Critical MASS

Perinatal (based on Massachusetts birth data, 1998-2000)

Infant mortality rate (IMR) disparities
1. Black non Hispanic IMR 172% higher than white non-Hispanic ( 12.0 deaths/1,000 live births vs 4.4)
2. Hispanic infant mortality rate 32 % higher ( 5.8 vs 4.4)
Low birthweight rate (LBW: percentage of births less than 5.5 lbs. at birth)
1. Black non-Hispanic LBW rate 90% higher (12.0% vs 6.3%)
2. Hispanic LBW 27% higher (8.0% vs. 6.3%)
Teen birth rate (births per 1,000 women age 15-19)
1. Hispanic teen birth rate 520% higher than white non-Hispanic (99.7 vs 16.1)
2. Black non-Hispanic teen birth rate 256% higher than white non-Hispanic (57.3 vs 16.1)
3. American Indian teen birth rate 142% higher than white non-Hispanic (38.9 vs 16.1)

Health care access and insurance (based on 1998-2000 Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System [BRFSS] data)

Uninsured adults
1. Hispanics 185% more likely to be uninsured than white non-Hispanics (20.5% vs. 7.2%
2. Blacks 101% more likely to be uninsured than white non-Hispanics (14.5% vs. 7.2%)
Did not seek care due to costs
1. Hispanics 106% more likely not to seek care than white-non Hispanics (13.0% vs 6.3%)
2. Asians 105% more likely not to seek care than white-non Hispanics (12,9% vs 6.3%)
3. Blacks 81 % more likely not to seek care than white-non Hispanics (11.4% vs 6.3%)
Lack of access to prenatal care: Inadequate prenatal care (based on the Kotelchuck Index of prental care) (1998-2000 Massachusetts birth data)
1. Hispanic mothers are 195% more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care than white-non Hispanics (17.2% vs 6%)
2. American Indian mothers are 178% more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care than white-non Hispanics (16.7% vs 6%)
3. Black non-Hispanic mothers are 182% more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care than white-non Hispanics (16.9% vs 6%)
4. Asian mothers are 105% more likely to receive inadequate prenatal care than white-non Hispanics (12.3% vs 6%)

Health risks

Overweight: percentage of adults who are overweight based on Body Mass Index (1998-2000 Massachusetts BRFSS data)
1. Black adults are 52% more likely to be overweight than white non-Hispanics (39.6% vs 26%)
2. Hispanic adults are 21% more likely to be overweight than white non-Hispanics (31.4% vs 26%)
Physical activity: (BRFSS 2001 data)
Blacks, Hispanic, and Asian adults are about 20% less likely to regularly exercise in the past month than white non-Hispanic adults (Blacks 40.3%, Hispanics 42.6%, Asians 41.1%, WNH 53.0%)

Use of screening

Colorectal cancer screening: ever had proctoscopic exam, ages 50 and over
Blacks 30% less likely, Hispanics 20% less likely than whites ( Black 27.9%, Hispanic 31.7%, white non-Hispanic, 39.8% (BRFSS 1998-2000 data)
Asian women are 28 % less likely to have clinical breast exams than white non-Hispanic women (63.1% vs. 87.5%) (BRFSS 2001 data)
Asian women are 20% less likely to have Pap tests than white non-Hispanic women (72.7% vs. 90.8%). (BRFSS 2001 data)

Mortality (based on 1999-2000 Massachusetts mortality data, ICD-10 codes)

The overall age-adjusted mortality rate for Black non-Hispanics is 23% higher than for white non-Hispanics (999.6 deaths/100,000 vs 809.4)
Black non-Hispanics have higher rates of death than white non-Hispanics for the following chronic diseases: heart disease 10% higher, cancer 22% higher, stroke 23% higher, and diabetes 113% higher
Among persons age 15-24, Blacks and Hispanics have death rates than white non-Hispanics than whites for the following causes:
-motor vehicle injuries: Blacks, 47% higher than white-non-Hispanics; Hispanics 34% higher
-homicide: Blacks, 22.6 TIMES higher (2156% higher) than white non-Hispanics; Hispanics 9.2 TIMES higher (819% higher)
-all causes: Blacks 130% higher than white-non Hispanics; Hispanics 51% higher

Source: Division of Research and Epidemiology, Bureau of Health Statistics, Research and Evaluation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, February 2003. Data compiled from MassCHIP and special analyses.

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