Community-Level Racial Segregation May Be Associated With Increased Violence Injury

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 18 Jan 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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A new study finds that higher levels of racial segregation are associated with increased odds of violent injury among whites and non-whites.

Researchers investigated whether within-county racial segregation was associated with increased odds of violent verses non-violent injury, beyond individual risk. They did so by analyzing data on 75,310 patients admitted with an injury to Pennsylvania hospitals from 1997 to 1999. Results were adjusted for individual and county-level factors.

Researchers found the association was strongest for non-whites.

"Distinguishing the relative contributions of individual-level race, community-level racial segregation and their interaction is crucial to understanding the underlying etiology of violence and to identifying effective interventions," the study's authors stated. "Through social influence operating at the individual and community levels, race may be a marker that signals varying degrees of access to social, economic and political resources for individuals and the communities they inhabit; the availability of these resources in turn influences the risk of violence."

Citation
"The Association between County-Level Injury Rates and Racial Segregation Revisited: A Multilevel Analysis."
American Journal of Public Health

The American Journal of Public Health is the monthly Journal of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the oldest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. APHA is a leading publisher of books and periodicals promoting sound scientific standards, action programs and public policy to enhance health. More information is available at http://www.apha.org.

American Public Health Association

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