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Neighborhood Disadvantage Measures and COVID-19 Cases in Boston, 2020
Margaret E Samuels-Kalow1, Stephen Dorner1, Rebecca E Cash1
12348 Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974)
|March 17, 2021
Summary
Disadvantaged neighborhoods, particularly those with higher Hispanic and poverty rates, experienced more coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. These findings highlight health inequities that require policy consideration for pandemic response.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Health Equity
Background:
- Understanding population risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial for health systems and policymakers.
- Identifying neighborhood factors associated with COVID-19 incidence is essential for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the association between neighborhood factors and the number of COVID-19 cases.
- To test the hypothesis that disadvantaged neighborhoods are associated with clusters of COVID-19 cases.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 9898 COVID-19 patients in a Boston healthcare system (February 5-May 4, 2020).
- Used bivariate local join-count procedures to assess colocation of neighborhood characteristics and COVID-19 cases.
- Employed negative binomial models to evaluate independent associations between neighborhood factors and COVID-19 incidence.
Main Results:
- Significant colocation was found between high rates of Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black populations, lack of health insurance, poverty, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits with high COVID-19 case clusters.
- Increased COVID-19 incidence was associated with higher percentages of Hispanic population (IRR=1.25) and households living in poverty (IRR=1.25).
- Adjusted incidence per census tract ranged from 2 to 405 per 10,000 population.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between disadvantaged neighborhoods and higher rates of COVID-19.
- Health inequities related to neighborhood disadvantage must be considered by policymakers during pandemic response and future health planning.
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