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Infant Mortality Rate as a Measure of a Country’s Health: A Robust Method to Improve Reliability and Comparability

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  • Robert M. Gonzalez

    (University of South Carolina)

  • Donna Gilleskie

    (University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill)

Abstract

Researchers and policymakers often rely on the infant mortality rate as an indicator of a country’s health. Despite arguments about its relevance, uniform measurement of infant mortality is necessary to guarantee its use as a valid measure of population health. Using important socioeconomic indicators, we develop a novel method to adjust country-specific reported infant mortality figures. We conclude that an augmented measure of mortality that includes both infant and late fetal deaths should be considered when assessing levels of social welfare in a country. In addition, mortality statistics that exhibit a substantially high ratio of late fetal to early neonatal deaths should be more closely scrutinized.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert M. Gonzalez & Donna Gilleskie, 2017. "Infant Mortality Rate as a Measure of a Country’s Health: A Robust Method to Improve Reliability and Comparability," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(2), pages 701-720, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:demogr:v:54:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s13524-017-0553-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s13524-017-0553-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jamie M. Sommer, 2020. "Corruption and Health expenditure: A Cross-National Analysis on Infant and Child Mortality," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(3), pages 690-717, July.
    2. Christian Posso & Jorge Tamayo & Arlen Guarin & Estefania Saravia, 2024. "Luck of the Draw: The Causal Effect of Physicians on Birth Outcomes," Borradores de Economia 1269, Banco de la Republica de Colombia.
    3. Wen Fan & Liying Luo, 2020. "Understanding Trends in the Concentration of Infant Mortality Among Disadvantaged White and Black Mothers in the United States, 1983–2013: A Decomposition Analysis," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(3), pages 979-1005, June.
    4. Cortes, Darwin & Gómez, Catalina & Posso, Christian & Suarez, Gabriel, 2023. "Hunting Militias at All Cost: Urban Military Operation and Birth Outcomes," Documentos de Trabajo 20935, Universidad del Rosario.
    5. Hathi, Payal, 2022. "Population science implications of the inclusion of stillbirths in demographic estimates of child mortality," SocArXiv sz8n9, Center for Open Science.
    6. Girmay Tsegay Kiross & Catherine Chojenta & Daniel Barker & Deborah Loxton, 2021. "Individual-, household- and community-level determinants of infant mortality in Ethiopia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(3), pages 1-19, March.
    7. Banerjee, Rakesh & Maharaj, Riddhi, 2020. "Heat, infant mortality, and adaptation: Evidence from India," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    8. Agnieszka Genowska & Birute Strukcinskiene & Jacek Jamiołkowski & Paweł Abramowicz & Jerzy Konstantynowicz, 2023. "Emission of Industrial Air Pollution and Mortality Due to Respiratory Diseases: A Birth Cohort Study in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-13, January.
    9. Geloso, Vincent & Pavlik, Jamie Bologna, 2021. "The Cuban revolution and infant mortality: A synthetic control approach," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).

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