Social Vulnerability and Adult Obesity in the State of Florida
Abstract
Introduction: Socioeconomic and racial disparities are prevalent regarding obesity rates, where race, income, and education are predictors of obesity. Social vulnerability, or a community's ability to respond to stressors on health, may be one explanation for these disparities. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between social vulnerability and obesity among Florida counties. Methods: We conducted an ecological cross-sectional study among 67 Florida counties. To measure county-level social vulnerability, we utilized the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), which is composed of four themes. County-level adult obesity prevalence in 2017 was obtained from the UWPHI’s County Health Rankings. For each county, we dichotomized the four SVI themes and obesity prevalence by the median. We used logistic regression to examine associations between each SVI theme and obesity prevalence among Florida counties. Results: We found that Florida counties with higher values for the socioeconomic status theme (OR: 12.15, 95% CI: 1.97-74.94), the household composition and disability theme (OR: 11.19, 95% CI: 2.07-60.39), and the housing type and transportation theme (OR: 7.64, 95% CI: 1.07-54.52) were associated with a higher obesity prevalence. However, we found Florida counties with higher values for the minority and language theme, had a lower obesity prevalence (OR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01-0.41). Discussion: Our results indicate that county-level social vulnerability may influence obesity prevalence among Florida counties. Identifying socially vulnerable populations may be helpful for contextualizing resource allocation and the implementation of interventions to address obesity within Florida counties.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Lucas Hollar, Dr. Erin Biggs
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-6-2022 12:00 PM
End Date
4-7-2022 5:00 PM
Social Vulnerability and Adult Obesity in the State of Florida
Alvin Sherman Library
Introduction: Socioeconomic and racial disparities are prevalent regarding obesity rates, where race, income, and education are predictors of obesity. Social vulnerability, or a community's ability to respond to stressors on health, may be one explanation for these disparities. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations between social vulnerability and obesity among Florida counties. Methods: We conducted an ecological cross-sectional study among 67 Florida counties. To measure county-level social vulnerability, we utilized the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), which is composed of four themes. County-level adult obesity prevalence in 2017 was obtained from the UWPHI’s County Health Rankings. For each county, we dichotomized the four SVI themes and obesity prevalence by the median. We used logistic regression to examine associations between each SVI theme and obesity prevalence among Florida counties. Results: We found that Florida counties with higher values for the socioeconomic status theme (OR: 12.15, 95% CI: 1.97-74.94), the household composition and disability theme (OR: 11.19, 95% CI: 2.07-60.39), and the housing type and transportation theme (OR: 7.64, 95% CI: 1.07-54.52) were associated with a higher obesity prevalence. However, we found Florida counties with higher values for the minority and language theme, had a lower obesity prevalence (OR: 0.04, 95% CI: 0.01-0.41). Discussion: Our results indicate that county-level social vulnerability may influence obesity prevalence among Florida counties. Identifying socially vulnerable populations may be helpful for contextualizing resource allocation and the implementation of interventions to address obesity within Florida counties.
