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Emerging Lingo-Cultural Inequality in Infant Autopsy in Quebec, Canada

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Abstract

We investigated trends in infant autopsy for Francophones and Anglophones in Quebec, Canada. Using death certificates, we extracted 8214 infant deaths between 1989 and 2013. We computed rates of non-autopsy by language, socioeconomic disadvantage, age at death, and period. Using Kitagawa’s method, we decomposed non-autopsy rates over time for both language groups. Infant non-autopsy rates increased from 38.6 to 56.2 per 100 for Francophones, and from 41.2 to 57.2 per 100 for Anglophones, between 1989–1995 and 2008–2013. Trends in English-speakers were driven by socioeconomically disadvantaged Anglophones, and were accelerated by a larger proportion of deaths in this group over time. For French-speakers, rates increased in all socioeconomic groups. The increase in non-autopsy rates was larger at early neonatal ages for both languages. These findings suggest that disadvantaged Anglophones are less likely to use infant autopsy over time, and that rates can be improved by targeting early neonatal deaths.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Health Canada via the McGill Training and Retention of Health Professionals Project; and a Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé career award (34695).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, 900 Saint-Denis, Montreal, QC, H2X 0A9, Canada

    Nathalie Auger & Marianne Bilodeau-Bertrand

  2. Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 190 Crémazie E. Blvd., Montreal, QC, H2P 1E2, Canada

    Nathalie Auger & Marianne Bilodeau-Bertrand

  3. Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta, 13-15 HM Tory Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H4, Canada

    André Costopoulos

Authors
  1. Nathalie Auger
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  2. Marianne Bilodeau-Bertrand
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  3. André Costopoulos
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Correspondence to Nathalie Auger.

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Auger, N., Bilodeau-Bertrand, M. & Costopoulos, A. Emerging Lingo-Cultural Inequality in Infant Autopsy in Quebec, Canada. J Immigrant Minority Health 21, 230–236 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0756-z

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