Neighborhood Racial Composition Research Articles

Reconsidering Household Food Insecurity: Assessing the Impact of Neighborhood and Household Characteristics

ABSTRACT Motivated by substantial public health implications of food insecurity, this study systematically reexamined its determinants beyond household disadvantages. Utilizing data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and American Community Survey, hierarchical linear modeling was employed. The findings underscored notable between-neighborhood variations in food insecurity after adjusting for household-specific characteristics, revealing residing in high-poverty or nonmetropolitan areas heightened the risk. Demographic disparities were evident, with black and Hispanic households experiencing elevated food insecurity, despite neighborhood racial composition. Additional household factors exacerbating food insecurity included financial constraints, limited education, vehicle inaccessibility, and single-living arrangements. These findings inform interventions in similar contexts.

Racial and Ethnic Representation in Local Government

Does the presence of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in a legislative body differentially impact outcomes for members of those groups? We study close elections between White and non-White candidates for California city council and the corresponding impact on housing values, a summary statistic for neighborhood investment. We find electing non-White rather than White candidates generates differential home value gains in majority non-White neighborhoods. This result, which is not explained by correlations between candidate race and political affiliation or neighborhood racial composition and income, suggests that increased representation can reduce racial disparities. Our results strengthen with increased city-level segregation and council member pivotality. (JEL D72, J15, R23)

Not so Simple: Examining the Gendered Nature of Intimate Partner Assault Victimizations.

Although prior research has established a relationship between neighborhood structure and intimate partner violence (IPV), much of this literature focuses on serious IPV, despite the fact that less serious forms of IPV comprise the majority of IPV instances. Further, women are far more likely to experience all types of IPV victimization relative to men, especially simple assault, yet the relative importance of neighborhood structure across gradations of IPV and victim sex is relatively unexplored. We use data from Los Angeles, CA, and disaggregate IPV assaults across victim sex to examine whether neighborhood factors have differential effects on simple and aggravated IPV. We find differential effects of neighborhood structure by victim sex, especially for simple assault. Most notably, we find that neighborhood racial composition has significantly greater effects on females relative to male victims of simple IPV assault, while residential stability is protective of women more so than men. Only the percent of vacant or owner-occupied housing was specific to male simple IPV victimization. This suggests that neighborhood-based interventions should differ depending on the type of IPV being targeted.

Associations between neighborhood characteristics and child well-being before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: A repeated cross-sectional study in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program

The corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted daily life worldwide, and its impact on child well-being remains a major concern. Neighborhood characteristics affect child well-being, but how these associations were affected by the pandemic is not well understood. We analyzed data from 1039 children enrolled in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program whose well-being was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health questionnaire and linked these data to American Community Survey (ACS) data to evaluate the impacts of neighborhood characteristics on child well-being before and during the pandemic. We estimated the associations between more than 400 ACS variables and child well-being t-scores stratified by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white vs. all other races and ethnicities) and the timing of outcome data assessment (pre-vs. during the pandemic). Network graphs were used to visualize the associations between ACS variables and child well-being t-scores. The number of ACS variables associated with well-being t-scores decreased during the pandemic period. Comparing non-Hispanic white with other racial/ethnic groups during the pandemic, different ACS variables were associated with child well-being. Multiple ACS variables representing census tract-level housing conditions and neighborhood racial composition were associated with lower well-being t-scores among non-Hispanic white children during the pandemic, while higher percentage of Hispanic residents and higher percentage of adults working as essential workers in census tracts were associated with lower well-being t-scores among non-white children during the same study period. Our study provides insights into the associations between neighborhood characteristics and child well-being, and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected this relationship.

Sex Differences in Receipt of Bystander Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Considering Neighborhood Racial and Ethnic Composition.

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (B-CPR) and defibrillation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) vary by sex, with women being less likely to receive these interventions in public. It is unknown whether sex differences persist when considering neighborhood racial and ethnic composition. We examined the odds of receiving B-CPR stratified by location and neighborhood. We hypothesized that women in predominantly Black neighborhoods will have a lower odds of receiving B-CPR. We conducted a retrospective study using the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES). Neighborhoods were classified by census tract. We modeled the odds of receipt of B-CPR (primary outcome), automatic external defibrillation application, and survival to hospital discharge (secondary outcomes) by sex. CARES collected 457 621 arrests (2013-2019); after appropriate exclusion, 309 662 were included. Women who had public OHCA had a 14% lower odds of receiving B-CPR (odds ratio [OR], 0.86 [95% CI, 0.82-0.89]), but effect modification was not seen by neighborhood (P=not significant). In predominantly Black neighborhoods, women who had public OHCA had a 13% lower odds of receiving B-CPR (adjusted OR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.76-0.98]) and 12% lower odds of receiving automatic external defibrillation application (adjusted OR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.78-0.99]). In predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods, women who had public OHCA were less likely to receive B-CPR (adjusted OR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.73-0.96]) and less likely to receive automatic external defibrillation application (adjusted OR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.64-0.87]). Women with public OHCA have a decreased likelihood of receiving B-CPR and automatic external defibrillation application. Findings did not differ significantly according to neighborhood composition. Despite this, our work has implications for considering strategies to reduce disparities around bystander response.

Exposure of Neighborhood Racial and Socio-Economic Composition in Activity Space: A New Approach Adjusting for Residential Conditions

Abstract A longstanding urban sociological literature emphasizes the geographic isolation of city dwellers in residence and everyday routines, expecting exposures to neighborhood racial and socio-economic structure driven principally by city-wide segregation and the role of proximity and homophily in mobility. The compelled mobility approach emphasizes the uneven distribution of organizational and institutional resources across urban space, expecting residents of poor Black-segregated neighborhoods to exhibit non-trivial levels of everyday exposure to White, non-poor areas for resource seeking. We use two sets of location data in the hypersegregated Chicago metro to examine these two approaches: Global Positioning System (GPS) location tracking on a sample of older adults from the Chicago Health and Activity Space in Real-Time (CHART) study and travel diaries on a sample of younger adults by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP). We introduce a novel and flexible individual-level method for assessing activity space exposures that accounts for the spatially proximate environment around home. Analyses reveal that activity space contexts mimic the racial/ethnic and socio-economic landscape of respondents’ broad residential environment. However, after residential-based adjustment, Black younger (CMAP) adults from poor Black neighborhoods are disproportionately exposed to Whiter, less Black but less non-poor neighborhoods. Older (CHART) adult activity spaces align more closely with their residential areas; however, activity spaces of poor-Black-neighborhood-residing CHART Blacks are systematically poorer and, less consistently, more Black and less White after local area adjustment. Implications for understanding contextual exposures on well-being and the potential for age or cohort differences in isolation are discussed.

Neighborhood Segregation and Access to Live Donor Kidney Transplantation

Identifying the mechanisms of structural racism, such as racial and ethnic segregation, is a crucial first step in addressing the persistent disparities in access to live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT). To assess whether segregation at the candidate's residential neighborhood and transplant center neighborhood is associated with access to LDKT. In this cohort study spanning January 1995 to December 2021, participants included non-Hispanic Black or White adult candidates for first-time LDKT reported in the US national transplant registry. The median (IQR) follow-up time for each participant was 1.9 (0.6-3.0) years. Segregation, measured using the Theil H method to calculate segregation tertiles in zip code tabulation areas based on the American Community Survey 5-year estimates, reflects the heterogeneity in neighborhood racial and ethnic composition. To quantify the likelihood of LDKT by neighborhood segregation, cause-specific hazard models were adjusted for individual-level and neighborhood-level factors and included an interaction between segregation tertiles and race. Among 162 587 candidates for kidney transplant, the mean (SD) age was 51.6 (13.2) years, 65 141 (40.1%) were female, 80 023 (49.2%) were Black, and 82 564 (50.8%) were White. Among Black candidates, living in a high-segregation neighborhood was associated with 10% (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 0.90 [95% CI, 0.84-0.97]) lower access to LDKT relative to residence in low-segregation neighborhoods; no such association was observed among White candidates (P for interaction = .01). Both Black candidates (AHR, 0.94 [95% CI, 0.89-1.00]) and White candidates (AHR, 0.92 [95% CI, 0.88-0.97]) listed at transplant centers in high-segregation neighborhoods had lower access to LDKT relative to their counterparts listed at centers in low-segregation neighborhoods (P for interaction = .64). Within high-segregation transplant center neighborhoods, candidates listed at predominantly minority neighborhoods had 17% lower access to LDKT relative to candidates listed at predominantly White neighborhoods (AHR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.75-0.92]). Black candidates residing in or listed at transplant centers in predominantly minority neighborhoods had significantly lower likelihood of LDKT relative to White candidates residing in or listed at transplant centers located in predominantly White neighborhoods (65% and 64%, respectively). Segregated residential and transplant center neighborhoods likely serve as a mechanism of structural racism, contributing to persistent racial disparities in access to LDKT. To promote equitable access, studies should assess targeted interventions (eg, community outreach clinics) to improve support for potential candidates and donors and ultimately mitigate the effects of segregation.

Validating the White Flight Hypothesis: Neighborhood Racial Composition and Out-Migration in Two Longitudinal Surveys

Validating the White Flight Hypothesis: Neighborhood Racial Composition and Out-Migration in Two Longitudinal Surveys

Neighborhood racial composition and experiences of racial discrimination: Associations with cytokines during pregnancy among African American women

BackgroundPreterm birth rates are consistently higher in African American (AA) pregnancies compared to White pregnancies in the United States. Neighborhood racial composition, experiences of racial discrimination, and systemic inflammation are factors that have been associated with preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes that may account for these disparities. Here, we investigated whether perceived neighborhood racial composition and experiences of discrimination were predictive of cytokine levels during pregnancy among AA individuals. Methods545 AA individuals completed surveys and had blood samples collected at prenatal clinics in the Midwest at three timepoints (8–18,19-29, and 30–36 weeks gestation) throughout pregnancy. Pro-inflammatory [interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF)] and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) were quantified. Multivariate and multilevel models were used to examine associations of perceived neighborhood racial composition and experiences of racial discrimination with cytokine levels, controlling for relevant covariates. ResultsPerceived neighborhood racial composition was significantly associated with MIF at 30–36 weeks gestation in multivariate regression (p < 0.001). Living in neighborhoods with more compared to fewer White people was predictive of higher levels of MIF (b = 0.599, SE = 0.12, p < 0.001). Experiences of discrimination were also associated with higher levels of MIF (β = 0.141, SE = 0.07, p = 0.036). Neither predictor was associated with other cytokines. Follow-up analyses revealed that neighborhood racial composition was also predictive of higher MIF levels at 8–18 weeks gestation (p = 0.02) and at 19–29 weeks gestation (p = 0.04). ConclusionsLiving in neighborhoods with more White individuals and having more lifetime experiences of racial discrimination were positively related to levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, MIF, among pregnant AA individuals. MIF’s known positive relationships with chronic stress and preterm birth suggest that these elevations in MIF may have negative health consequences. Future studies should explore whether MIF serves as a pathway between neighborhood racial composition or experiences of racial discrimination and preterm birth risk among AA individuals.

Cold weather isolation is worse in poor and non-white neighborhoods in the United States

Social isolation can cause a variety of adverse physical and mental health effects and is central to understanding broader social disparities among marginalized groups in the United States. This study aims to assess whether temperature variation is associated with daily social isolation at the neighborhood level. I test a series of two-way fixed effects models to see if mean daily temperature is associated with individuals spending the entire day at home, as measured using smartphone data, across a sample of 45 million devices in 2019 in the United States. Using interaction terms, I specifically examine heterogeneity in temperature effects by neighborhood racial composition and socioeconomic status. The two-way fixed effects models reveal highly statistically significant negative coefficients for the interaction between temperature and neighborhood proportion Black, temperature and neighborhood proportion Hispanic, and temperature and neighborhood residential disadvantage, in predicting the probability of spending the entire day at home. In marginal terms, the findings indicate the gap in the probability of spending the entire day at home between an all-Black neighborhood and an all-White neighborhood grows by nearly 10 percentage points from the warmest day of the year to the coldest day of the year in some parts of the United States. My models highlight how residents of poor and majority Black and Hispanic neighborhoods experience disproportionate social isolation in the form of a greater propensity to spend the entire day at home.

Abstract B077: Understanding the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and breast cancer mortality among Black and White women

Abstract Background: Neighborhood deprivation has been associated with increased breast cancer mortality among White women, but findings are inconsistent among Black women, who are more likely to die from the disease. To improve our understanding of the relation, we investigated the joint effects of race and neighborhood racial composition, residential mobility, and rurality on the neighborhood deprivation-breast cancer mortality association among White and Black women. Methods: In 2010-2017, 31,358 non-Hispanic White and Black women diagnosed with invasive stage I-IIIA breast cancer were identified by the Georgia Cancer Registry and were followed through 2019 for breast cancer mortality. The neighborhood deprivation index (NDI) was derived through principal component analysis of 2011-2015 block group-level American Community Survey (ACS) data on poverty, income, housing, unemployment, occupation, and education. Neighborhood racial composition and residential mobility were measured using 2011-2015 ACS data. Rurality was measured using Georgia Department of Public Health data. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate multivariable hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between NDI, in quintiles, and breast cancer mortality, overall and according to joint effects of race and neighborhood characteristics (neighborhood racial composition, residential mobility, and rurality). Results: During follow-up, 2,353 (1,347 non-Hispanic White, 1,006 non-Hispanic Black) women died from breast cancer. Living in the most deprived neighborhoods was associated with a 30% increased risk of breast cancer mortality (quintile 5 vs. 1: HR=1.30, 95% CI 1.13-1.49). The association was present among non-Hispanic White (quintile 5 vs. 1: HR=1.47, 95% CI 1.20-1.79) but not non-Hispanic Black women. We observed similar race-specific patterns when assessing jointly stratified associations. For example, among non-Hispanic White women, neighborhood deprivation was associated with breast cancer mortality irrespective of the additional neighborhood characteristics considered, with the strongest association observed among non-Hispanic White women living in the most deprived rural neighborhoods compared to those living in the least deprived urban neighborhoods (HR=1.70, 95% CI 1.30-2.22). In contrast, no association was found among non-Hispanic Black women in any strata of neighborhood racial composition, residential mobility, or rurality (non-Hispanic Black women living in the most deprived rural neighborhoods vs. those living in the least deprived urban neighborhoods: HR=1.05, 95% CI 0.78-1.41). Conclusions: Consistent with previous studies, our study found that living in a deprived neighborhood may increase breast cancer mortality among non-Hispanic White but not non-Hispanic Black women. Neighborhood racial composition, residential mobility, and rurality did not explain the lack of association among non-Hispanic Black women. Other factors beyond neighborhood may contribute to the high breast cancer mortality rate among this racial group. Citation Format: Lauren E. Barber, Leah Moubadder, Maret L. Maliniak, Jasmine M. Miller-Kleinhenz, Jeffrey M. Switchenko, Lauren E. McCullough. Understanding the relationship between neighborhood deprivation and breast cancer mortality among Black and White women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr B077.

What explains variation in neighborhood evictions? Investigation of neighborhood characteristics and federal rental assistance: Case study of Kansas City, Missouri

ABSTRACT Housing evictions occur throughout the United States but are unevenly distributed within cities and counties. Evictions are more common in some neighborhoods than in others. This study explores why evictions are more prevalent in certain neighborhoods than in others. First, it explores what neighborhood attributes explain the varying prevalence of evictions and eviction filings. Second, it investigates whether federal rental housing assistance reduces neighborhood evictions or eviction filings. Using the Kernel-Based Regularized Least Squares method suitable for exploratory analysis, this study examines the variation in evictions and eviction filings across Kansas City, Missouri, neighborhoods, between 2010 and 2016. This study finds that neighborhood racial composition (percentage of Black rental households) and family composition (percentage of rental households with children) are the strongest predictors of neighborhood evictions and eviction filings. This study finds that neighborhood housing insecurity and gentrification do not significantly affect the prevalence of evictions and eviction filings when other neighborhood characteristics are held constant. Variations in evictions and eviction filings are due to several neighborhood characteristics, which have nonlinear and heterogeneous effects on evictions and eviction filings. It also finds that federal rental housing assistance significantly reduces neighborhood evictions and eviction filings.

Segregation and “Out-of-Placeness”: The Direct Effect of Neighborhood Racial Composition on Police Stops

Differential police conduct may be attributed both to residential racial segregation and more general discriminatory attitudes and policies. We draw upon ethnographic and other studies of everyday policing to propose that police, in the context of racially segregated neighborhoods, intensively surveil individuals who are “out of place” in terms of their race and the local geographical context in which they are found. We then use statistical evidence from the New York City Police Department to compare stops in different neighborhoods. We find that the NYPD indeed carries out “stops” that differentially target African Americans and Hispanics present in predominantly white precincts, with the degree of surveillance increasing as precincts become more white, and as stops become more generic and less about specific, identifiable crimes.

Socioeconomic and racial disparities in source-apportioned PM2.5 levels across urban areas in the contiguous US, 2010

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution exposure is associated with short and long-term health effects. Several studies found differences in PM2.5 exposure associated with neighborhood racial and socioeconomic composition. However, most focused on total PM2.5 mass rather than its chemical components and their sources. In this study, we describe the ZIP code characteristics that drive the disparities in exposure to PM2.5 chemical components attributed to source categories both nationally and regionally. We obtained annual mean predictions of PM2.5 and fourteen of its chemical components from spatiotemporal models and socioeconomic and racial predictor variables from the 2010 US Census, and the American Community Survey 5-year estimates. We used non-negative matrix factorization to attribute the chemical components to five source categories. We fit generalized nonlinear models to assess the associations between the neighborhood predictors and each PM2.5 source category in urban areas in the United States in 2010 (n = 25,790 zip codes). We observed higher PM2.5 levels in ZIP codes with higher proportions of Black individuals and lower socioeconomic status. Racial exposure disparities were mainly attributed to Heavy Fuel, Oil and Industrial, Metal Processing Industry and Agricultural, and Motor Vehicle sources. Economic disparities were mainly attributed to Soil and Crustal Dust, Heavy Fuel Oil and Industrial, Metal Processing Industry and Agricultural, and Motor Vehicle sources. Upon further analysis through stratifying by regions within the United States, we found that the associations between ZIP code characteristics and source-attributed PM2.5 levels were generally greater in Western states. In conclusion, racial, socioeconomic, and geographic inequalities in exposure to PM2.5 and its components are driven by systematic differences in component sources that can inform air quality improvement strategies.

Differential Access in Mortgage Credit: The Role of Neighborhood Spatial and Racial Stratification

AbstractInequality in homeownership is a major component of ethno‐racial stratification. Previous studies demonstrate large ethno‐racial differences in access and outcomes throughout the home buying process at both the individual and neighborhood levels. An underlying assumption in these studies is that neighborhood ethno‐racial disparities in lending are similar across neighborhood spatial types. However, mortgage lending disparities are unclear when examining the neighborhood's racial composition across urban, suburban, and rural communities. This paper draws on annual data from the American Housing Survey and the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) from 2018 and 2019 to assess loan outcome disparities by neighborhood type and racial composition. I show that applicant disparities in loan outcomes vary when factoring the neighborhood's spatial type and racial composition. Borrowers seeking a mortgage in predominantly minority rural communities are more likely to be denied a mortgage than borrowers applying across all other neighborhood type and racial composition. The trends for urban communities are similar to suburban communities across adverse loan outcomes. When comparing the community's racial composition and neighborhood type, the observed lending pattern provides evidence of constrained mortgage access in rural areas, especially among minority rural communities.

Midwest Ecological Study Outlined the Neighbourhood Literacy Environment and the Inequitable Access Children Have to Books in Public Library Branches

A Review of: Crosh, C., Hutton, J., Szumlas, G., Xu, Y., Beck, A., &amp; Riley, C. (2022). Inequities in public library branch access and children’s book circulation in a Midwestern American city. The International Journal of Information, Diversity, &amp; Inclusion (IJIDI), 6(3), 68-81. https://doi.org/10.33137/ijidi.v6i4.38127 Objective – To explore the impact of the neighbourhood literacy environment (NLE) by examining associations between public library locations, book circulation rates, and neighbourhood racial composition. Design – An ecological study using aggregated data sources. Setting – Forty selected neighbourhood public libraries in the state of Ohio, United States of America. Subjects – Analysis of (1) existing circulation statistics from January 2014 to December 2018 for the neighbourhoods of Cincinnati and Hamilton Public Libraries; and (2) the American Community Survey (ACS) data from 2018. Methods – Among the key components studied for the population was the NLE, which the authors defined as access to literacy materials in a neighbourhood. The data the authors examined for the targeted populations were race, age, poverty level, and library location. The two groups of variables computed were: (1) the connection between circulation rates of children’s books and child poverty; (2) the connection between circulation statistics and the proportion of people who self-identify as Black in the neighbourhood. Additionally, the researchers used the Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient (rs) to measure the relationships between the correlating variables within each neighbourhood library branch – number of books circulated per child; the census data of children who self-identified as Black; and the children who were designated as 20% below the federal poverty level (FPL). The Chi-square test was used to calculate associations between access to a library branch and child poverty in each neighborhood. In this study, the researchers only looked at the associations between variables at an aggregate level. The authors defined the terms they used in the study: (1) children were ages 0-18 years; (2) children’s books were literature intended for an audience from 0-18 years old; (3) the definition of poverty was taken from the U.S. Census and classified as neighborhoods with 20% of children below the FPL. Main Results – There were 40 library branches that served 81 neighbourhoods, of which there was only a 38% distribution in the high-poverty areas, compared with 58% for the low. Approximately 24 million books were circulated during the 5-year period of 2014 -2018. The median circulation rate per child at the neighbourhood level was 22 books. The results showed steep variations in circulation rates per child across branch locations; the numbers range from 3 to 98 books per child across neighborhoods. The authors indicated that the increases and decreases in the circulation rates were tied to branch location and the area’s socioeconomic status. The primary finding of the data analyzed was a negative correlation between the population identified as Black/African American and lower circulation rates in poorer neighbourhoods. Limitations identified by the authors were (1) the allocation of literacy resources per branch was unknown; (2) the in-library book user statistics in high-poverty neighbourhoods may not be accurately documented; (3) the precise allocations for literacy funds and the use of in-library resources for developing literacy skills need further study. Conclusion – The authors noted that race, economic status, and proximity to public libraries were pertinent factors in understanding inequitable access to books for children in the neighbourhoods studied. The NLE was an important dynamic beyond the home; the availability of books and engagement with them were contributing factors to the development of literacy skills. The associations observed between the variables indicated that improving the NLE matters and libraries must mindfully work to alleviate the disproportionately lower levels of access to books and their unfavorable outcome for children in low-income areas.

Association of Neighborhood Racial and Ethnic Composition and Historical Redlining With Built Environment Indicators Derived From Street View Images in the US

Racist policies (such as redlining) create inequities in the built environment, producing racially and ethnically segregated communities, poor housing conditions, unwalkable neighborhoods, and general disadvantage. Studies on built environment disparities are usually limited to measures and data that are available from existing sources or can be manually collected. To use built environment indicators generated from online street-level images to investigate the association among neighborhood racial and ethnic composition, the built environment, and health outcomes across urban areas in the US. This cross-sectional study was conducted using built environment indicators derived from 164 million Google Street View images collected from November 1 to 30, 2019. Race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic data were obtained from the 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates; health outcomes were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020 Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates (PLACES) data set. Multilevel modeling and mediation analysis were applied. A total of 59 231 urban census tracts in the US were included. The online images and the ACS data included all census tracts. The PLACES data comprised survey respondents 18 years or older. Data were analyzed from May 23 to November 16, 2022. Model-estimated association between image-derived built environment indicators and census tract (neighborhood) racial and ethnic composition, and the association of the built environment with neighborhood racial composition and health. The racial and ethnic composition in the 59 231 urban census tracts was 1 160 595 (0.4%) American Indian and Alaska Native, 53 321 345 (19.5%) Hispanic, 462 259 (0.2%) Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 17 166 370 (6.3%) non-Hispanic Asian, 35 985 480 (13.2%) non-Hispanic Black, and 158 043 260 (57.7%) non-Hispanic White residents. Compared with other neighborhoods, predominantly White neighborhoods had fewer dilapidated buildings and more green space indicators, usually associated with good health, and fewer crosswalks (eg, neighborhoods with predominantly minoritized racial or ethnic groups other than Black residents had 6% more dilapidated buildings than neighborhoods with predominantly White residents). Moreover, the built environment indicators partially mediated the association between neighborhood racial and ethnic composition and health outcomes, including diabetes, asthma, and sleeping problems. The most significant mediator was non-single family homes (a measure associated with homeownership), which mediated the association between neighborhoods with predominantly minority racial or ethnic groups other than Black residents and sleeping problems by 12.8% and the association between unclassified neighborhoods and asthma by 24.2%. The findings in this cross-sectional study suggest that large geographically representative data sets, if used appropriately, may provide novel insights on racial and ethnic health inequities. Quantifying the impact of structural racism on social determinants of health is one step toward developing policies and interventions to create equitable built environment resources.

Preferences over the Racial Composition of Neighborhoods: Estimates and Implications

Preferences over the Racial Composition of Neighborhoods: Estimates and Implications

Preferences over the Racial Composition of Neighborhoods: Estimates and Implications

Preferences over the Racial Composition of Neighborhoods: Estimates and Implications

Neighborhood Racial and Economic Composition Predicts Incidence of Various Emergency Service Responses

Sociological research has investigated neighborhood inequality across various consequential events. Crime and violence continue to be dominant phenomena examined. Less sociological attention has been given to other types of adverse incidents involving emergency services responses. In this article, the author draws on a unique data set on medical emergencies, fires, traffic collisions, gas leaks, carbon monoxide leaks, and hazardous incidents from more than 600 local first-responder agencies across the United States to examine neighborhood inequalities in prevalence. The author finds that across nearly all outcomes, neighborhood proportion Black is a dominant predictor of incidence that persists net of a battery of controls. The author additionally finds socioeconomic disparities across a few of these outcomes, including medical emergencies, fires, and traffic collisions. The author concludes by broadly encouraging more sociological research on these understudied events.