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Ecologic analysis demonstrates that increased social vulnerability correlates with higher mortality rates in Kansas, indicating a need for targeted interventions.
Socioeconomic and structural factors, including social vulnerability, play critical roles in population health and health disparities. In recent years, Kansas reported age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) above the national average, with five-year county-average AAMRs ranging from 606 to 1,267 deaths per 100,000, revealing county-level disparities. This study examined county-level social vulnerability in relation to AAMR in Kansas. Counties were classified into four levels of social vulnerability using the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). County annual AAMRs were obtained from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Repeated measures linear regression analyzed four levels of county social vulnerability and change in AAMR from 2013 to 2022. At the county level, increased social vulnerability was significantly associated with increased AAMR (p=.00). The change in AAMR over time was not significantly associated with SVI group (p=.65). Continued efforts to understand disparities are needed to prioritize interventions and inform policies to advance health equity.
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Oliveira et al. (2026) studied this question.
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