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Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans

Author

Listed:
  • D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do

    (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee)

  • Reanne Frank

    (Ohio State University)

Abstract

Background: Age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality estimates have exposed a previously hidden excess mortality burden for the US Hispanic population. Multiple explanations have been put forth, including unequal quality/access to health care, higher proportion of pre-existing health conditions, multigenerational household composition, and disproportionate representation in telecommute-unfriendly occupations. However, these hypotheses have been rarely tested. Objective: We examine age-stratified patterns of Hispanic COVID-19 mortality vis-à-vis patterns of exposure to evaluate the multiple posited hypotheses. Methods: We use a combination of public and restricted data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and leverage national and subnational race- and age-stratified COVID-19 mortality and case burdens/advantages to evaluate the workplace vulnerability hypothesis. We also use individual-level information on prior health conditions and mortality from the case data to assess whether observed patterns are consistent with the other hypotheses. Results: Our results indicate that the disproportionate burdens for both COVID-19 case and mortality for the Hispanic population are largest among the working-age groups, supporting the hypothesis that workplace exposure plays a critical role in heightening vulnerability to COVID-19 mortality. We find little evidence to support the hypotheses regarding multigenerational household composition, pre-existing health conditions, or unequal quality/access to health care. Conclusions: Our findings point to the key roles played by age structure and differential exposure in contributing to the disproportionately severe impact of COVID-19 on the Hispanic population. Contribution: We contribute evidence to explain the driving factors in the observed excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanics. Our findings underscore the importance of focusing on more robust workplace protections, particularly for working-age minority populations.

Suggested Citation

  • D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do & Reanne Frank, 2021. "Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 44(29), pages 699-718.
    • Handle: RePEc:dem:demres:v:44:y:2021:i:29
    DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2021.44.29
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jennifer Beam Dowd & Liliana Andriano & David M. Brazel & Valentina Rotondi & Per Block & Xuejie Ding & Yan Liu & Melinda C. Mills, 2020. "Demographic science aids in understanding the spread and fatality rates of COVID-19," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117(18), pages 9696-9698, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Elizabeth Arias & Betzaida Tejada-Vera, 2023. "Differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on excess mortality and life expectancy loss within the Hispanic population," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(12), pages 339-352.
    2. Lilia R. Lukowsky & Claudia Der-Martirosian & Aram Dobalian, 2022. "Disparities in Excess, All-Cause Mortality among Black, Hispanic, and White Veterans at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-8, February.

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    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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