%0 Journal Article
%T The Effects of Public Infrastructure and Household Characteristics on Inequality and Infant Mortality in Mexico: What Has Changed Between 1990 and 2005?
%A Richard S MEINDL
%A Jose Antonio ROLDAN AMARO
%A Cynthia THOMPSON
%A Tremaine L GREGORY
%J Social Medicine
%D 2010
%I Social Medicine Publication Group
%X The reduction of infant mortality (IM) continues to be a primary goal throughout much of the developing world, and a suite of methods have been proposed with which to achieve it. However, most attempts at IM reduction have taken place within the context of an almost bewilderingly complex regimen of simultaneous changes occurring in the physical environment, sociopolitical structure, and health care. Which of these various elements is truly causal in reducing IM and which may be merely a correlated but nonprimary agent? During the past two decades Mexico has constituted an extraordinary field laboratory with which to decipher the roles of these various potential agents of IM reduction. Health resources include community access to proper drainage, safe drinking water, electrical power, as well as a suite of individual, if highly intercorrelated, family and household characteristics. Despite considerable demographic and socioeconomic heterogeneity, dramatic reductions in IM have been achieved, and additional ones are certainly possible. We weigh the factors that have reduced infant mortality in this country. Particular infrastructure improvements in the Pacific South, the Gulf, and the Yucatan peninsula must be continued. This would impact both inequality and, in turn, infant health and survival in this country. Resumen La reducci¨®n de la mortalidad infantil (MI) contin¨²a siendo un objetivo primario en la mayor¨ªa de los pa¨ªses en v¨ªas de desarrollo, para lograrlo se ha propuesto un conjunto de m¨¦todos. Sin embargo, la mayor¨ªa de los esfuerzos para lograr la reducci¨®n de la mortalidad infantil ha tenido lugar dentro del contexto de un r¨¦gimen complejo de cambios simult¨¢neos que ocurren en el ambiente f¨ªsico, en la estructura sociopol¨ªtica y en el cuidado de la salud.  Cu¨¢l de estos elementos tiene mayor peso en la reducci¨®n de la mortalidad infantil y cu¨¢l puede estar meramente correlacionado, pero no ser un agente primario? Durante las dos d¨¦cadas pasadas, M¨¦xico ha constituido un extraordinario laboratorio de campo para descifrar los diversos papeles de estos agentes potenciales para la reducci¨®n de la mortalidad infantil. Destacan los elementos que contribuyen a la salud que se correlacionan favorablemente y que incluyen el acceso de la comunidad al drenaje apropiado, agua potable, energ¨ªa el¨¦ctrica; escolaridad del individuo y caracter¨ªsticas de la vivienda. El hecho es que a¨²n cuando permanece la heterogeneidad demogr¨¢fica y socio-econ¨®mica, se han logrado reducciones notables en la mortalidad infantil, as¨ª como otras mejoras adicionales de sa
%K Infant Mortality
%K Mexico
%K Health Infrastructure
%K Poverty
%K Inequality
%U http://www.socialmedicine.info/index.php/socialmedicine/article/view/413