Experiences, Expectations, and Satisfaction with Police-a Population-Based Study of Differences by Race and Ethnicity in Two Counties.

We used the 2021 Policing in America Survey to examine experiences with police and perceptions of policing in Cook County, IL, and Dallas County, TX. Substantial portions of residents believe that local police use force during at least half of arrests (Cook 45.8%, Dallas 52.2%) and report dissatisfaction with local policing efforts (Cook 49.0%, Dallas 48.5%). Black and Hispanic residents in both communities were more likely than white, non-Hispanic residents to have frequent use of force expectations and dissatisfaction with police. Several other indicators of experiences with and perceptions of police also varied by race and ethnicity. We combined individual-level survey data with neighborhood-level data from the American Community Survey in multilevel logistic regression models to examine differences between groups for primary outcomes. Some findings were consistent for both counties. Black residents (Cook aOR = 3.63; Dallas aOR = 5.07) and those who had witnessed police misconduct were more likely to have frequent use of force expectations (Cook aOR = 6.44; Dallas aOR = 14.91). Differences between Black, Hispanic, and white residents were not associated with dissatisfaction in the adjusted models. Negative experiences with police (Cook aOR = 10.73; Dallas aOR = 12.11), witnessing misconduct (Cook aOR = 3.87; Dallas aOR = 3.55), and feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood (Cook aOR = 4.56; Dallas aOR = 3.49) were independently associated with greater odds of dissatisfaction. Inequities in exposure to unsafe neighborhoods, witnessing misconduct, and negative interactions with police are key drivers of variation in expectations and perceptions of police. Optimizing transparency and assurances of procedural justice are needed to reduce fear and increase satisfaction with police in the USA.

Mood disorders, childhood maltreatment, and medical morbidity in US adults: An observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Mood disorders, child maltreatment, and medical morbidity are associated with enormous public health burden and individual suffering. The effect of mood disorders on medical morbidity, accounting for child maltreatment, has not been studied prospectively in a large, representative sample of community-dwelling US adults. This study tested the effects of mood disorders and child maltreatment on medical morbidity, and variation by subtypes. METHODS: Participants were noninstitutionalized US adults in the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 43,093 wave 1, N = 34,653 wave 2). Mood disorders included lifetime DSM-IV episodes of depression, dysthymia, mania, or hypomania. Child maltreatment was defined as sexual, physical, or emotional abuse, or physical or emotional neglect before age 18. Survey-weighted zero-inflated poisson regression was used to study effects on medical morbidity, a summary score of 11 self-reported medical conditions. Results were adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity/race, income, substance use disorders, smoking, and obesity. RESULTS: Mood disorders and child maltreatment additively associated with medical morbidity at study entry and three years later, with similar magnitude as obesity and smoking. Mania/hypomania (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.06, 95% CI 1.01-1.10) and child sexual (IRR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.11) and emotional (IRR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.10) abuse were associated with higher medical morbidity longitudinally. CONCLUSIONS: Child maltreatment is common, and its long-range negative effect on medical morbidity underscores the importance of trauma-informed care, and consideration of early life exposures. History of mania/hypomania should be considered in medical practice, and physical health must be emphasized in mental health care.

Measurement of Social Processes at the Neighborhood Level in Baltimore City.

Small-area ecological research is critical to inform place-based interventions at the neighborhood level; however, objective measurement of the social context has been limited. The current study extends the application of the Neighborhood Inventory for Environmental Typology (NIfETy) through the development and evaluation of measures of social context for a longer period of observation (3 years) and at a larger area of aggregation (census tract clusters) compared to previous studies using measures at the block-face level from a single observation. Observations from the 172-item inventory were collected from a random sample of block faces (n = 793) in Baltimore City annually over a three-year period. Through a multistep process including replication of previous measures, data reduction, and factor analysis, six unique neighborhood-level indices were generated to describe the environmental context: drug and alcohol use, violence, physical disorder, epicenter, youth activity, and improvements. An assessment of measurement consistency and validity provided support for some indices, while others had notable limitations. These indices can assist local policymakers and public health practitioners assessing the needs of individual neighborhoods and evaluating the effectiveness of place-based interventions designed to improve the neighborhood environment and population health outcomes.

Preparing Students for Success: Differential Outcomes by Preschool Experience in Baltimore City, Maryland.

An early adopter of public preschool (i.e., pre-kindergarten, "pre-k"), evidence from Baltimore City, Maryland, can provide insight for those working to improve access to early education opportunities. We followed a cohort of children entering kindergarten in Baltimore City Public Schools during the 2007-2008 year through the 2010-2011 academic year. Students were grouped by pre-k experience: public pre-k (n = 2828), Head Start (n = 839), Head Start plus public pre-k (n = 247), private pre-k (n = 993), or informal care (n = 975). After adjusting for individual- and school-level characteristics, students from the Head Start plus public pre-k group were the most likely to enter kindergarten with the foundational skills and behaviors needed to be successful (vs. all groups, P ≤ .001). Students in informal care were the least likely to enter kindergarten with this skillset (vs. all pre-k groups P ≤ .001). Children from informal care were also significantly more likely than all other groups to be chronically absent in kindergarten (P ≤ .001). By third grade, children from informal care were least likely to be reading on grade level and most likely to have been retained a grade (vs. all pre-k groups P ≤ .001). Children from disadvantaged populations who were not enrolled in pre-k faced significant difficulties keeping up with their peers throughout elementary school; interventions to improve their transition to school and increase their likelihood of academic success are warranted. Universal preschool is likely to improve education outcomes for children in urban areas.