Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans
<b>Background</b>: 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 condi...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | Demographic Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.demographic-research.org/articles/volume/44/29 |
| _version_ | 1797739469234765824 |
|---|---|
| author | D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do Reanne Frank |
| author_facet | D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do Reanne Frank |
| author_sort | D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background</b>: 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. <b>Objective</b>: We examine age-stratified patterns of Hispanic COVID-19 mortality vis-à-vis patterns of exposure to evaluate the multiple posited hypotheses. <b>Methods</b>: 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. <b>Results</b>: 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. <b>Conclusions</b>: 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. <b>Contribution</b>: 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4b7297fd1ce04b27bd41f1f0f51890ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1435-9871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T13:57:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Demographic Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-4b7297fd1ce04b27bd41f1f0f51890ba2023-08-22T11:19:15ZengMax Planck Institute for Demographic ResearchDemographic Research1435-98712021-04-01442910.4054/DemRes.2021.44.295213Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic AmericansD. Phuong (Phoenix) Do0Reanne Frank1University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeOhio State University<b>Background</b>: 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. <b>Objective</b>: We examine age-stratified patterns of Hispanic COVID-19 mortality vis-à-vis patterns of exposure to evaluate the multiple posited hypotheses. <b>Methods</b>: 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. <b>Results</b>: 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. <b>Conclusions</b>: 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. <b>Contribution</b>: 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.https://www.demographic-research.org/articles/volume/44/29 |
| spellingShingle | D. Phuong (Phoenix) Do Reanne Frank 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 |
| title | Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans |
| title_full | Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans |
| title_fullStr | Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans |
| title_short | Using race- and age-specific COVID-19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess COVID-19 mortality burden among Hispanic Americans |
| title_sort | using race and age specific covid 19 case data to investigate the determinants of the excess covid 19 mortality burden among hispanic americans |
| url | https://www.demographic-research.org/articles/volume/44/29 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dphuongphoenixdo usingraceandagespecificcovid19casedatatoinvestigatethedeterminantsoftheexcesscovid19mortalityburdenamonghispanicamericans AT reannefrank usingraceandagespecificcovid19casedatatoinvestigatethedeterminantsoftheexcesscovid19mortalityburdenamonghispanicamericans |