The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69133

Tinka Markham Piper, MPH, CSW¹, Sandro Galea, MD, MPH¹, Jennifer Ahern, MPH¹, Kenneth J Tardiff, MD, MPH², and David Vlahov, PhD¹. (1) Center for Urban Epidemiologic Studies, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029, 212-419-3584, kmarkham@nyam.org, (2) Department of Psychiatry, New York Presbyterian Hosptial, 525 East 68th Street Box 140, New York, NY 10021

Homicide rates in New York City (NYC) have decreased dramatically in the past decade. We were interested in assessing if changes in homicide rates are associated with neighborhood income and income inequality. We used homicide data from 1990-1996 from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City (OCME). We calculated median income and the Gini coefficient for 59 city neighborhoods from the 1990 US Census. Homicide rates were stratified by fourths of income and income disparity and compared over time. Overall, the highest homicide rates were in the poorest neighborhoods and in neighborhoods characterized by the greatest income inequality. However, over the 7-year period, the greatest decreases in homicide rates occurred in the poorest neighborhoods and in those with the greatest income inequality. In neighborhoods with the greatest income disparity, homicide rates decreased from 76.98 to 29.21 deaths per 100,000, a 62% decrease. In neighborhoods with the least income disparity, there was a reduction from 17.2 to 9.2 deaths per 100,000, a 47% decrease. In 1996, homicide rates remained 5.7 times higher in the poorest neighborhoods than in the wealthiest neighborhoods and 3.2 times higher in neighborhoods with high inequality compared to neighborhoods with low inequality. These findings suggest that there was differential reduction in homicide in neighborhoods with different incomes and income distribution; variable enforcement efforts or socio-demographic changes may partly explain these observations. Additional research is needed to explore mechanistic relations between neighborhood context and homicide.

Learning Objectives:

• To discuss changing homicide rates in New York City and the differential changes by neighborhood
• To discuss the role of income and income inequality in the change in homicide rates in a densely populated urban area.

Keywords: Homicide, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
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