What's Partisanship Got to Do With It? Racial Disparities of Maternal and Infant Mortality in North Carolina

Abstract

This research aims to examine whether there are common conditions such as, race, poverty level, rural or urban location, and partisanship that lead to higher rates of infant and maternal mortality among African-American women in North Carolina. The findings suggest that regardless of rural or urban location, partisanship, or percentage of individuals below poverty Black women still display higher rates of infant and maternal mortality. However, White infant mortality displayed a statistical difference and stronger correlation to percentage below poverty than Black infant mortality. Among the tested variables, only race yielded a statistically significant P-value for African-American women. Though, rates of infant and maternal mortality are considerably higher for African-American women in comparison to White women, none of the tested variables besides race were revealed to have a strong correlation nor statistical difference. However, the averages and variability of the rates for Black women were higher than White women for every test. For Black women, race may be the only explanation for infant mortality. Overall, partisanship exhibited no impact on rates of infant mortality. When it comes to maternal mortality, race remains as a consistent explanatory factor for Black women. For White women, maternal mortality is impacted by poverty level. Furthermore, the North Carolina Pregnancy Medical Home stands as a non-partisan partnership, and establishes the value of healthcare solutions without partisan battles.