Maternal and Child Health

A	B	C	D	F
No disparity Disparity ratio: 1.0-1.4	Little disparity Disparity ratio: 1.5-1.9	Disparity may require intervention Disparity ratio: 2.0-2.4	Disparity requires intervention Disparity ratio: 2.5-2.9	Critical disparity, requires immediate intervention Disparity ratio: ≥ 3.0

Disparity Ratio

Disparity can be defined as a significant, unfair difference. Disparity ratios are a measure of the difference in outcomes between two groups. They are calculated by dividing the outcome for one group by the same outcome for a second group. The disparity ratio will always be 1 or greater. The higher the number, the higher the disparity or difference. The resulting number then determines the letter grade for that given indicator. A lack of disparity or difference does not mean adequate health services, access, behaviors, or outcomes.

Report Card by Location

Letter grades indicate the amount of difference between Genesee County and other populations.

No asterisk (*) indicates that other populations face worse outcomes, while those with an asterisk (*) indicate Genesee County faces worse outcomes.

Indicator	Year(s)	GC x US	GC x MI	GC x Flint
Child abuse	US: 2020 MI: 2020 GC: 2021	C*	A	–
Children in poverty	US: 2021 MI: 2021 GC: 2019-21	B*	A	C
Child mortality	US: 2017-20 MI: 2017-20 GC: 2017-20	A	A	–
Infant mortality	US: 2018-20 MI: 2018-20 GC: 2018-20 Flint: 2018-20	A	A	C
Low birthweight babies	US: 2014-20 MI: 2014-20 GC: 2014-20 Flint: 2017-19	A	A	A
Maternal vulnerability	US: 2016-20 MI: 2016-20	–	A	–
Teenage births	US: 2014-20 MI: 2014-20 GC: 2014-20 Flint: 2017-19	A	B*	B

Disparity is present between Genesee County and Michigan residents for teenage births, with Genesee County residents facing worse outcomes. This outcome should be monitored and may require intervention. Disparity is present between Flint and Genesee County residents for children in poverty and infant mortality, with Flint residents facing worse outcomes. These outcomes may require intervention. Additional information related to maternal and child health is needed for Genesee County and the city of Flint.

Report Card by Race

Letter grades indicate the amount of difference between Black and White populations.

No asterisk (*) indicates the Black population face worse outcomes, while an asterisk (*) indicate the White population faces worse outcomes.

Indicator	Year(s)	US	MI	GC	Flint
Child abuse	US: 2020 MI: 2020 GC: 2021	B	C	B	–
Children in poverty	US: 2021 MI: 2019 GC: 2020 Flint: 2016-20	D	F	D	A
Child mortality	US: 2022 MI: 2022 GC: 2017-20	B	C	F	–
Infant mortality	US: 2018 MI: 2020 GC: 2018-20 Flint: 2018-20	C	D	F	B
Low birthweight babies	US: 2020 MI: 2020 GC: 2014-20 Flint: 2017-19	C	C	C	B
Maternal vulnerability	–	–	–	–	–
Teenage births	US: 2020 MI: 2020 GC: 2014-20 Flint: 2017-19	C	F	D	D

Racial disparity is present in Genesee County for child abuse and low birthweight babies, with the Black population facing worse outcomes. These outcomes should be monitored and may require intervention. Racial disparity is present in Genesee County for children in poverty and teenage births, with the Black population facing worse outcomes. These outcomes require intervention. Critical racial disparity is present in Genesee County for child mortality and infant mortality, with the Black population facing worse outcomes. These outcomes require immediate intervention. Racial disparity is present in Flint for teenage births, with the Black population facing worse outcomes. This outcome requires intervention. Additional information related to maternal and child health is needed for Genesee County and the city of Flint.

The red map illustrates the percent of single women who have given birth by census tract among adults in Genesee County. The city of Flint is outlined at the center of the map. The darker the red color, the more single women who have given birth in the population.

The gray-scale map illustrates the percentage of the population that identifies as Black by census tract in Genesee County. The city of Flint is outlined at the center of the map. The darker the gray color, the higher the percentage of Black individuals in the population.

It’s important to understand the reason for using census tracts as the unit of analysis rather than USPS-derived ZIP codes in the maps above. ZIP code boundaries were drawn to help deliver mail efficiently, not to understand neighborhood demographics. ZIP codes will often include areas within multiple municipalities with different levels of socio-economic distress, which can make it difficult to evaluate certain public health indicators. This is why ZIP codes are less than ideal for understanding neighborhood-level conditions. Census tracts do not cross municipal boundaries and offer a much better alternative to understanding public health metrics at the appropriate scale.

Definitions

Maternal vulnerability: A score (0-100), where a high score means greater risk of poor maternal outcomes based on  healthcare, physical and mental health, substance abuse, socioeconomic determinants, and environmen