J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023 Aug 7. doi: 10.1007/s40615-023-01709-z. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To measure changes in cause of death dynamics in 2019 and 2020 and the relationship between the concurrent occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic and mortality outcome by race and ethnicity.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We used resident mortality data from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to conduct a retrospective statistical analysis of deaths in Minnesota in 2019 relative to 2020 to assess changes in mortality in a pre-pandemic and pandemic period.
RESULTS: COVID-19 strongly contributed to ethnicity-related mortality disparities in Minnesota. Not only was there a greater proportion of COVID-19 decedents within Black and Hispanic populations, but their average decedent age was markedly lower relative to the White population. The Black population experienced a disproportionate increase in decedents with a 34% increase during 2020 compared to 2019.
CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis of death dynamics and mortality outcomes in Minnesota from 2019 to 2020 demonstrated an increase in adverse mortality outcomes relative to the pre-pandemic period that disproportionately impacted Black and Hispanic minority populations.
PMID:37548856 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-023-01709-z
