Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties

COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available across the United States (U.S.), yet little is known about the spatial clustering of COVID-19 vaccinations. This study aimed to test for geospatial clustering of COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents aged 12–17 across the U.S. counties and to compare the...

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Main Authors: Sophie R. Alphonso, Marcus R. Andrews, Seann D. Regan, Alyssa Shishkov, Jonathan H. Cantor, Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, Kosuke Tamura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-01-01
Series:Preventive Medicine Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523004369
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author Sophie R. Alphonso
Marcus R. Andrews
Seann D. Regan
Alyssa Shishkov
Jonathan H. Cantor
Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley
Kosuke Tamura
author_facet Sophie R. Alphonso
Marcus R. Andrews
Seann D. Regan
Alyssa Shishkov
Jonathan H. Cantor
Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley
Kosuke Tamura
author_sort Sophie R. Alphonso
collection DOAJ
description COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available across the United States (U.S.), yet little is known about the spatial clustering of COVID-19 vaccinations. This study aimed to test for geospatial clustering of COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents aged 12–17 across the U.S. counties and to compare these clustering patterns by sociodemographic characteristics.County-level data on COVID-19 vaccinations and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the COVID-19 Community Profile Report up to April 14, 2022. A total of 3,108 counties were included in the analysis. Global Moran’s I statistic and Anselin Local Moran’s analysis were used, and clustering patterns were compared to sociodemographic variables using t-tests. Counties with low COVID-19 vaccinated clusters were more likely, when compared to unclustered counties, to have higher numbers of individuals in poverty and uninsured individuals, and higher values of Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index (CCVI). While high COVID-19 vaccinated clusters, compared to neighboring counties, had lower numbers of Black population, individuals in poverty, and uninsured individuals, and lower values of SVI and CCVI, but a higher number of Hispanic population. This study emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic barriers, such as poverty and lack of health insurance, which were found to be associated with low COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
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spelling doaj.art-ba7c27839435475f8f24dee659991c2f2023-12-18T04:24:13ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552024-01-0137102545Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US countiesSophie R. Alphonso0Marcus R. Andrews1Seann D. Regan2Alyssa Shishkov3Jonathan H. Cantor4Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley5Kosuke Tamura6Socio-Spatial Determinants of Health (SSDH) Laboratory, Population and Community Health Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USADepartment of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USADepartment of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USASocio-Spatial Determinants of Health (SSDH) Laboratory, Population and Community Health Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USARAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA, USASocial Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory, Cardiovascular Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USASocio-Spatial Determinants of Health (SSDH) Laboratory, Population and Community Health Sciences Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Corresponding author.COVID-19 vaccinations are widely available across the United States (U.S.), yet little is known about the spatial clustering of COVID-19 vaccinations. This study aimed to test for geospatial clustering of COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents aged 12–17 across the U.S. counties and to compare these clustering patterns by sociodemographic characteristics.County-level data on COVID-19 vaccinations and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained from the COVID-19 Community Profile Report up to April 14, 2022. A total of 3,108 counties were included in the analysis. Global Moran’s I statistic and Anselin Local Moran’s analysis were used, and clustering patterns were compared to sociodemographic variables using t-tests. Counties with low COVID-19 vaccinated clusters were more likely, when compared to unclustered counties, to have higher numbers of individuals in poverty and uninsured individuals, and higher values of Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and COVID-19 Community Vulnerability Index (CCVI). While high COVID-19 vaccinated clusters, compared to neighboring counties, had lower numbers of Black population, individuals in poverty, and uninsured individuals, and lower values of SVI and CCVI, but a higher number of Hispanic population. This study emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic barriers, such as poverty and lack of health insurance, which were found to be associated with low COVID-19 vaccination coverage.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523004369COVID-19Spatial analysisVaccine coverageAdolescentsDisparitiesGeospatial clustering
spellingShingle Sophie R. Alphonso
Marcus R. Andrews
Seann D. Regan
Alyssa Shishkov
Jonathan H. Cantor
Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley
Kosuke Tamura
Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties
Preventive Medicine Reports
COVID-19
Spatial analysis
Vaccine coverage
Adolescents
Disparities
Geospatial clustering
title Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties
title_full Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties
title_fullStr Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties
title_full_unstemmed Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties
title_short Geospatially clustered low COVID-19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable US counties
title_sort geospatially clustered low covid 19 vaccine rates among adolescents in socially vulnerable us counties
topic COVID-19
Spatial analysis
Vaccine coverage
Adolescents
Disparities
Geospatial clustering
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335523004369
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