Racial Residential Segregation and the Distribution of Health-Related Organizations in Urban Neighborhoods

Recent research has considered the role of racial/ethnic residential segregation as it relates to health and health care outcomes in the United States. In this article, I employ key theories of segregation and urban inequality to explain the spatial distribution of health-related organizations. Using data from the 2010 County Business Patterns and the U.S. Census in a series of spatial regression models, I examine the distribution of a variety of health-related organizations across the United States. I find that the concentration and clustering of racial/ethnic minorities (blacks and, to a lesser extent, Latinos and Asians) in urban neighborhoods is inversely associated with the number of health-related organizations, including food resources, physical fitness facilities, health care resources, civic associations, and social service organizations. The spatial distribution of health-related organizations could help to explain broader links between racial/ethnic minority segregation and health.