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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
G. Reza Najem, MD, MPH, PhD, Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School & UMDNJ-School of Public Health, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103, (973)972-4778, najem@umdnj.edu and Sharique Aslam, Preventive Medicine and Community Health, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, 185 South Orange Ave, Newark, NJ 07103.
Objective: is to study racial disparities and the weapons used to commit youth homicide in N.J. Methods: The homicide data were obtained from the death certificate files, 1989-1997. Results: A statistically significant disparity in Black/White homicide incidence rate ratio was 4 among young adults (age 20-24 years) and 10 among adolescents (age 15-19 years). Youths (15-24 years) homicide incidence rate correlated positively with urbanization index and negatively with level of education. The male/female homicide rate ratio was 6 and 4 for adolescents and young adults, respectively. The incidence rate of youth homicide did not change remarkably from 1989 to 1997. However, the Black adolescent homicide rate increased consistently from 1989 to 1997. Sixty percent of all youth homicide was committed by firearms. Conclusion: Significant racial disparities exist in the homicide victimization rate in NJ. Particularly, among Black adolescents the homicide rate was 10 times more than Whites. This racial disparity is associated with firearms, lower level of education, higher urbanization index, and greater population density. Of particular immediate concern is the rapidly escalating homicide victimization among Black adolescent boys. The significant high racial and gender disparities suggest that this generation is exposed to an environment with unique of intensified risk factor for committing homicide in NJ. If the existing trend in homicide continues, Black adolescent boys will become the leading category of victims in NJ.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Homicide, African American
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.