A follow-up study identifies a critical flaw that overturns the conclusion of the original study, which the popular culture was misrepresenting anyway.
It would be hilarious if it were not for the tragedy that so many people in power are innumerate, but confident enough about statistics to use them to make their points. I think this is a symptom of social media politics: they are only speaking to followers, and don't care about your so-called reality checks because you're not inside the tent.
Thanks for this analysis. Seems to me that the most obvious cause of low birth weight is prematurity, and white doctors could be more likely to work in specialist prematurity wards for some reason that wasn't considered in the original study.
It could also be the case that black women are more likely to deliver premature or low weight babies for either genetic, nutritional or social reasons. Blaming everything on systemic racism makes it harder to actually resolve racial differences based on other factors. For example, vitamin D deficiency in colder climates.
I must say "double the survival rate" is a particularly hilarious error - that would mean a rate of survival of more than 100%.
It would be hilarious if it were not for the tragedy that so many people in power are innumerate, but confident enough about statistics to use them to make their points. I think this is a symptom of social media politics: they are only speaking to followers, and don't care about your so-called reality checks because you're not inside the tent.
Thanks for this analysis. Seems to me that the most obvious cause of low birth weight is prematurity, and white doctors could be more likely to work in specialist prematurity wards for some reason that wasn't considered in the original study.
It could also be the case that black women are more likely to deliver premature or low weight babies for either genetic, nutritional or social reasons. Blaming everything on systemic racism makes it harder to actually resolve racial differences based on other factors. For example, vitamin D deficiency in colder climates.