Full Citation
Title: Estimating exposure to neighborhood crime by race and ethnicity for public health research
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2021
ISBN:
ISSN: 14712458
DOI: 10.1186/S12889-021-11057-4/FIGURES/4
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID: 34098923
Abstract: Background: Police-reported crime data (hereafter “crime”) is routinely used as a psychosocial stressor in public health research, yet few studies have jointly examined (a) differences in crime exposure based on participant race and ethnicity, (b) differences in measures of crime exposure, and (c) considerations for how exposure to police is captured in police-recorded crime data. We estimate neighborhood exposure to crime and discuss the implications of structural differences in exposure to crime and police based on race and ethnicity. Methods: Using GPS coordinates from 1188 participants in the Newborn Epigenetics Study, we estimated gestational exposure to crime provided by the Durham, North Carolina, Police Department within (a) 800 m and (b) the Census block group of residence. We controlled for non-overlapping spatial boundaries in crime, Census, residential, and police data to report crime spatial (crime per km2) and population (crime per 1000 people per km2) density. Results: We demonstrate dramatic disparities in exposure to crime based on participant race and ethnicity and highlight variability in these disparities based on the type of crime and crime measurement method chosen. Conclusions: Public health researchers should give thoughtful consideration when using police-reported crime data to measure and model exposure to crime in the United States, as police-reported data encompasses joint exposure to police and crime in the neighborhood setting.
Url: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11057-4
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Lodge, Evans K.; Hoyo, Cathrine; Gutierrez, Carmen M.; Rappazzo, Kristen M.; Emch, Michael E.; Martin, Chantel L.
Periodical (Full): BMC Public Health
Issue: 1078
Volume: 21
Pages: 1-13
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Crime and Deviance, Housing and Segregation, Race and Ethnicity
Countries: