Large Ethnic Minority Populations Research Articles

Study on the Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Traditional Villages in the Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou Rocky Desertification Area

This paper aims to analyze the distribution patterns of the Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou rocky desertification area, and provide efficient protection and development strategies. This region has a complex geographical environment, and it is distinguished by hosting China’s largest ethnic minority population and the highest concentration of autonomous ethnic counties among contiguous impoverished areas, with numerous traditional villages. Thus, it is significant to conduct a comprehensive study of traditional villages within this domain, with a particular focus on their centralized preservation and strategic utilization. This research employed ArcGIS and Geodetector software for a rigorous analysis of the spatial distribution characteristics and influential factors of traditional villages in the Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou rocky desertification area. The key findings can be summarized as follows. (1) The traditional villages in this region predominantly exhibit an agglomerative distribution pattern, with pronounced concentrations in southeast Guizhou and secondary concentrations in Anshun and Guilin. (2) Natural environmental factors, social economic factors, and national cultural factors impact the distribution of traditional villages synthetically by positive, median, or negative correlation. (3) The results of the Geodetector show that, significantly, social economic and national cultural factors exert a more pronounced influence than natural environmental factors, especially population density and intangible heritage quantity. The interaction of multiple factors shows an enhanced trend. (4) From the perspective of formation mechanism, natural environmental factors serve as foundational elements shaping the original distribution pattern; national cultural factors act as dominant determinants, accentuating spatial distribution distinctions across various regions and social economic factors emerge as critical catalysts for the sustainable development of traditional villages. The interaction factors can have a more profound impact. Furthermore, it is expected that this study will contribute to the effectiveness of ecology and economy in this area and more analogous regions.

Associations of peer generational status on adolescent weight across Hispanic immigrant generations: A social network analysis

BackgroundChildhood obesity disproportionately impacts Hispanics in the United States (US), the nation's largest ethnic minority population. However, even among Hispanic children, those born in the US are at increased risk of developing obesity than those not born in the US (i.e. first-generation Hispanics). The objective of this study is to assess whether ethnic and generational differences in the friend networks of Hispanic adolescents moderate the association between immigrant generation and weight. MethodsWe analyzed data from first-generation, second-generation, and third-generation Hispanic 12 to 19 year-old participants in Wave 1 of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the association between generational status and body mass index (BMI), and whether the ethnic and generational composition of friends moderated that association. ResultsHigher generational status was associated with higher BMI. The ethnic and generational composition of friends was not independently associated with BMI among Hispanic adolescents. However, a social network with a greater proportion of second-generation Hispanics was positively associated with BMI among first-generation Hispanics, and negatively associated with BMI among second-generation Hispanics. ConclusionsThe generational status of peers in Hispanic adolescents’ social networks, particularly the proportion that are second-generation Hispanic, moderates the positive association between immigrant generation and BMI. Moreover, this moderation effect is different across immigrant generations so that the proportion of second-generation adolescents within a social network is associated with higher BMI in first-generation Hispanic adolescents, but with lower BMI among those who are second-generation. These results were confirmed in sensitivity analyses. Our findings suggest that the generational composition of social networks alters the association between the generational status and weight of Hispanic adolescents, and thus that social factors within those networks may contribute to those associations.

The prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and their correlates as part of the long-COVID syndrome

The Long COVID syndrome has now been documented clearly in the literature, but whether or not psychiatric symptoms are prominent is unclear. We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients receiving medical care during the pandemic in an outpatient Long-COVID specialty clinic that serves a large racial and ethnic minority population. As many as 44% of patients had symptoms that necessitated referrals to psychiatrists, predominantly depression or anxiety. Spanish speaking patients had greater COVID severity (48%) than did predominantly English speakers (15%). We conclude that the long COVID syndrome is predominantly a cluster of physical symptoms that are sequelae of the viral infection.

Ethnic minorities, income inequalities and the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from English local councils

ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of ethnic minority populations and income inequalities on COVID-19 excess mortality within English local councils. We demonstrate empirically that councils with large ethnic minority populations and high-income inequalities exhibit higher excess mortality during the first wave of the pandemic. We further show that the association between a large ethnic minority population and high excess mortality is manifested significantly more in councils with larger income inequalities. Our findings call for immediate actions and long-term policies to address social and income inequalities as these inequalities affect population health conditions.

SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Dynamics in Households With Children, Los Angeles, California.

Objectives: Studies of household transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) focused on households with children are limited. We investigated household secondary attack rate (SAR), transmission dynamics, and contributing factors in households with children.Materials and Methods: In this prospective case-ascertained study in Los Angeles County, California, all households members were enrolled if ≥1 member tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nasopharyngeal PCRs, serology, and symptom data were obtained over multiple visits.Results: A total of 489 individuals in 105 households were enrolled from June to December 2020. The majority (77.3%) reported a household annual income of <$50,000, and most (92.9%) were of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. Children <18 years old accounted for 46.9% index cases, of whom 45.3% were asymptomatic. Household index cases were predominantly children during low community transmission and adults during the high community transmission period (χ2 = 7.647, p = 0.0036. The mean household SAR was 77.0% (95% CI: 69.4–84.6%). Child and adult index cases both efficiently transmitted SARS-CoV-2 within households [81.9%, (95% CI: 72.1–91.9%) vs. 72.4% (95% CI: 59.8–85.1%), p = 0.23]. Household income and pets were significantly associated with higher SAR in the multivariable analysis of household factors (p = 0.0013 and 0.004, respectively).Conclusions: The SAR in households with children in an urban setting with a large ethnic minority population is much higher than previously described. Children play important roles as index cases. SAR was disproportionately impacted by household income. Vaccination and public health efforts need special focus on children and vulnerable communities to help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 spread.

Social and Cultural Challenges in Caring for Latinx Individuals With Kidney Failure in Urban Settings

Latinx individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) constitute 19% of US patients receiving in-center scheduled hemodialysis. Compared with non-Latinx White patients, Latinx individuals often face poor economic, environmental, and living circumstances. The challenges for health care professionals engendered by these circumstances when Latinx individuals present with ESKD and possible solutions have not been well described. To examine the perceptions of interdisciplinary health care professionals who work in dialysis centers in urban settings with large racial and ethnic minority populations about how social challenges affect the care of Latinx patients with ESKD. This qualitative study administered semistructured interviews of interdisciplinary health care professionals at 4 urban dialysis centers in Denver, Colorado, from April 1 to June 30, 2019. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes and subthemes of barriers to care. Thirty interdisciplinary dialysis center health care professionals (23 [77%] female; mean [SD] age, 42.0 [11.6] years) participated. Four themes were identified. The first 3 themes and their respective subthemes (in parentheses) describe challenges to kidney care: compromised quality of care attributable to communication and cultural barriers (language interpretation by telephone, in-person language interpretation, burden of ad hoc interpretation, low-quality health care, lack of language- and culturally concordant materials, and health literacy levels), difficulty with health care access (unreliable transportation, economic instability, and loss of insurance benefits), and concerns about patient psychosocial well-being (social isolation, hopelessness, stigma of illness, and balancing personal social challenges). The fourth theme describes solutions to improve care (culturally responsive care, patient empowerment and activation, supporting primary caregivers, and peer support with navigation of the health care system). This study's findings suggest that dialysis center policies are needed that require high-quality language interpretation and the availability of culturally concordant educational materials. Community-based interventions that improve patient activation and provide peer support as well as culturally responsive care may improve the care of Latinx patients with ESKD receiving in-center scheduled hemodialysis.

Counties with High COVID-19 Incidence and Relatively Large Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations - United States, April 1-December 22, 2020.

Long-standing systemic social, economic, and environmental inequities in the United States have put many communities of color (racial and ethnic minority groups) at increased risk for exposure to and infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as more severe COVID-19-related outcomes (1-3). Because race and ethnicity are missing for a proportion of reported COVID-19 cases, counties with substantial missing information often are excluded from analyses of disparities (4). Thus, as a complement to these case-based analyses, population-based studies can help direct public health interventions. Using data from the 50 states and the District of Columbia (DC), CDC identified counties where five racial and ethnic minority groups (Hispanic or Latino [Hispanic], non-Hispanic Black or African American [Black], non-Hispanic Asian [Asian], non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native [AI/AN], and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander [NH/PI]) might have experienced high COVID-19 impact during April 1-December 22, 2020. These counties had high 2-week COVID-19 incidences (>100 new cases per 100,000 persons in the total population) and percentages of persons in five racial and ethnic groups that were larger than the national percentages (denoted as "large"). During April 1-14, a total of 359 (11.4%) of 3,142 U.S. counties reported high COVID-19 incidence, including 28.7% of counties with large percentages of Asian persons and 27.9% of counties with large percentages of Black persons. During August 5-18, high COVID-19 incidence was reported by 2,034 (64.7%) counties, including 92.4% of counties with large percentages of Black persons and 74.5% of counties with large percentages of Hispanic persons. During December 9-22, high COVID-19 incidence was reported by 3,114 (99.1%) counties, including >95% of those with large percentages of persons in each of the five racial and ethnic minority groups. The findings of this population-based analysis complement those of case-based analyses. In jurisdictions with substantial missing race and ethnicity information, this method could be applied to smaller geographic areas, to identify communities of color that might be experiencing high potential COVID-19 impact. As areas with high rates of new infection change over time, public health efforts can be tailored to the needs of communities of color as the pandemic evolves and integrated with longer-term plans to improve health equity.

Urban Household Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 During Periods of High and Low Community Transmission

Background: Household transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) significantly contributes to increased community cases. Methods: We conducted a prospective case-ascertained study to investigate the household secondary attack rate (SAR) and contributing factors in urban Los Angeles, California, USA. Household members were enrolled prospectively if ≥1 member tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nasopharyngeal swabs for PCR and symptom data were obtained over multiple longitudinal visits. Serology was obtained at enrollment. Findings: A total of 489 individuals in 105 households were enrolled from June to December 2020. The mean household SAR was 77.7% (95%CI: 71.4-84.0). A third (32.1%) of index cases were asymptomatic. High SAR was associated with both symptomatic and asymptomatic index cases (76.4% [95%CI: 68.8-83.9%] vs. 79.7% [95% CI: 66.2-93.3%], p=0.66). The most common age for index cases was children Children and adults index cases both efficiently transmitted SARS-CoV-2 within households (SAR 74.0% [95%CI: 63.4-84.6%] vs. 81.3% [95%CI: 72.3-90.3%], p=0.49). Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity was significantly associated with higher SAR in the multivariable analysis of household factors (p= 0.030). Interpretation: The SAR in our urban setting with large ethnic minority populations is much higher than previously described. SAR was disproportionately and significantly impacted by Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity. Asymptomatic individuals and children play important roles as index cases. Future vaccination and public health efforts need special focus on these groups to help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 spread.Funding: NIH/NIAID U01AI144616-02S1, Open PhilanthropyDeclaration of Interests: PSP has received consultant fees from Sanofi-Pasteur and Seqirus. She also receives research funding from AstraZeneca for an unrelated study. AG has received consultant fees from Janssen. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to report.Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Children’sHospital Los Angeles.

Education of French Colonialists with Ethnic Minorities in Cochinchine in the period 1862-1945

In the beginning of the article, we presented the picture of ethnic minorities in Cochinchina and the educational policy of the Nguyen Dynasty to ethnic minorities in Cochinchine before the French colonial invasion as well as the process of invasion and process of imposing a new educational model of French colonialists in Cochinchina. In the main content, the author presents educational policies in general and French policies for ethnic minorities in Cochinchine in particular, expressed in documents and decrees of colonial authorities on goals, manner and measures to be taken. The article also reorganized the implementation of French educational policies in practice for the ethnic minority areas in Cochinchine during the French colonial period, such as the opening of schools, classes, and the process of organizing activities of the French school system, class and results achieved in areas with a large ethnic minority population. The author made the comments and assessments about the results and limitations of the educational policy for ethnic minorities of the French colonialists in Cochinchina from 1862 to 1945.

Household fuelwood consumption in western rural China: ethnic minority families versus Han Chinese families

AbstractThis paper examines ethnic differences in fuelwood consumption in rural households, using an original survey dataset from two western Chinese provinces with large ethnic minority populations. We use a Heckman two-stage selection model to explain the quantity of fuelwood consumed conditional on a decision to use fuelwood. We find that ethnic minority families are more likely than majority Han Chinese families to use fuelwood. We also find that a household's off-farm income has a stronger negative effect on the quantity of fuelwood consumed for the ethnic minority families than for the Han Chinese families. In addition, families owning a larger area of forestland are more likely to use fuelwood. Yet the quantity of fuelwood consumed, especially in ethnic minority families, does not increase with owned forestland. Finally, we find that coal, rather than electricity, is a substitute for fuelwood for residential cooking and heating.

Reaching the Latino Population: a Brief Conceptual Discussion on the Use of Telehealth to Address Healthcare Disparities for the Large and Growing Population

Latinos collectively rank as the largest ethnic minority population in the USA, with estimates suggesting continued growth into the future. Despite the Latino population being identified as a demographic in need of greater medical and mental health care, a lack of adequate services, as well as underutilization, persists. Specifically, local availability of services, language barriers, transportation issues, health insurance coverage, immigration status, and acculturation levels are among the many challenges precluding Latinos from receiving appropriate care. Telehealth has been suggested as a novel means of addressing recognized disparities, specifically for Latinos who have been indicated as a population with greater utilization of the Internet and associated technologies than other population groups. As such, the purpose of this conceptual discussion is to briefly detail the unique possibilities that the integration of technology can hold for Latino-focused medical and mental health care. Opportunities for improved education, prompting of recommendation usage, monitoring of vitals, and application of other direct treatments are discussed in relation to the most common medical and mental health issues faced by Latinos.

An individually tailored family-centered intervention for pediatric obesity in primary care: study protocol of a randomized type II hybrid effectiveness\u2013implementation trial (Raising Healthy Children study)

BackgroundPediatric obesity is a multi-faceted public health concern that can lead to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and early mortality. Small changes in diet, physical activity, or BMI can significantly reduce the possibility of developing cardiometabolic risk factors. Family-based behavioral interventions are an underutilized, evidence-based approach that have been found to significantly prevent excess weight gain and obesity in children and adolescents. Poor program availability, low participation rates, and non-adherence are noted barriers to positive outcomes. Effective interventions for pediatric obesity in primary care are hampered by low family functioning, motivation, and adherence to recommendations.MethodsThis (type II) hybrid effectiveness–implementation randomized trial tests the Family Check-Up 4 Health (FCU4Health) program, which was designed to target health behavior change in children by improving family management practices and parenting skills, with the goal of preventing obesity and excess weight gain. The FCU4Health is assessment driven to tailor services and increase parent motivation. A sample of 350 families with children aged 6 to 12 years who are identified as overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 85th percentile for age and gender) will be enrolled at three primary care clinics [two Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers (FQHCs) and a children’s hospital]. All clinics serve predominantly Medicaid patients and a large ethnic minority population, including Latinos, African Americans, and American Indians who face disparities in obesity, cardiometabolic risk, and access to care. The FCU4Health will be coordinated with usual care, using two different delivery strategies: an embedded approach for the two FQHCs and a referral model for the hospital-based clinic. To assess program effectiveness (BMI, body composition, child health behaviors, parenting, and utilization of support services) and implementation outcomes (such outcomes as acceptability, adoption, feasibility, appropriateness, fidelity, and cost), we use a multi-method and multi-informant assessment strategy including electronic health record data, behavioral observation, questionnaires, interviews, and cost capture methods.DiscussionThis study has the potential to prevent excess weight gain, obesity, and health disparities in children by establishing the effectiveness of the FCU4Health and collecting information critical for healthcare decision makers to support sustainable implementation of family-based programs in primary care.Trial registrationNCT03013309 ClinicalTrials.gov

Minority Response to Ethnic Democracy

This article focuses on the evolution of Polish minority responses to Lithuanian minority policies in the post-EU-accession period. State-minority conflicts in Lithuania have not generated violence or minority radicalization, despite continuing discontent among members of the state’s Polish minority (which constitutes Lithuania’s largest ethnic minority population) and the failure of the Lithuanian state to resolve the causes of discontent. Employing Smooha’s concept of ethnic democracy, the article addresses this puzzle through an ethnographic exploration of the views held by members of the Polish minority about the Lithuanian state’s policies of nation-building. The findings reveal a diverse set of critical perceptions among Poles in Lithuania, which emphasize the ineffectiveness of state policies in addressing minority needs. However, a shared perception of threat from Russia, generated after the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, helps to sustain the regime’s stability and its strategy of stalling the resolution of minority concerns.

Prevalence of overweight and malnutrition among ethnic minority children and adolescents in China, 1991-2010.

This study aimed to determine the trends in prevalence of childhood overweight and malnutrition in a large Chinese ethnic minority population from 1991 to 2010. In the Chinese National Survey on Students’ Constitution and Health from 1991 to 2010, multistage stratified sampling was conducted in the series of cross-sectional studies. Participants were 7–18-year-old students randomly selected by sex and region, and included Han and 26 ethnic minorities. During the survey period, the overall prevalence of overweight increased from 5.8% to 13.5%, and malnutrition trend increased from 3.6% to 4.1% in ethnic minority children and adolescents. Moreover, Korean and Mongol children were more likely than Han children to be obese (Korean: RR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.48–1.56; Mongol: RR = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.20–1.28). Among these minorities, the Dongxiang and Li children were more likely to be malnourished (Li: RR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.37–1.57; Dongxiang: RR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.34–1.58). Shui, Khalkhas, Lisu, and Monguor children were less likely to be overweight and malnourished compared with the Hans. The prevalence of overweight among ethnicities increased yearly while that for malnutrition has fluctuated over the past few decades.

Use of an Innovative Technology Enabled Care Service (Tecs) “Florence” To Empower Patients and Enhance Adherence to Treatments in Diabetes

Summary: In Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, diabetes prevalence is high with a large ethnic minority population. Social deprivation is significant and compliance is a major stumbling block in the achievement of diabetes and Blood Pressure (BP) targets. Our aims were to improve adherence to BP treatment via engaging patients in their own health through text reminders and regular encouragement, and determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of this simple, yet unique method of virtual clinic consultation through FLORENCE (Flo). Since April 2014 • 100 patients have enrolled for BP monitoring. • 26 for blood glucose and insulin reminder. Results • Medications have been adjusted (added new agent or increased dose) in 27/100 (27%). • 46/100 (46%) patients have been discharged with good BP control preventing 107 outpatient appointments (saving £11,663 vs. £2,329 Flo associated costs). • Total savings £9,334. • High patient satisfaction. • Improved utilization of manpower resources and healthcare professional time – thus clinically and cost effective model of care delivery recognizing the importance of supporting patients outside of face-to-face care to improve outcomes. Flo’s use continues to grow in our Trust. This simple Telehealth technology can be easily replicated in any NHS Trust or CCG, as has been shown within our own Trust.

Use of an Innovative Technology Enabled Care Service (Tecs) “Florence” To Empower Patients and Enhance Adherence to Treatments in Diabetes

Summary: In Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, diabetes prevalence is high with a large ethnic minority population. Social deprivation is significant and compliance is a major stumbling block in the achievement of diabetes and Blood Pressure (BP) targets. Our aims were to improve adherence to BP treatment via engaging patients in their own health through text reminders and regular encouragement, and determine the clinical and cost effectiveness of this simple, yet unique method of virtual clinic consultation through FLORENCE (Flo). Since April 2014 • 100 patients have enrolled for BP monitoring. • 26 for blood glucose and insulin reminder. Results • Medications have been adjusted (added new agent or increased dose) in 27/100 (27%). • 46/100 (46%) patients have been discharged with good BP control preventing 107 outpatient appointments (saving £11,663 vs. £2,329 Flo associated costs). • Total savings £9,334. • High patient satisfaction. • Improved utilization of manpower resources and healthcare professional time – thus clinically and cost effective model of care delivery recognizing the importance of supporting patients outside of face-to-face care to improve outcomes. Flo’s use continues to grow in our Trust. This simple Telehealth technology can be easily replicated in any NHS Trust or CCG, as has been shown within our own Trust.

State Livelihood Planning and Legibility in Vietnam’s Northern Borderlands: The “Rightful Criticisms” of Local Officials

Macro-level policies frequently transform and reconfigure local livelihood options. While there is a small but growing body of ethnographic work regarding ethnic minority livelihoods in Vietnam’s mountainous borderlands, there is far less research examining the state decrees and policies implemented there and the opinions of state workers who have to apply them. This article starts to address this gap. First, we examine contemporary Vietnamese state legislation regarding upland livelihoods. We focus on the directions found in 82 livelihood-related state decrees, examining their scope and edicts while critiquing what they overlook regarding upland livelihood needs and approaches. Then, from in-depth interviews with state officials in Hà Giang Province, a mountainous upland region with a proportionately large ethnic minority population, we explore the opinions of those charged with the implementation of these decrees. Building on O’Brien’s earlier work on rightful resistance in China, we suggest that a form of “rightful criticism” has emerged among upland state officials, allowing us to reveal the contours of political power in Vietnam’s borderlands. Moreover, we draw attention to the lack of acknowledgement of ethnic diversity in these uplands within policy and official practice.

Religious Women and Modern Men: Intersections of Gender and Ethnicity in the Tale of Woman Huang

AbstractThe tale of Woman Huang recounts a pious Buddhist woman’s journey to the underworld to recite the Diamond Sutra for King Yama. Over the centuries since its inception in the Song dynasty (960–1279), it has spread throughout China, including to areas often considered non-Chinese because of their large ethnic minority populations. In the Dali region of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, some modern scholars who belong to the Bai nationality have presented the tale as a distinctive product of Bai culture. However, the versions of the tale they have recently published in collections of Bai literature differ significantly from versions of the tale that women’s lay religious associations in Dali use in their ritual practice. The latter express sympathy for Woman Huang, especially for the tension she faces between her religious piety and family roles, but do not invoke ethnicity; the former foreground ethnicity and present Woman Huang (and other religious women) as superstitious and antimodern. I use thes...

The trends in maternal mortality between 1996 and 2009 in Guizhou, China: Ethnic differences and associated factors

China bears a large burden of global maternal mortality, and the largest burden of maternal deaths in China is in poor western provinces. This study aimed to investigate the trends in maternal mortality and its associated factors in Guizhou province of western China between 1996 and 2009, and examine differences between minority and non-minority counties. A population-based, longitudinal, retrospective study was performed in a poor western province of China with a considerably large ethnic minority population. All 86 counties/districts of Guizhou were included with population at county, township and village level. Maternal mortality data were collected from routine reporting database of Guizhou Provincial Health Bureau. Trend and comparative analyses and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed using SPSS 17.0. Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and its change over time, differences between ethnic groups were analyzed. A declining trend in maternal mortality and rising trend in hospital delivery in Guizhou was observed; ethnic differences between two ethnic groups persisted. The reduction in maternal mortality between 1996 and 2009 was related with increased gross domestic product, decreased male illiteracy rate, and increased hospital delivery rate. We found the declining trends in maternal mortality in Guizhou with persisting ethnic differences. The declining trends are related with economic development, hospital delivery and male illiteracy. Effective health education on maternal health is urgently needed for the minority groups, and basic education for the new generation should be enhanced to eradicate the illiteracy.

Predicting Abolition: A Cross-National Survival Analysis of the Social and Political Determinants of Death Penalty Statutes

Cross-national research on the determinants of criminal penalties has generally recognized that the amount of crime is an insufficient explanation for the use of punishment. Some research supports conflict explanations, reporting that economic inequality and the presence of ethnic minorities threatens elites who respond by advocating increased punishments largely aimed at minority groups. Other research reports that democratized nations in which citizens enjoy many civil liberties have lower levels of punishment. This study uses event history and logistic analyses to identify the social and political factors that shape the existence of the death penalty in 92 nations over a 23-year period. The results largely support conflict explanations for the existence of this punishment by finding that nations with high-income inequality and large ethnic minority populations have the lowest likelihood of abolition.