Comparison of infant mortality and associated factors between Korean and immigrant women in Korea: an 11-year longitudinal study

Abstract

Purpose: This study compared infant mortality and the factors associated with infant mortality between Korean and immigrant women using vital statistics gathered by Statistics Korea.Methods: Birth and death statistics from the period between 2009 and 2019 were extracted from the census of population dynamics data of the Microdata Integrated Service, Korea. Statistical data were derived from a complete survey and infant mortality was analyzed from mortality statistics data. Descriptive statistics were used for comparison. Results: The average infant mortality rate (IMR) of Korean women was 2.7, which did not change significantly between 2009 and 2019; however, the IMR of immigrant women increased significantly in 2018 to 4.2 and subsequently decreased to 2.6 in 2019. Moreover, the age of Korean and immigrant women at the time of infant death gradually increased from 31.1 years and 25.9 years in 2009 to 32.8 years and 30.9 years in 2019, respectively. The gestational age was lower for deceased infants born to immigrant women (mean, 31.0 weeks; standard deviation [SD], 6.4; median, 30.0) compared to those born to Korean women (mean, 31.7 weeks; SD, 6.5; median, 32.0). Immigrant women (91.7%) received slightly fewer antenatal care (ANC) visits compared to Korean women (93.1%). Meanwhile, the birth weights of infants born to Korean and immigrant women showed a tendency toward gradual decline from 2009 through 2019. Conclusion: It is vital to devise a plan to lower the IMR of immigrant women in Korea. Moreover, it is necessary to explore the factors related to infant mortality among immigrant women within the context of Korean societal situation, culture, and home environment.