domènech, Jordi & Rosés, Joan R., 2024. "Socioeconomic mortality differences during the Great Influenza in Spain," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    5. Laurens Holmes & Michael Enwere & Janille Williams & Benjamin Ogundele & Prachi Chavan & Tatiana Piccoli & Chinacherem Chinaka & Camillia Comeaux & Lavisha Pelaez & Osatohamwen Okundaye & Leslie Staln, 2020. "Black–White Risk Differentials in COVID-19 (SARS-COV2) Transmission, Mortality and Case Fatality in the United States: Translational Epidemiologic Perspective and Challenges," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Stuart Gilmour & Phuong Le Mai & Phuong Nguyen & Bibha Dhungel & Maki Tomizawa & Huy Nguyen, 2020. "Progress towards Health for All: Time to End Discrimination and Marginalization," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-5, March.

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