Digital Health Equity: Broadband Access and Associations with Health Outcomes in Priority Counties (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The relationship between broadband access and health outcomes is an emerging field of interest within public health research. In an increasingly digital world, it is important to understand how to best allocate broadband resources to maximize health impact. This study specifically investigates how levels of broadband connectivity are associated with health metrics such as diabetes, obesity, and preventable hospitalizations in counties identified as having critical needs by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). OBJECTIVE To understand the longitudinal relationship between broadband access and health outcomes in priority counties, specifically diabetes, obesity, and preventable hospitalizations. METHODS This study investigates the relationship between broadband access and diabetes, obesity, and preventable hospitalizations from 2017-2020. Using regression models to analyze data from 172 counties identified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as having critical needs (i.e. low broadband access and high disease rates), we explore how broadband subscriptions and speeds affect health outcomes, controlling for county characteristics. RESULTS A 1% increase in broadband subscriptions was associated with a 0.6% decrease in the odds ratio [OR] for diabetes (OR=0.994, 95% CI 0.992-0.997). A 1% increase in broadband subscriptions corresponded to a 0.6% (standardized ???? coefficient=0.994, 95% CI 0.992-0.997, P<.001) reduction in preventable hospitalizations. No significant relationship was found between broadband and obesity rates. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggests that increased access to broadband may be correlated to decreased rates of diabetes and preventable hospitalizations in FCC priority counties. The study highlights the importance of considering county characteristics in public health outreach and supports broadband access’s potential to improve health equity by addressing disparities in rural, persistent poverty counties.