A study in the September 2019 edition of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health examined neighborhood racial composition, extrinsic and intrinsic vulnerability, and exposure to particulate matter. The researchers found Latinx tracts were “highly correlated with extrinsic vulnerability (economic disadvantage and limited English-speaking ability),” and Black tracts were “highly correlated with intrinsic vulnerability (elevated prevalence of asthma-related emergency department visits and low birth weight).” Through further analysis, the researchers found that “percent Latinx population…and the percent of non-Latinx Black and non-Latinx Asian population were the strongest positive multivariable correlates” of particulate matter. The study concludes by noting that Black and Latinx composition in tracts “remain important vulnerability factors with implications for future research and policy.”
To view the article’s abstract, click here.