Individual Project and Managing the Health of Populations- Infant Deaths in Alabama

Individual Project and Managing the Health of Populations- Infant Deaths in Alabama

Infant deaths are a tragic and concerning issue that remains a major public health concern. Public health experts use the epidemiological triad of people, time, and place to understand and address this issue better. In the case of infant deaths in Alabama between 2011 and 2020, the people are the infants who died, the time is the decade in which the deaths occurred, and the place is the state of Alabama. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that during this period, there were 4,744 infant deaths in Alabama, resulting in a death rate of 8.08 per 1000 live births. Do you need help with your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com.

A closer analysis of the data on infant deaths in Alabama reveals that there are disparities in mortality rates closely tied to age, ethnicity, and gender. One key finding is that the mortality rate tends to increase with age, with the highest rate being observed among infants aged between 28 and 364 days (Victora et al., 2020). Another important finding is that there are significant disparities in mortality rates based on ethnicity, with African Americans experiencing much higher infant mortality rates than whites (See –Appendix B). Finally, the data also suggest gender-based disparities in infant mortality rates, with males experiencing higher mortality rates than females. The data highlights the need for gender-specific interventions that address the unique health challenges faced by male infants. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of targeted public health interventions that address the specific needs of vulnerable populations in Alabama.

Infant mortality rates are affected by a variety of risk factors. One of the primary factors is maternal age, with younger mothers associated with a higher risk of infant death. The risk of infant death is particularly high for mothers below 15 years (Marvin-Dowle et al., 2020). Low birth weight is another risk factor, and the highest infant mortality rates in Alabama were recorded among infants weighing less than or equal to 499 grams at birth. Plurality is also associated with an increased risk of infant death, with twins, triplets, or more births having a higher risk than single births. Gestational age is another important factor, with the highest infant mortality rates observed in infants with a gestational age of fewer than 20 weeks. Other risk factors include medical conditions during the perinatal period, congenital disabilities, and pregnancy complications. Addressing these risk factors through appropriate public health interventions could help reduce disparities in infant mortality rates and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations.

The trend of infant mortality rates in Alabama over the past 10 years shows fluctuations, with the highest mortality rate recorded in 2016 and the lowest in 2018 (“Infant Mortality Alabama 2021”, 2022). Despite a decrease in mortality rates being observed for four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015, there was an increase in mortality rates in 2016, followed by a decline from 2017 to 2018 (“Infant Mortality Alabama 2021”, 2022) (See – Appendix A). In 2019, mortality rates increased, followed by a decline in 2020 (“Infant Mortality Alabama 2021”, 2022). The fluctuations indicate a need for continuous monitoring and evaluation of prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing infant mortality rates in Alabama (Hill, 2019). It is essential to understand the reasons behind the increase and decrease in mortality rates and identify the factors contributing to these trends. This understanding can help develop more effective prevention and intervention programs that address the root causes of infant mortality in Alabama.

The data on infant mortality rates in Alabama is valuable in guiding policies and intervention programs to reduce mortality rates. Identifying risk factors, such as lower maternal age, low birth weight, plurality, and gestational age, provides a roadmap for stakeholders to formulate relevant prevention programs. For example, public education campaigns can be designed to inform teenagers about the importance of contraception and family planning to prevent unintended pregnancies, which increases the risk of infant mortality. Healthcare providers can also create policies to provide specialized care to populations at higher risk of infant mortality, such as infants born with low birth weight, multiples, or preterm. These policies can include specialized training for healthcare providers, improving access to medical equipment, and implementing evidence-based practices. Continuous monitoring and evaluation of these prevention programs are crucial to ensure they are effective and sustainable in reducing infant mortality rates in Alabama.

In conclusion, infant mortality rates in Alabama remain a significant public health concern, with disparities observed based on age, ethnicity, and gender. The epidemiological triad of people, time, and place has been used to understand better and address the issue of infant mortality in Alabama. The data reveals that maternal age, low birth weight, plurality, gestational age, medical conditions during the perinatal period, congenital disabilities, and pregnancy complications are significant risk factors for infant mortality. The trend of infant mortality rates in Alabama showed fluctuations over the past decade, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring and evaluation of prevention and intervention programs to reduce infant mortality rates. The data is valuable in guiding policies and interventions to reduce infant mortality rates by identifying risk factors and developing targeted prevention programs. It is essential to ensure that these prevention programs are effective and sustainable to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations and reduce disparities in infant mortality rates in Alabama.

References

Hill, K. (2019). Reducing Infant Mortality through the Nurse-Family Partnership Home Visitation Program in Montgomery County, Alabama.

Infant Mortality Alabama 2021. Www.alabamapublichealth.gov. (2022, November). Retrieved April 12, 2023, from https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/healthstats/assets/infantmortality2021.pdf.

Marvin-Dowle, K., & Soltani, H. (2020). A comparison of neonatal outcomes between adolescent and adult mothers in developed countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology: X, 6, 100109.

Victora, C. G., Barros, A. J., Blumenberg, C., Costa, J. C., Vidaletti, L. P., Wehrmeister, F. C., & You, D. (2020). Association between ethnicity and under-5 mortality: analysis of data from demographic surveys from 36 low-income and middle-income countries. The Lancet Global Health, 8(3), e352-e361.

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Description
A component of your final project is to complete a needs assessment of your target population pertaining to the disease or health issue for which you are proposing the need for an intervention or prevention program. A component of the needs assessment is to describe the disease or health issue to demonstrate the need. Using the epidemiologic triad of people, time, and place, provide a descriptive analysis of the health issue and the impacted population.

Individual Project and Managing the Health of Populations- Infant Deaths in Alabama

For data on your chosen disease or health issue, review the following data sources:

CDC Wonder
Community Commons (You have to register for this one, but it is free.)
U.S. Census Bureau (This is good for demographic data.)
County Health Rankings
Describe the disease in terms of the following:

People: Demographics of those impacted (age, race/ethnicity, gender)
Time: The time period of the data you are reviewing (5–10 years, 1 year, etc.)
Place: Built environment and other environmental factors
Represent the data in graphs, charts, and tables as relevant, accompanied by a brief explanation.

Describe the morbidity, mortality, incidence, and prevalence rates of the data. Describe differences in terms of age, race/ethnicity, and gender. Which age group, race, or gender seems to be most impacted by the morbidity and mortality data? What were the morbidity and mortality trends for the time period observed (5 or 10 years, depending on the data)?

Your paper should be 2–3 pages in length and APA-formatted with in-text citations and references.

Please submit your assignment.

For assistance with your assignment, please use your textbook and all course resources.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022, December 12). CDC wonder. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://wonder.cdc.gov/

Community Commons. (n.d.). Home page. https://www.communitycommons.org/

County Health Rankings. (2022). Home page. http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Measuring America’s people, places, and economy. https://www.census.gov/