A study published in the December, 2021, edition of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine provides more evidence that “historical redlining, a US discriminatory mortgage lending practice in existence between the 1930s-1970s, may have actuated and then perpetuated poor asthma-related outcomes.” To assess the connection, the researchers geocoded over 1,000 participants from the Pittsburgh region of Pennsylvania, and assessed current clinical, demographic, and air pollution data. They found that current levels of pollution and the burden of asthma were higher in more historically redlined communities. The authors conclude, “The racist practice of historical…redlining profoundly contributes to long-term environmental and asthma-related inequities in Black adults. Acknowledging the role racism has in these outcomes should empower more specific and novel interventions targeted at reversing these structural issues.”
To view the abstract, click here. To view a news article on the study, click here.