Scoping Review of Indices to Measure a Community's Health Status

Composite health indicators are valuable tools to assess population health over time and identify areas for intervention. This scoping review (ScR) aimed to map the literature describing comprehensive health-related metrics used to assess community health. The Arksey and O'Malley framework was used to conduct the ScR, using the following steps: identifying the research question, identifying relevant studies, charting the data, collating and reporting results. United States-based studies that developed/utilized a composite health index using geographic information system (GIS) mapping capabilities to assess community health at the county level or more granular were identified through literature searches conducted in PubMed and EMBASE databases. Literature searches identified 5112 articles; of these, 8 studies describing composite health indices were included. The number of indicators used in each index ranged from 4 to 75 (median: 22). Health outcomes, health behaviors, education, and economics were incorporated into most indices. High school graduation rate (n = 6 indices), health insurance status (n = 5), commute time, median household income, unemployment, and obesity rates (n = 4 each) were the most common indicators across indices. All indicators were derived from publicly available data sources, such as the American Community Survey and US Census Bureau. Although a limited number of community health indices were identified in the ScR, the indices included a broad range of indicators covering both health outcomes and factors contributing to health vulnerabilities. The public data sources and GIS integration of the indices provide potential for broad, insightful applications to various contexts across the United States.