2022 journal article

Gestational exposure to neighborhood police-reported crime and early childhood blood pressure in Durham, NC

HEALTH & PLACE, 75.

By: E. Lodge, Z. Haji-Noor, C. Gutierrez, A. Aiello, C. Hoyo*, M. Emch, C. Martin

author keywords: Crime; Violence; Policing; Neighborhood environment; Early childhood health; Blood pressure
MeSH headings : Blood Pressure; Child; Child, Preschool; Crime; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Police; Residence Characteristics; Violence
Source: Web Of Science
Added: February 27, 2023

Gestational exposure to police-reported crime is associated with adverse birth outcomes, but no previous research has evaluated the effects of gestational crime exposure on early childhood health or attempted to disentangle the health effects of neighborhood crime from the effects of neighborhood policing. Using data from 672 Newborn Epigenetics Study participants, we evaluate the effects of gestational exposure to violent crime and racialized drug policing on early childhood blood pressure. We demonstrate that violence and drug policing are consistently associated with increased blood pressure among children born to Black participants but not White or Latinx participants.