SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-Local Disparities in Child Opportunity Correlate With Infant Mortality

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This study examined whether neighborhood social determinants of health, measured by the Child Opportunity Index (COI), are associated with infant mortality in California. The COI is a census tract–level measure based on 29 indicators across three domains: Education, Health & Environment, and Social & Economic opportunity. The analysis used neighborhood-level infant mortality estimates from 8,047 California census tracts for 2015 and COI scores for 7,980 tracts (99.2% coverage). Researchers compared infant mortality patterns with state-normed COI scores, which range from 1 (lowest opportunity) to 100 (highest opportunity), and tested associations using nonlinear least squares regression.<br /><br />The central hypothesis was that disparities in infant mortality would track with pediatric social determinants of health as reflected by lower COI scores. The results indicate that local disparities in child opportunity do correlate with infant mortality: neighborhoods with less opportunity experienced worse infant survival outcomes, while higher-opportunity neighborhoods had lower infant mortality. The figure highlights geographic variation across California, including major counties such as Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield, and San Bernardino.<br /><br />Overall, the study suggests that neighborhood context plays an important role in infant health and that the Child Opportunity Index can help identify communities where social and environmental disadvantage may contribute to higher infant mortality.

Asset Subtitle

Vallent Lee

Meta Tag

Author List Vallent Lee

Category Research

Concept Child Opportunity Index

Concept Infant Mortality

Concept Social Determinants of Health

Concept Health Disparities

Concept Neighborhood

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization Loma Linda University Children's Hospital

Presenting Author Vallent Lee

Track Pediatric

Keywords

infant mortality

Child Opportunity Index

neighborhood determinants

social determinants of health

California census tracts

pediatric health disparities

education opportunity

health environment

economic opportunity

nonlinear regression

Child Opportunity Index

Infant Mortality

Social Determinants of Health

Health Disparities

Neighborhood