Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine Associate Professor of Cardiology and Epidemiology Dr. Sadiya Khan is hoping the school’s ground-breaking study finding Black residents in highly segregated neighborhoods have significantly shortened life expectancies will soon take hold.
“We’re hoping this study highlights the absolute differences in a qualitative way,” Khan told The Center Square, adding that while previous studies have examined life expectancy among racially segregated populations by state and county, this study is the first to analyze life expectancy by neighborhood.
“Efforts are ongoing, but we really need to scale up getting out the word, to the point it moves decision makers to understand the real differences and how they are really making a difference in the lives of many people.”
With the study being published in the JAMA Health Forum earlier this month, researchers outlined how life expectancies for people living in such communities are four years shorter on average compared to residents living in less segregated, predominantly white neighborhoods.
Khan adds the telltale signs are glaring.
“Residents in more segregated areas were more likely to lack college education, live below the federal poverty line and be unemployed,” she said. “One of the things we need to understand is a person’s circumstances, addressing things like stress levels. From a structural and policy standpoint, we need to do more in terms of investing in communities and building up assets and opportunities. There are a lot of downstream consequences to disinvestment in neighborhoods.”
In all, the study examined 63,694 census tracts (small, relatively permanent geographic entities within counties) across the country, concluding the national average life expectancy is 78 years old, compared to 75 years old in predominantly Black neighborhoods with high racial segregation. After highlighting the clear and apparent differences, researchers sought to quantify what role racial segregation may have played in the overall equation.
“A common phrase is ‘your zip code is more important than your genetic code,’” Khan added. “This isn’t an individual-level issue in which we say we need to improve someone’s blood pressure control or cholesterol level. Those are really important, but without tackling this on a bigger level, making sure there’s equity in terms of educational opportunities, employment and a healthy environment without air pollution or excessive heat exposure at the local level where people are born, live and grow, we are going to miss a large part of what’s already happened before people walk into our clinics.”
Over time, Khan said she is hoping that the findings of the study will help inform policy decisions and improve overall health across the country, with the Cook County area being a great barometer.
“By looking at this on the state or county level, you often don’t get at the impact of segregation at the neighborhood level; this emphasizes the importance of the local environment in which one resides,” she said. “Cook County is a great example of this with significant variation in life expectancy from among the highest in a neighborhood like Streeterville compared with the lowest in the South Side of Chicago.”
