Utah to study minority infant mortality, obesity rates

SALT LAKE CITY — New federal grants are helping Utah health officials understand why Black/African-American and Pacific Islander babies have some of the highest infant mortality rates in the state and how to reverse that trend.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is providing $130,000 over three years to study mortality rates in the various populations of Utah. It will help the Utah Department of Health's Center for Multicultural Health identify reasons that Pacific Islander infants under 12 months of age die nearly twice as often — with 8.8 deaths per 1,000 births — as other infants statewide (4.5 deaths/1,000 births). Center specialist April Young Bennett says information will also be used to implement various intervention and outreach programs.

"We will be doing an assessment that involves conducting surveys to identify barriers that people come up against and help them choose healthier lifestyles," she said Thursday.

Various health department surveys have indicated that the rate for Black/African-American infant mortality in Utah is 8.4 deaths for every 1,000 births, while they also had the highest rates of low birth weights and preterm births of all Utah infants.

"In our Black and Pacific Islander populations, we are 20 years behind the rest of the state at preventing infant death," said center manager Gwen Quinonez. The statewide infant mortality rate hasn't been over eight deaths in 1,000 births since the 1980s.

In addition to health concerns surrounding births, the center will also use the funds to research issues of obesity and health care among Utah minority groups — two other disparities that turned up in a comprehensive study of minority health in Utah.

While the majority of Utah adults are overweight, the Black/African-American rate is 72.4 percent, Pacific Islander 78.4 percent and Hispanic 67.3 percent, according to Utah Department of Health statistics.

The department is now seeking experts from public health, health care and community-based organizations to participate on advisory boards that will plan and supervise interventions and oversee the selection of community outreach subcontractors.

Over the past decade, health care has declined among Utah minorities, with many going uninsured. Hispanics hold the highest uninsured rate in the state, at 35.7 percent, according to department numbers. That's up from 25.8 percent in 2001. Statewide, 11.1 percent of Utahns were uninsured.

Being unable to access needed care was a problem for at least 21.3 percent of Hispanics and 21.9 percent of Black/African Americans in Utah, in contrast to just 15.9 percent of all Utahns.

All of Utah's racial and ethnic minority groups had lower rates of receiving prenatal care than statewide numbers, which is a problem the new grants can help to address.

e-mail: wleonard@desnews.com