Neighborhood homicide rate and odds of colorectal adenoma among adult patients seeking colonoscopy.

Background: Chronic exposure to ambient stressors, including neighborhood crime, may have a detrimental impact on the body's stress response system with implications for colorectal carcinogenesis.

Methods: We examined associations between the mean neighborhood homicide rates from 2000 and 2018 and diagnosis of colorectal adenoma among patients at the University of Illinois Health and Hospital System in Chicago, Illinois, between 2015 and 2018.

Results: Of the 5,225 patients who underwent colonoscopy and were included in the analytic dataset, 60% had colorectal adenoma. Older age, male sex, and higher body mass index (BMI) were associated with greater odds of colorectal adenoma. The neighborhood homicide rate was associated with identifying as Black and Hispanic and higher BMI. A mediation analysis showed that the neighborhood homicide rate effects on colorectal adenoma were mediated through BMI.

Conclusion: The study concluded that older age, male sex, and higher BMI significantly increase the odds of colorectal adenoma, with neighborhood homicide rate indirectly influencing this risk through its association with BMI, particularly among Black and Hispanic individuals.