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A modified measure of health care disparities applied to birth weight disparities and subsequent mortality

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  • Richard J. Butler
  • Barbara L. Wilson
  • William G. Johnson

Abstract

We describe how a modified Gini index serves as an improved method of estimating health care disparities. The method, although general, is applied to an example of birth weight disparities and to their effect on subsequent mortality. The method provides the between‐group results obtainable from current methods (i.e. how Hispanics generally fare relative to non‐Hispanic Whites) but adds measures of within‐group disparities (i.e. which specific Hispanics experience the greatest disparate treatment). Our application to birth weights and receipt of prenatal care, which may provide an upper bound because of omitted variables, shows that the time‐of‐birth disparities are associated with increased infant mortality within the first year of life. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard J. Butler & Barbara L. Wilson & William G. Johnson, 2012. "A modified measure of health care disparities applied to birth weight disparities and subsequent mortality," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 21(2), pages 113-126, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:21:y:2012:i:2:p:113-126
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.1699
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Balsa, Ana I. & McGuire, Thomas G., 2003. "Prejudice, clinical uncertainty and stereotyping as sources of health disparities," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 89-116, January.
    2. Kotelchuck, M., 1994. "An evaluation of the Kessner Adequacy of Prenatal Care Index and a proposed Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 84(9), pages 1414-1420.
    3. Thomas, S.B., 2001. "The color line: Race matters in the elimination of health disparities," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(7), pages 1046-1048.
    4. A. Smith, Jeffrey & E. Todd, Petra, 2005. "Does matching overcome LaLonde's critique of nonexperimental estimators?," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 305-353.
    5. Zhao, Zhong, 2008. "Sensitivity of propensity score methods to the specifications," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 309-319, March.
    6. Sankar Mukhopadhyay & Jeanne Wendel, 2008. "Are prenatal care resources distributed efficiently across high-risk and low-risk mothers?," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 8(3), pages 163-179, September.
    7. Wilcox, A.J. & Skjoerven, R., 1992. "Birth weight and perinatal mortality: The effect of gestational age," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 82(3), pages 378-382.
    8. Evans, William N. & Lien, Diana S., 2005. "The benefits of prenatal care: evidence from the PAT bus strike," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 125(1-2), pages 207-239.
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    Cited by:

    1. Butler Richard J, 2017. "Econometrics Illustrated, with Applications from Insurance-Research Awards," Asia-Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance, De Gruyter, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Richard J. Butler & Gene Lai, 2023. "Insurance wage-offer disparities by gender: random forest regression and quantile regression evidence from the 2010–2018 American Community Surveys," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 48(2), pages 192-229, September.

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