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The Enduring Impact of Historical Redlining on Socio-Environmental Vulnerability and Health Disparities in Orlando, Florida
Location: East Ballroom
Mentor: Dr. Delia Shelton
According to the Florida Health Chart, certain population groups are disproportionately affected by heart disease. These disparities may be linked to socio-economic and environmental factors rooted in historical redlining policies. Redlining, a discriminatory practice implemented in the 1930s by the Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC), classified neighborhoods from “A” to “D” based on racial composition and socio-economic status. Grade “A” areas were considered “Best,” while Grade “D” areas were labeled “Hazardous,” leading to decades of disinvestment in marginalized communities. This study investigates the association between historical redlining, socio-environmental vulnerability, and health outcomes within Orlando’s neighborhoods, based on the prevalence of cardiovascular and mental health conditions at the census-tract level. To assess the impact of socio-environmental vulnerability (independent variable) on health outcomes (dependent variable), the study will quantify and spatially analyze indicators from the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and correlate them with the prevalence of cardiovascular and mental health conditions across neighborhoods classified by HOLC grades. Utilizing spatial and epidemiological data from the Mapping Inequality Project, the CDC SVI, and the CDC PLACES (Population Level Analysis and Community Estimates) Project, this study integrates historical redlining maps with contemporary health and socio-environmental data to examine spatial heterogeneity in health outcomes. The results aim to support the development of a socio-toxicological framework to inform future policies targeting health equity and environmental justice in historically marginalized urban areas.
