Study links historic redlining to higher opioid overdose death rates in lower-graded neighborhoods

AI Summary

A study found that Massachusetts neighborhoods assigned the lowest grades on historic redlining maps had 86% higher annual opioid overdose death rates than top-graded neighborhoods. The findings suggest that the lasting effects of discriminatory disinvestment are associated with unequal health outcomes.

A new study from researchers at Boston Medical Center (BMC) found that Massachusetts neighborhoods given the lowest grades on historic redlining maps had 86% higher annual opioid-related overdose death rates than those given the highest grades. The study, published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, suggests that the long-term effects of historical disinvestment continue to affect health outcomes based on where people live.