Historical redlining and cardiovascular health: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Mahasin S. Mujahid, Xing Gao, Loni Philip Tabb, Colleen Morris, Tené T. Lewis
Abstract
Significance How structural racism contributes to the disproportionate burden of cardiovascular disease risk on minoritized groups in the United States is understudied. This study examined the impact of historical redlining, a government-sanctioned and racially discriminatory policy, and present-day cardiovascular health (CVH). Results suggested that living in historically redlined neighborhoods was associated with CVH only among Black participants and that within this group, living in a neighborhood with better social environment quality weakened but did not fully attenuate this association. These findings suggest that, similar to the institution of slavery, redlining is one manifestation of structural racism that drives health outcomes today. This work underscores the necessity to investigate structural racism as a root cause of racial/ethnic health inequities.