Trends in the Relationship between Infant Mortality and Socioeconomic Status: 1950 and 1970

Using census tracts as the basic unit of analysis and multiple regression techniques this study examines the relationship between infant mortality and socioeconomic status in Toledo, Ohio for the years centering around 1950 and 1970. The analysis shows that socioeconomic status is inverse and more strongly related to infant mortality in 1970 than in 1950 as measured by education and income. These increases occurred for both neonatal and postneonatal mortality. Occupation did not yield any significant relationships. These findings differ from the expectations of several studies carried out in the 1960s and clearly demonstrate the need for continuous research on this vital topic.