The Legacy of Redlining and the Geography of Tobacco Retailers in Wisconsin.

Abstract

Introduction: Housing discrimination as one of the main mechanisms for reinforcing racial segregation has persisted historically in the United States through a process known as "redlining." In recent years, researchers across different disciplines have utilized the iconic "residential security maps" created by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930s to analyze the structural roots of racial disparities. HOLC maps designated grading of "best" to "still desirable" to "definitely declining" and "hazardous" to urban areas where percentage of African American and foreigners were among the reordered measures.

Objective: Given that sales and marketing of tobacco products also present a historical connection to structural racism in the US, this study examines how historical redlining relates to current geographies of tobacco retailers in Wisconsin.

Methods: Analyses were conducted for 4 cities in Wisconsin with available HOLC maps. We used negative binomial models to account for spatial heterogeneity and overdispersion of retailers, and we controlled for present-day sociodemographic characteristics.

Results: Findings indicated that the hierarchy of HOLC grades are reflected in the present-day retailer density, and areas historically graded as "less desirable" have a higher present-day density of tobacco retailers. The result of the statistical model shows that poverty and percentage minority are also significant factors in distribution of tobacco retailers.

Conclusions: These results highlight that to address the structural roots of health disparities, we need intervention strategies that employ a comprehensive look at the historical legacies of discrimination.