Examining the Relationship Between Gun Violence, Community Disadvantage, and Health in Baltimore, Maryland

• In Event: Neighborhoods and Gun Violence

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the concentration of gun violence in Baltimore census tracts and its association with community disadvantage and poor health outcomes. Understanding the toll that gun violence and/or disadvantage may have on health is essential in bettering health outcomes, especially in marginalized areas. Research in this area, however, is limited, especially in regard to the effects of gun violence and disadvantage on specific health outcomes. Thus, using gun violence data, area deprivation index scores, and health outcome data, we analyze if gun violence concentration is affected by disadvantage and if disadvantage and gun violence affect health outcomes such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and frequent mental and physical distress. Our preliminary results from various negative binomial models suggest that disadvantage is significant in predicting both gun violence and poor health outcomes in census tracts, but gun violence does not appear to be a significant predictor of poor health outcomes when controlling for disadvantage. Thus, addressing concentrated disadvantage in Baltimore may result in a reduction of gun violence and better health outcomes.

Authors

• Brianna Camero, George Mason University

• Beidi Dong, George Mason University