The post-1965 reductions in United States infant mortality: a national or international phenomenon?
The extent to which post-1965 declines in infant mortality could be attributed to (1) US medical and antipoverty programs and/or (2) internationally available medical advances was examined using data on infant, neonatal, and postneonatal mortality rates (IMRs, NMRs, PNMRs) in four western countries. The results showed that while post-1965 improvements occurred internationally, the US IMR improvements doubled that occurring elsewhere. Much of this advantage was attributable to post-1965 US PNMR improvements, which more than offset a slowing in the reduction of international PNMRs. In contrast, international effects contributed more to US declines in NMRs than did uniquely-United States factors.
D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology