The relation of residential segregation to all-cause mortality: a study in black and white

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the influence of an aggregate measure of the social environment on racial differences in all-cause mortality. METHODS: Data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study were analyzed. RESULTS: After adjustment for family income, age-adjusted mortality risk increased with increasing minority residential segregation among Blacks aged 25 to 44 years and non-Blacks aged 45 to 64 years. In most age/race/gender groups, the highest and lowest mortality risks occurred in the highest and lowest categories of residential segregation, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that minority residential segregation may influence mortality risk and underscore the traditional emphasis on the social underpinnings of disease and death.