Higher neighborhood social vulnerability (Q4 vs Q1) was associated with significantly lower Life's Essential 8 cardiovascular health scores at Year 15 (difference -5.34 points; 95% CI, -6.90 to -3.78).
Cohort (n=3,168)
Does higher neighborhood social vulnerability associate with lower Life's Essential 8 cardiovascular health scores in adults?
Higher neighborhood social vulnerability is significantly associated with lower cardiovascular health scores, driven largely by socioeconomic and household factors.
Effect estimate: Difference -5.34 points (95% CI -6.90 to -3.78)
Background: Neighborhood social vulnerability may shape cardiovascular health (CVH), but its association with Life's Essential 8 (LE8), and whether changes in vulnerability track with changes in CVH during midlife, are unclear. We examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) with LE8 and assessed differences by SVI domain, LE8 component, race, and sex. Methods: We analyzed CARDIA participants at Year 15 (Y15; 2000-2001; n = 3,168; mean age 40 years) and Year 30 (Y30; 2015-2016; n = 2,267; mean age 55 years). Residential addresses were geocoded and linked to 2000 and 2016 SVI. Participants were stratified by SVI quartiles. CVH scores were calculated from LE8 metrics (range 0-100; higher is better CVH), excluding sleep. Using multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, sex, race, and educational attainment, we estimated LE8 differences across SVI quartiles and associations of 15-year SVI change/residential mobility with change in LE8. Cox models estimated incident CVD associations. Results: Higher SVI was associated with lower LE8 at both exams. Adjusted Q4 vs Q1 differences in overall LE8 were -5.34 points (95% CI, -6.90 to -3.78) at Y15 and -4.60 points (95% CI, -6.51 to -2.69) at Y30. Among the four SVI domains, SES and household characteristics drove most of the disparity in LE8 scores (Y30 Q4 vs. Q1: SES Δ = -6.98; household Δ = -6.56 points). Component-level differences across quartiles of SVI were largest for nicotine exposure at Y15 (-13.09 points) and physical activity at Y30 (-13.09 points). Changes in SVI and residential mobility were not significantly associated with change in LE8. Conclusion: Higher social vulnerability was associated with significantly lower CVH. Socioeconomic and household factors, along with behavioral gaps in nicotine exposure and physical activity, may be key targets for community-level interventions to improve cardiovascular health equity.
Walker et al. (Thu,) conducted a cohort in Cardiovascular health (n=3,168). Higher Neighborhood Social Vulnerability (SVI Quartile 4) vs. Lower Neighborhood Social Vulnerability (SVI Quartile 1) was evaluated on Life's Essential 8 (LE8) cardiovascular health scores (Difference -5.34 points, 95% CI -6.90 to -3.78). Higher neighborhood social vulnerability (Q4 vs Q1) was associated with significantly lower Life's Essential 8 cardiovascular health scores at Year 15 (difference -5.34 points; 95% CI, -6.90 to -3.78).