Abstract TP141: Social Vulnerability Index is Associated with Age-Adjusted Prevalence of Stroke in Northern New England.

Background: Stroke is still one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) identifies vulnerable counties at risk for many health related issues. Northern New England (NNE) (Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine) has a high percentage of rural areas, making this area especially vulnerable due to limited accessibility to healthcare. We sought to explore the association between SVI and age-adjusted prevalence of stroke in this region. Materials and Method: SVI scores were obtained from the 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry SVI database (2018-2022, 5 year data). Age-adjusted prevalence of stroke was obtained from CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health. Data was analyzed on Microsoft Excel with Data Analysis toolpack. Simple linear regression was used to examine the bivariate relationship between SVI and age-adjusted prevalence of stroke. Adjusted R 2 as a measure of strength of association and a p value < 0.05 was considered as indicator of statistical significance. This study was considered exempt by the Institutional Review Board. Results: As shown in figure 1, across the counties in Northern New England, SVI shows a positive association with age-adjusted prevalence of stroke. The adjusted R 2 was 0.45 with a p value < 0.001. Discussion: In our study, we showed the significant positive association between SVI and age-adjusted prevalence of stroke in the counties of NNE. These findings support prior literature showing the association SVI and other cardiovascular outcomes as well as suggesting that SVI may be a useful measure of assessing regions at risk. Conclusion: In conclusion, across counties in NNE there was a significant positive association between SVI and age adjusted prevalence of stroke. Future efforts should focus on preventive strategies to mitigate the higher risk as shown by SVI.