Infant Mortality and Socioeconomic Status Among Ohio Counties, 1969-1971

Abstract

Infant mortality rate as an index of levels of social and economic well being in Ohio was studied using the 1972 County and City Data Book (U.S. Bureau of Census, 1973) as the primary data source. Infant mortality rates were fairly high in counties with more than 100,000 people even though these counties were in the highest average income class. This was due, in part, to the large minority population of lower economic status found in metropolitan centers. The inverse relation found between infant mortality and income level was more pronounced in counties with 50,000 to 99,999 individuals than in counties with less than 50,000 population.