Study shows that police violence linked to higher likelihood of heart disease and preterm delivery among Black women

Ten-year analysis links police complaints with hospital records, suggesting that the consequences of police misconduct may begin in utero and persist across the life course

According to the study led by Northwestern professor of psychology Greg Miller, professor of sociology Andrew Papachristos, and post-doctoral fellow Alexa Freedman, the effects between a mother’s experience with the misconduct of police can produce genetic adjustments in themselves and also in their children.

Humans, as an adaptive species, have been known to develop numerous different mutations, or lack thereof, to increase their chance of survival. In areas where police violence can lead to a life that may be more challenging, the body will attempt to adapt in a way to aid in survival. However, some of the means the body takes have been linked to medical difficulties in African American women who experience police misconduct. Papachristos and Freedman investigated how and to what extent these women were affected.

Their study “Complaints about the excessive use of police force in women’s neighborhoods and subsequent perinatal and cardiovascular health,” was released January 19, 2022, in Science Advances. 

“The results suggest that police misconduct may have implications for health beginning at the earliest stages of development, which we know has important repercussions for long-term health,” said Papachristos, director of the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network (N3) Initiative.

The faculty and post-docs who worked on the study were able to conclude that the results provide improvement in researching and combatting health inequity.

To read more about the study and those who contributed to its success, see the Northwestern Now article “Police violence linked to higher rates of preterm delivery, heart disease among black women.”