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The coincidence of rising ozone concentrations ([O3]), increasing global temperatures, and drought episodes is expected to become more intense and frequent in the future. A better understanding of the responses of crop yield to elevated [O3] under different levels of drought and high temperature stress is, therefore, critical for projecting future food production potential. Using a 15-year open-air field experiment in central Illinois, we assessed the impacts of elevated [O3] coupled with variation in growing season temperature and water availability on soybean seed yield. Thirteen soybean cultivars were exposed to a wide range of season-long elevated [O3] in the field using free-air O3 concentration enrichment. Elevated [O3] treatments reduced soybean seed yield from as little as 5.3% in 2005 to 35.2% in 2010. Although cultivars differed in yield response to elevated [O3] (R), ranging from 17.5% to -76.4%, there was a significant negative correlation between R and O3 dosage. Soybean cultivars showed greater seed yield losses to elevated [O3] when grown at drier or hotter conditions compared to wetter or cooler years, because the hotter and drier conditions were associated with greater O3 treatment. However, year-to-year variation in weather conditions did not influence the sensitivity of soybean seed yield to a given increase in [O3]. Collectively, this study quantitatively demonstrates that, although drought conditions or warmer temperatures led to greater O3 treatment concentrations and O3-induced seed yield reduction, drought and temperature stress did not alter soybean's sensitivity to O3. Our results have important implications for modeling the effects of rising O3 pollution on crops and suggest that altering irrigation practices to mitigate O3 stress may not be effective in reducing crop sensitivity to O3.

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The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is the only marsupial in North America with a natural range north of Mexico. Its range is widespread throughout the United States, including Illinois. Virginia opossums are opportunistic omnivores that will eat a variety of fruits, grains, insects, and even carrion. They are a ground-foraging species, with frequent soil contact allowing for potential exposure to heavy metal contaminants in terrestrial environments. They are also opportunists that thrive in human-altered ecosystems, including peri-urban environments. Lead is a naturally occurring element and highly toxic metal that is abundant in the soil, primarily due to anthropogenic factors such as fossil fuel use, paint, industrial production waste, and battery recycling. Furthermore, carrion and offal piles containing lead bullet fragments remaining from hunting result in environmental contamination of this heavy metal. Few studies exist on lead exposure in the Virginia opossum. This pilot study evaluates the blood lead burden of 16 free-ranging Virginia opossums presented to a wildlife rehabilitation facility, compared with 16 wild-caught Virginia opossums trapped in grassland, maintained forest, or mixed ecotones. In other species, lead toxicosis has been associated with cognitive dysfunction that may increase the likelihood of trauma or injury in a free-ranging setting. In addition, a high incidence of Virginia opossums presenting for wildlife rehabilitation do so as result of human-animal conflict. Therefore, it was anticipated that individuals presenting for wildlife rehabilitation would have significantly higher blood lead concentrations than their free-roaming counterparts. In this study, every Virginia opossum had measurable blood lead concentrations and the average blood lead concentration of the rehabilitated group was 2.7 times higher than that measured in wild-caught Virginia opossums. These results suggest that Virginia opossums are exposed and susceptible to lead toxicosis due to their diet and foraging behaviors, making them more prone to subsequent injury and presentation to wildlife rehabilitation centers.

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PURPOSE: This study analyzes the trajectory of youth emergency department or inpatient hospital visits for depression or anxiety in Illinois before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We analyze emergency department (ED) outpatient visits, direct admissions, and ED admissions by patients ages 5-19 years coded for depression or anxiety disorders from 2016 through June 2023 with data from the Illinois Hospital Association COMPdata database. We analyze changes in visit rates by patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, hospital volume and type, and census zip code measures of poverty and social vulnerability. Interrupted times series analysis was used to test the significance of differences in level and trends between 51 pre-pandemic months and 39 during-pandemic months. RESULTS: There were 250,648 visits to 232 Illinois hospitals. After large immediate pandemic decreases there was an estimated -12.0 per-month (p = 0.003, 95% CI -19.8-4.1) decrease in male visits and a - 13.1 (p = 0.07, 95% CI -27 -1) per-month decrease in female visits in the during-pandemic relative to the pre-pandemic period. The reduction was greatest for outpatient ED visits, for males, for age 5-9 and 15-19 years patients, for smaller community hospitals, and for patients from the poorest and most vulnerable zip code areas. CONCLUSIONS: llinois youth depression and anxiety hospital visit rates declined significantly after the pandemic shutdown and remained stable into 2023 at levels below 2016-2019 rates. Further progress will require both clinical innovations and effective prevention grounded in a better understanding of the cultural roots of youth mental health.

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Understanding the movement patterns of an invasive species can be a powerful tool in designing effective management and control strategies. Here, we used a Bayesian multistate model to investigate the movement of two invasive carp species, silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis), using acoustic telemetry. The invaded portions of the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers, USA, are a high priority management zone in the broader efforts to combat the spread of invasive carps from reaching the Laurentian Great Lakes. Our main objective was to characterize the rates of upstream and downstream movements by carps between river pools that are maintained by navigation lock and dam structures. However, we also aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the available telemetry infrastructure to monitor carp movements through this system. We found that, on a monthly basis, most individuals of both species remained within their current river pools: averaging 76.2% of silver carp and 75.5% of bighead carp. Conversely, a smaller proportion of silver carp, averaging 14.2%, and bighead carp, averaging 13.9%, moved to downstream river pools. Movements towards upstream pools were the least likely for both species, with silver carp at an average of 6.7% and bighead carp at 7.9%. The highest probabilities for upstream movements were for fish originating from the three most downstream river pools, where most of the population recruitment occurs. However, our evaluation of the telemetry array's effectiveness indicated low probability to detect fish in this portion of the river. We provide insights to enhance the placement and use of these monitoring tools, aiming to deepen our comprehension of these species' movement patterns in the system.

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The leading cause of death in children in the United States is injury caused by firearm violence. States that enact stricter laws related to firearm injury prevention have lower rates of mortality in children. In Illinois, we formed a coalition with medical professionals, medical organizations, community partners, and legislators to craft legislation to reduce the burden of firearm violence on children. These laws can be politically charged. Therefore, we decided to focus on a safe storage education law. We met regularly as a group to draft the bill and an information sheet to support it. Pediatricians and pediatric providers worked with the government relations teams in children's hospitals throughout the state to garner supporting organizations. We also worked to garner cosponsors, provided written and oral testimony to the legislative body, and wrote op-eds to support the bill. Shortly after the bill was passed and signed into law in June of 2022, there was a mass shooting at Highland Park in Illinois. After the shooting, there was a mandate from the Illinois governor to work on passing an assault weapons ban. Pediatricians again provided input into the bill about how the weapons affect children, testified before the House Judiciary Committee, and wrote op-eds. Governor Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act into law in January of 2023. Pediatricians actively worked in the passage of both bills, which highlights the importance of medical professionals as experts who can combine powerful stories and evidence based medicine to influence policy.

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CONTEXT: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality for US women; lack of health insurance contributes to poor control of risk factors and increased mortality. Health coaching including motivational interviewing can support primary and secondary CVD prevention, but among uninsured women, improving health outcomes is dependent on successfully reaching priority populations. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the implementation and reach of health coaching with motivational interviewing among clients in the Illinois WISEWOMAN Program (IWP), a CVD screening and risk-reduction program for uninsured women aged 40 to 64. INTERVENTION: Following CVD screening, motivational interviewing is offered to all IWP clients via four 30-min one-on-one health coaching sessions to offer personalized guidance on setting and achieving health behavior goals. SETTING: Our analysis included clients from the eight community-based Illinois agencies that implemented IWP from 2019 to 2023. DESIGN AND MEASURES: We assessed client demographic and baseline health characteristics among all IWP clients, those who participated in health coaching by attending at least one session, and those who completed health coaching by attending at least three of four sessions. We also assessed health coaching participation and completion by agency and examined agency-specific associations between client characteristics and health coaching participation and completion. RESULTS: Among IWP enrollees (n = 3094), 89.7% participated in at least one health coaching session but only 31.4% completed health coaching by attending at least three sessions. Over 90% of IWP clients participated in at least one health coaching session at 4 IWP agencies. Further, over 85% of health coaching participants completed health coaching at four agencies. Across agencies, no client-level characteristics were consistently associated with health coaching participation or completion. CONCLUSIONS: High motivational interviewing participation rates support its acceptability among uninsured women, but agency-level community-level barriers likely prevent client engagement in multiple sessions. Reducing CVD risk requires working with partner agencies to address barriers to reaching the priority population.

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Food insecurity is pervasive in Allegheny County, as one in five residents experiences food insecurity. Food insecurity is linked to chronic health conditions like heart disease and hypertension and disproportionately affects women in the United States, particularly women who are head of household. There are multiple dimensions used to measure regional disparities in food accessibility. Prior research has examined the linkages between food access and food insecurity, and this study aims to explore further the relationship between equitable access to sustainable and affordable food sources. This study examines food outlets in Allegheny County to determine if there is a significant relationship between food outlet availability and food insecurity. Both the presence and accessibility of these food outlets were examined. To measure accessibility, the walking distance to the nearest public transportation stop was calculated for each public transportation stop. The minimum distance to each food outlet was compared to food insecurity rates on a census tract level. Results showed that communities without grocery stores had lower access to healthy and affordable food sources. Also, communities with a higher proportion of female-headed households experienced greater food insecurity, regardless of access to food outlets. There was no statistically significant relationship between the distance from public transportation stops to grocery stores and rates of food insecurity overall and in low-income communities. However, communities with inaccessible grocery stores, either absent in the census tract or without close public transport stops, did have even greater average rates of food insecurity if there was an above-average proportion of female-headed households. Based on these findings, it is evident there exist structural elements of the built environment that correspond with disproportionate rates of food insecurity experienced by communities with households that are predominately female headed. In addition to resource support for these marginalized groups, we suggest that sole reliance on distance as an indicator of food insecurity can be misleading. There should be a greater focus on walkability aggregated on a household or individual level within the community instead of physical distance alone at a general scale.

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Introduction: To expand access to naloxone, the state of Illinois implemented a standing order allowing registered pharmacies to dispense the drug without an individual prescription. To participate under the standing order, pharmacies were required to opt in through a formal registration process. In our study we aimed to evaluate the availability and price of naloxone at registered pharmacies. Methods: This was a prospective, de-identified, cross-sectional telephone survey. Trained interviewers posed as potential customers and used a standardized script to determine the availability of naloxone between February-December, 2019. The primary outcome was defined as a pharmacy indicating it carried naloxone, currently had naloxone in stock, and was able to dispense it without an individual prescription. Results: Of 948 registered pharmacies, 886 (93.5%) were successfully contacted. Of those, 792 (83.4%) carried naloxone, 659 (74.4%) had naloxone in stock, and 472 (53.3%) allowed purchase without a prescription. Naloxone nasal spray (86.4%) was the formulation most commonly stocked. Chain pharmacies were more likely to carry naloxone (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.97-5.01, P < 0.01) and have naloxone in stock (aOR 2.72, 95% CI 1.76-4.20, P < 0.01), but no more likely to dispense it without a prescription. Pharmacies in higher population areas (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.99-0.99, P < 0.05) and rural areas adjacent to metropolitan areas (aOR 0.5, 95% CI 025-0.98, P < 0.05) were less likely to have naloxone available without a prescription. Associations of naloxone availability based on other urbanicity designations, overdose count, and overdose rate were not significant. Conclusion: Among pharmacies in Illinois that formally registered to dispense naloxone without a prescription, the availability of naloxone remains limited. Additional interventions may be needed to maximize the potential impact of a statewide standing order.

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BACKGROUND: During the Covid-19 pandemic, Covid-19 mortality varied depending on the hospital where patients were admitted, but it is unknown what aspects of hospitals were important for mitigating preventable deaths. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether hospital differences in pre-pandemic and during pandemic nursing resources-average patient-to-registered nurse (RN) staffing ratios, proportion of bachelor-qualified RNs, nurse work environments, Magnet recognition-explain differences in risk-adjusted Covid-19 mortality; and to estimate how many deaths may have been prevented if nurses were better resourced prior to and during the pandemic. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of 87,936 Medicare beneficiaries (65-99 years old) hospitalized with Covid-19 and discharged (or died) between April 1 and December 31, 2020, in 237 general acute care hospitals in New York and Illinois. Measures of hospital nursing resources (i.e. patient-to-RN staffing ratios, proportion of bachelor-qualified RNs, nurse work environments, Magnet recognition) in the pre-pandemic period (December 2019 to February 2020) and during (April to June 2021) were used to predict in-hospital and 30-day mortality using adjusted logistic regression models. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 78 years (8.6 SD); 51 % were male (n = 44,998). 23 % of patients admitted to the hospital with Covid-19 died during the hospitalization (n = 20,243); 31.5 % died within 30-days of admission (n = 27,719). Patients admitted with Covid-19 to hospitals with better nursing resources pre-pandemic and during the pandemic were statistically significantly less likely to die. For example, each additional patient in the average nurses' workload pre-pandemic was associated with 20 % higher odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.20, 95 % CI [1.12-1.28], p < 0.001) and 15 % higher odds of 30-day mortality (OR 1.15, 95 % CI [1.09-1.21], p < 0.001). Hospitals with greater proportions of BSN-qualified RNs, better quality nurse work environments, and Magnet recognition offered similar protective benefits to patients during the pandemic. If all hospitals in the study had superior nursing resources prior to or during the pandemic, models estimate many thousands of deaths among patients hospitalized with Covid-19 could have been avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals with adequate numbers of RNs caring for patients, a workforce rich in BSN-qualified RNs, and high-quality nurse work environments (both prior to and during the Covid-19 pandemic) were more likely to survive the hospitalization. Bolstering these hospital nursing resources during ordinary times is necessary to ensure better patient outcomes and emergency-preparedness of hospitals for future public health emergencies.

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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the association between insurance type and permanent contraception fulfillment among those with cesarean deliveries. Additionally, we sought to examine modification by the scheduled status of the cesarean. STUDY DESIGN: We used data from a multi-site cohort study of patients who delivered in 2018-2019 at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Illinois, MetroHealth Medical System in Ohio, or University of Alabama at Birmingham in Alabama. All patients had permanent contraception as their contraceptive plan in their medical chart during delivery hospitalization. We used logistic regression to model the association between insurance type, scheduled status of cesarean and permanent contraception fulfillment by hospital discharge. The scheduled status of cesarean delivery was examined as an effect modifier. RESULTS: Compared to patients with private insurance, those with Medicaid were less likely to have their desired permanent contraception procedure fulfilled by hospital discharge (89.3% vs. 96.8%, p < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, patients with Medicaid had a lower odds of permanent contraception fulfillment by hospital discharge (OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.77). This association was stronger among those who had unscheduled cesarean deliveries (OR: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.74) than those with scheduled cesarean deliveries (OR: 0.77; 95% CI: 0.32, 1.88). CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Compared to patients with private insurance undergoing a cesarean delivery, those with Medicaid insurance were less likely to have their desired permanent contraception fulfilled. Physicians and hospitals must examine their practices surrounding Medicaid forms to ensure that patients have valid consent forms available at the time of delivery.

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This study explores the association between health system changes over the last decade and women's preventive care utilization in Illinois. A cross-sectional analysis using Illinois Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from 2012-2020 among women aged 21-75 (n=21,258) examined well-woman visit (WWV) receipt and breast and cervical cancer screening overall and over several time periods. There was an increase in the prevalence of receiving a WWV for Illinois women overall from 2012-2020. However, the overall adjusted prevalence difference was only significant for the 2020 versus 2015-2019 comparison and not for 2015-2019 versus 2012-2014. The COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with a decrease in the prevalence of mammogram use but was manifest for cervical cancer screening, particularly for Black women. Finally, those reporting having a WWV in the past year had a significantly higher prevalence of being up to date with screening compared with those not reporting a WWV.

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Agricultural producers have worse mental health than the general population; however, recent research has not considered differences in stressors and mental health conditions by gender. A survey was mailed to a random sample of farmers in Illinois to screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression and identify sources of stress and social support. Men experienced more stress related to environmental and economic conditions than women, while women tended to have slightly higher levels of geographic isolation stress than men. Overall, there were no significant differences by gender in the proportion meeting the criteria for depression or anxiety; however, the results are higher than what is observed in the general population. Among those farmers who experience higher levels of stress about geographic isolation, the odds for women farmers to experience depressive symptoms are four times more than men farmers (OR 4.46 (0.91, 21.8); p = 0.06). Additional research should examine the relationship between social support and mental health. Interventions to reduce stress by gender should be considered.

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CONTEXT: For many young children, early childcare and education (ECE) programs are the only source of nutritious meals and physical activity (PA); however, the COVID-19 pandemic led to program closures, restrictions, and changed practices. OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in nutrition and PA-related best practices in ECE settings in Illinois from 2019, just prior to the pandemic, as compared to 2022. We also examined how changes over time varied by program type (ie, centers vs homes), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) status, and/or Head Start/Early Head Start status. DESIGN: The study design is a repeated cross-sectional survey administered in December 2019 and October 2022. SETTING: State of Illinois. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 888 and 1162 ECE providers completed initial and follow-up surveys, respectively. INTERVENTION: NA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Provider report of meeting 14 nutrition and 9 PA-related best practices. RESULTS: Overall, 9 nutrition-related best practices were maintained and 5 declined over time. Centers, CACFP, and Head Start providers reported significant declines in meeting nutrition-related practices over time. A total of 8 PA-related best practices were maintained and 1 declined over time. Centers reported a significant decline in 5 of the PA-related best practices over time, and these declines were significantly different than in homes over time. Similarly, Head Start programs reported a decline in 4 PA-related best practices over time, and the change was significantly different from non-Head Start programs in 3 of the 4 practices. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study should be considered a new baseline for ECE nutrition and PA-related best practices in Illinois and should serve as a wake-up call for advocates nationwide with regard to the provision of nutrition and PA-related best practices in centers and by CACFP and Head Start providers postpandemic.

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Coyotes (Canis latrans) share urban habitats with domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), providing opportunities for pathogen transmission. In Chicago, Illinois, USA, canine influenza virus (CIV) is prevalent in dogs. Serologic investigation for exposure in 101 coyote samples collected 2000-23 did not detect any antibodies against CIV H3N2 and H3N8.

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With anthropogenic changes altering the environment and the subsequent decline of natural habitats, it can be challenging to predict essential habitats for elusive and difficult to study taxa. Primary burrowing crayfish are one such group due to the complexity in sampling their semi-terrestrial, subterranean habitat. Sampling burrows usually requires a labor-intensive, time-consuming excavation or trapping process. However, limited information on burrowing crayfish suggests that fine-scale habitat variation may drive burrowing crayfish habitat choice. This project aimed to evaluate the fine-scale habitat characteristics that influence burrowing crayfish presence and abundance at a large, restored-remnant grassland preserve in north-central Illinois. We documented burrow abundance and quadrat-specific habitat variables such as root biomass, canopy cover, apparent seasonal high-water table (water table) depth and dominant vegetation at sites with and without burrowing crayfish populations. Data was recorded at every quadrat and analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. A total of 21 models were created to determine what habitat variables affected burrow presence and abundance. We found that the water table depth was a significant driver of burrow presence and abundance. Root biomass and vegetation cover were not significant drivers, although they did show up in the final models, explaining the data. These findings demonstrate empirical support for previous observations from other burrowing crayfish research and demonstrate the influence of fine-scale habitat when modeling elusive taxa requirements.

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This study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence and spatial and temporal clustering of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household cats within 63 counties in Illinois from October 2021 to May 2023. The analysis followed a stepwise approach. First, in a choropleth point map, we illustrated the distribution of county-level seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Next, spatial interpolation was used to predict the seroprevalence in counties without recorded data. Global and local clustering methods were used to identify the extent of clustering and the counties with high or low seroprevalence, respectively. Next, temporal, spatial, and space-time scan statistic was used to identify periods and counties with higher-than-expected seroprevalence. In the last step, to identify more distinct areas in counties with high seroprevalence, city-level analysis was conducted to identify temporal and space-time clusters. Among 1,715 samples tested by serological assays, 244 samples (14%) tested positive. Young cats had higher seropositivity than older cats, and the third quarter of the year had the highest odds of seropositivity. Three county-level space-time clusters with higher-than-expected seroprevalence were identified in the northeastern, central-east, and southwest regions of Illinois, occurring between June and October 2022. In the city-level analysis, 2 space-time clusters were identified in Chicago's downtown and the southwestern suburbs of Chicago between June and September 2022. Our results suggest that the high density of humans and cats in large cities such as Chicago, might play a role in the transmission and clustering of SARS-CoV-2. Our study provides an in-depth analysis of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology in Illinois household cats, which will aid in COVID-19 control and prevention.

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There are unacceptable racial inequities in perinatal outcomes in the United States. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are associated with health outcomes and contribute to disparities in maternal and newborn health. In this article, we (1) review the literature on SDOH improvement in the perinatal space, (2) describe the SDOH work facilitated by the Illinois Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ILPQC) in the Birth Equity quality improvement initiative, (3) detail a hospital's experience with implementing strategies to improve SDOH screening and linkage to needed resources and services and (4) outline a framework for success for addressing SDOH locally. A state-based quality improvement initiative can facilitate implementation of strategies to increase screening for SDOH. Engaging patients and communities with specific actionable strategies is key to increase linkage to needed SDOH resources and services.

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BACKGROUND: Little attention has been placed on language proficiency as a potential variable affecting ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. OBJECTIVES: To compare the ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Hispanic and Latina/o/x/e individuals proficient in English and in those only proficient in Spanish. Secondary aims were to determine if there were differences in ACS symptom knowledge, attitudes, or beliefs based on participants' previous exposure to ACS symptom information and to evaluate instrument characteristics of the new Spanish version of the ACS Response Index. METHODS: This cross-sectional, comparative study included participants (N = 99) from a community-based clinic in Illinois. Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to ACS symptoms were measured using the ACS Response Index. RESULTS: The average participant was 39.8 (SD 15.6) years of age, female (n = 56, 56.6 %), and had a high school education or less (n = 61, 61.6 %). Participants correctly classified a mean 57.5 % (SD 12.8) of symptoms and had mean attitude and belief scores of 12.1 (SD 3.3) and 17.5 (SD 2.9), respectively. There were no significant differences in knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs based on language proficiency. However, there were some statistically significant differences for knowledge and attitude scores based on exposure to ACS symptom information. The ACS Response Index (Spanish Version) also demonstrated favorable internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: Overall knowledge, attitude, and belief scores were modest in this sample. Higher knowledge and attitude scores were observed for some types of ACS information exposure, supporting the importance of future educational efforts in this population.

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Civilian injuries caused during contact with law enforcement personnel erode community trust in policing, impact individual well-being, and exacerbate existing health inequities. We assessed the relationship between ZIP code-level rates of civilian injuries caused during legal interventions and community-level sociodemographic characteristics using Illinois hospital data from 2016 to 2022. We developed multivariable Poisson regression models to examine whether legal intervention injury rates differed by race-ethnicity and community economic disadvantage across three geographic regions of Illinois representing different levels of urbanization. Over the study period, 4976 civilian injuries were treated in Illinois hospitals (rate of 5.6 per 100,000 residents). Compared to non-Hispanic white residents, non-Hispanic Black residents demonstrated 5.5-10.5 times higher injury rates across the three geographic regions, and Hispanic-Latino residents demonstrated higher rates in Chicago and suburban Cook County, but lower rates in the rest of the state. In most regions, models showed that as the percent of minority residents in a ZIP code increased, injury rates among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic-Latino residents decreased. As community economic disadvantage increased at the ZIP code level, civilian injury rates increased. Communities with the highest injury rates involving non-Hispanic white residents were significantly more economically unequal and disadvantaged. While the injury rates were consistently and substantially higher among non-Hispanic Black residents throughout the state, the findings illustrate that the association between overall civilian injuries caused during contact with law enforcement and community sociodemographic characteristics varied across regions. Data on local law enforcement agency policies and procedures are needed to better identify appropriate interventions.

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