Monitoring racial/ethnic mortality disparities in Wisconsin: 1991-2000.
BACKGROUND
Wisconsin has a goal to eliminate health disparities by 2010, but there is no consistent standard used to evaluate progress. Methodological debates persist regarding using individual group change or relative comparisons to monitor disparities.


OBJECTIVE
To examine mortality disparities among racial/ethnic populations in Wisconsin using statistically significant changes in individual population mortality rates and rate ratios as measures of disparity. These measures are proposed to monitor and evaluate progress in eliminating racial/ethnic health disparities.


METHODS
The Wisconsin Interactive Statistics on Health database was queried to obtain Wisconsin all-cause mortality data by race and age for the 1991-1995 and 1996-2000 periods. Age-specific and age-adjusted rates were compared across 5 major racial/ethnic populations in Wisconsin.


RESULTS
Age-adjusted mortality generally declined for all racial/ethnic populations in Wisconsin from 19911995 to 1996-2000. However, disparities increased significantly for African American infants, African Americans 45-64 years old, and Hispanics/Latinos 25-44 years old. Using non-Hispanic whites as a referent resulted in a paradoxical increase in disparities for Hispanics/Latinos despite a significant reduction in mortality in this group.


CONCLUSIONS
A statistically significant percent change in mortality rates and rate ratios is a useful standard to monitor health disparities and foster communication and targeted action around Wisconsin's goal to eliminate racial/ethnic health disparities.
Carty
Denise C
DC
University of Michigan School of Public Health, USA.
Tuan
Wen-Jan
WJ
Johnson-Powell
Gloria
G
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002423:Cause of Death; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology