Cardiometabolic diseases are a group of interrelated diseases that pose greater burden among socially vulnerable communities. The social vulnerability index (SVI) identifies communities vulnerable to emergencies and may also help determine communities at risk of adverse chronic health outcomes. However, no studies have examined the relationship between the SVI and cardiometabolic health outcomes in Colorado or focused on rural settings. The aim of this ecological study was to determine whether the county-level SVI is associated with county-level cardiometabolic health indicators with a particular focus on rurality and racial/ethnic diversity. We obtained 2014 SVI scores from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (scored 0–1; higher = more vulnerable) and 2013–2015 cardiometabolic health estimates from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The distribution of social determinants of health was spatially evaluated. Bivariate relationships between the SVI and cardiometabolic indicators were estimated using simple linear regression models. The highest SVI scores were observed in rural areas, including the San Luis Valley (mean: 0.78, median: 0.91), Southeast (mean: 0.72, median: 0.73), and Northeast (mean: 0.66, median: 0.76) regions. Across Colorado, the SVI accounted for 41% of the variability in overweight and obesity prevalence (p < 0.001), 17% of the variability in diabetes prevalence (p = 0.001), and 58% of the age-adjusted myocardial infarction hospitalization rate (p < 0.001). SVI values may be useful in determining a community’s burden of cardiometabolic diseases.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.