Examining the Role of Neighborhood Deprivation in Cardiovascular Disease Risk
DLH data manager Mark Bodkin is co-author of a new paper published in The American Journal of Epidemiology titled “Neighborhood Deprivation, Obesity and Diabetes in Gulf Residents.”
Socioeconomic status has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as obesity and diabetes, which are highly prevalent in the Gulf Coast region. The study examined the role of neighborhood deprivation in cardiovascular disease risk and reinforced prior findings indicating that adverse neighborhood characteristics have a negative influence on cardiovascular risk factors that goes beyond individual level socioeconomic status and other factors. The findings point to a need to develop interventions that address community-level factors that promote good health, such as increased access to healthy foods and areas to exercise.
The paper builds off the ‘Gulf Long Term Follow-Up Study’, a DLH-supported NIEHS examination of multiple types of oil spill chemical exposures in relation to a wide range of health outcomes in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill. The ‘Gulf Study’ is the largest, most comprehensive, and longest running study of an oil spill disaster to date. In addition to delivering vital insight with regard to workplace best practices for future clean-up workers and coastal communities impacted by spills, the study’s large, diverse cohort allows for a thorough exploration of social determinants of health.
