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IntroductionKey FindingsHealth OutcomesSocial and Economic FactorsPhysical EnvironmentClinical CareAppendixMeasures TableMethodologyLimitationsReferencesData Source DescriptionsDemographic Group Definitions
2024 Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Data Brief2024 Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Data Brief - State Profiles2024 Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Data Brief - Measures Table2024 Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Data Brief – Infographics2024 Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Data Brief – Data Export
Analysis examines breadth, depth and persistence of maternal and infant health disparities across 14 measures
America’s Health Rankings® informs and drives action to build healthier communities by providing credible, trusted data that guide efforts to improve population health and health care.
The America’s Health Rankings 2024 Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Data Brief sheds light on the breadth, depth and persistence of disparities, that influence the health and well-being for the approximately 61 million women of reproductive age (18-44) and 4 million infants in the United States. The analysis examines disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes as well as disparities in drivers of health such as household income, housing costs and access to health care.
Previous America’s Health Rankings reports found disparities in maternal and infant health measures. This new analysis builds on America’s Health Rankings 2023 Health of Women and Children Report by aggregating up to five years of data to offer a more detailed understanding of disparities by race/ethnicity, education and income at the national and state levels across 14 measures of maternal and infant health — including measurements related to public health goals and benchmarks like Healthy People 2030. Findings highlighted in this brief and State Profiles are based on the disparity rate ratio of 1.5 or higher (i.e., one group’s rate was more than 1.5 times that of another group).
This brief provides State Profiles to offer more local understanding where action is needed to close deep, persistent gaps.
Healthy People 2030 aims to meet core, measurable objectives associated with targets for the decade to address critical public health needs.
The Healthy People 2030 initiative identifies science-based national objectives with targets to improve the health and well-being of all and includes a key focus on addressing social determinants of health and advancing health equity. Managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Healthy People 2030’s specific, measurable, data-driven objectives highlight critical national health priorities to be achieved by the year 2030.
America’s Health Rankings measures progress toward achieving the Healthy People 2030 goals and objectives and advancing health equity by focusing on data collection, coordination and standardization that enable comparisons across geographies and demographic groups. This brief highlights three Healthy People 2030 topic area objectives: maternal mortality, infant mortality and severe maternal morbidity. This brief and corresponding State Profiles can help identify states and demographic groups that are meeting public health goals — and where more targeted efforts may be needed.