Two new studies shed light on the health impacts of police violence on Black Americans, highlighting disparities in sleep patterns and injuries from police use of force.
Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that police killings of unarmed Black individuals were associated with sleep disturbances among Black survey respondents in the following six months. The study, which analyzed data from over 2 million people between 2013 and 2019, revealed an 11.4% increase in reports of very short sleep following high-profile cases.
Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani of the University of Pennsylvania, who led the study, noted that poor sleep can increase “the lifetime risk of a number of diseases, as well as the risk of early death.”
A separate study examining emergency department visits related to police use of Tasers and similar weapons found racial disparities in injuries. Despite comprising only 13.6% of the U.S. population, Black individuals accounted for nearly 36% of those injured.
Injuries included puncture wounds, concussions, fractures, and traumatic brain injuries. Kevin Griffith of Vanderbilt University, a study co-author, emphasized the importance of proper training for law enforcement to “minimize the risk of long-term injury.”
The studies’ findings underscore the need to document the health effects of police violence on Black Americans. JAMA Internal Medicine editors called this documentation “a critical first step to reduce these harms.”
These research efforts contribute to the growing body of evidence highlighting the far-reaching consequences of police violence on Black communities’ health and well-being.
See “The effect of police violence on Black Americans’ health is documented in 2 new studies” (February 5, 2024)
