Neighbourhood-level marginalization and avoidable mortality in Ontario, Canada: a population-based study

Epidemiology and association of neighbourhood marginalisation on violent knife assaults in Ontario: a population-based case-control study

BACKGROUND

Violent knife assaults ('stabbings') are underappreciated as a source of morbidity and mortality. The two objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiology of stabbing injuries in the population of Ontario, Canada and to assess the associations between two measures of neighbourhood marginalisation-material deprivation and housing instability, and the risk of stabbing injury.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based case-control study over 2004-18 using linked administrative data. Cases suffered a stabbing injury resulting in an emergency department visit, hospitalisation or death. Four age and sex-matched controls were matched to each case. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the associations between neighbourhood material deprivation as well as housing instability and the risk of injury. Mean annualised injury incidences were estimated using the number of cases identified divided by the total population of Ontario for that year.

RESULTS

We identified 26 657 individuals with a stabbing injury, of which 724 (2.7%) were fatal. The mean annualised incidence was 13.4 per 100 000 (95% CI: 12.7 to 15.9). Victims were disproportionately young (median age 25 years; IQR: 20-37 years) males (84.1%), from large urban centres (77.5%), and in the lowest income quintile (39.3%). In multivariate models, neighbourhood material deprivation (OR 1.45, 95% CI: 1.43 to 1.47) and housing instability (OR 1.4, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.26) were associated with risk of injury.

CONCLUSIONS

Stabbing injuries are a substantial public health problem that affects individuals of all ages and demographics but disproportionately affects younger men in urban settings. There is a weak association between residence in marginalised neighbourhoods and the risk of stabbing injury. Future studies should aim to better understand the nature of this association and consider opportunities for public health interventions to reduce the burden of violent knife injuries.

Exploring the triple burden of social disadvantage, mobility poverty, and exposure to traffic-related air pollution

Understanding the relationships between ultrafine particle (UFP) exposure, socioeconomic status (SES), and sustainable transportation accessibility in Toronto, Canada is crucial for promoting public health, addressing environmental justice, and ensuring transportation equity. We conducted a large-scale mobile measurement campaign and employed a gradient boost model to generate exposure surfaces using land use, built environment, and meteorological conditions. The Ontario Marginalization Index was used to quantify various indicators of social disadvantage for Toronto's neighborhoods. Our findings reveal that people in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas experience elevated UFP exposures. We highlight significant disparities in accessing sustainable transportation, particularly in areas with higher ethnic concentrations. When factoring in daily mobility, UFP exposure disparities in disadvantaged populations are further exacerbated. Furthermore, individuals who do not generate emissions themselves are consistently exposed to higher UFPs, with active transportation users experiencing the highest UFP exposures both at home and at activity locations. Finally, we proposed a novel index, the Community Prioritization Index (CPI), incorporating three indicators, including air quality, social disadvantage, and sustainable transportation. This index identifies neighborhoods experiencing a triple burden, often situated near major infrastructure hubs with high diesel truck activity and lacking greenspace, marking them as high-priority areas for policy action and targeted interventions.

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on equity of access to hip and knee replacements: a population-level study

PURPOSE

The COVID-19 pandemic had innumerable impacts on healthcare delivery. In Canada, this included limitations on inpatient capacity, which resulted in an increased focus on outpatient surgery for non-emergent cases such as joint replacements. The objective of this study was to assess whether the pandemic and the shift towards outpatient surgery had an impact on access to joint replacement for marginalized patients.

METHODS

Data from Ontario's administrative healthcare databases were obtained for all patients undergoing an elective hip or knee replacement between January 1, 2018 and August 31, 2021. All surgeries performed before March 15, 2020 were classified as "pre-COVID," while all procedures performed after that date were classified as "post-COVID." The Ontario Marginalization Index domains were used to analyze proportion of marginalized patients undergoing surgery pre- and post-COVID.

RESULTS

A total of 102,743 patients were included-42,812 hip replacements and 59,931 knee replacements. There was a significant shift towards outpatient surgery during the post-COVID period (1.1% of all cases pre-COVID to 13.2% post-COVID, p < 0.001). In the post-COVID cohort, there were significantly fewer patients from some marginalized groups, as well as fewer patients with certain co-morbidities, such as congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

CONCLUSION

The most important finding of this population-level database study is that, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a change in the profile of patients undergoing hip and knee replacements in Ontario, specifically across a range of indicators. Fewer marginalized patients are undergoing joint replacement surgery since the COVID-19 pandemic. Further monitoring of access to joint replacement surgery is required in order to ensure that surgery is provided to those who are most in need.

Rates of pediatric emergency department visits vary according to neighborhood marginalization in Ottawa, Canada

OBJECTIVES

To determine the association between neighborhood marginalization and rates of pediatric ED visits in Ottawa, Ontario. Secondary objectives investigated if the association between neighborhood marginalization and rates varied by year, acuity, and distance to hospital.

METHODS

We calculated rates of pediatric ED visits per 1000 person-years for census dissemination areas within 100 km of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario for patients < 18 years old from January 2018 through December 2020. The 2016 Ontario Marginalization Index categorized neighborhoods along quintiles of residential instability, material deprivation, ethnic concentration, and dependency. Generalized mixed-effects models determined the incidence rate ratios of pediatric ED visits for each quintile of marginalization; multivariate models were used to control for year of presentation and distance to hospital. Analysis was repeated for low versus high acuity ED visits.

RESULTS

There were 154,146 ED visits from patients in 2055 census dissemination areas within 100 km of CHEO from 2018 to 2020. After controlling for year and distance from hospital in multivariate analyses, there were higher rates of pediatric ED visits for dissemination areas with high residential instability, high material deprivation, and low ethnic concentration. These findings did not change according to visit acuity.

CONCLUSIONS

Neighborhood residential instability and material deprivation should be considered when locating alternatives to emergency care.

The impact of the early COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare system resource use and costs in two provinces in Canada: An interrupted time series analysis

INTRODUCTION

The aim of our study was to assess the initial impact of COVID-19 on total publicly-funded direct healthcare costs and health services use in two Canadian provinces, Ontario and British Columbia (BC).

METHODS

This retrospective repeated cross-sectional study used population-based administrative datasets, linked within each province, from January 1, 2018 to December 27, 2020. Interrupted time series analysis was used to estimate changes in the level and trends of weekly resource use and costs, with March 16-22, 2020 as the first pandemic week. Also, in each week of 2020, we identified cases with their first positive SARS-CoV-2 test and estimated their healthcare costs until death or December 27, 2020.

RESULTS

The resources with the largest level declines (95% confidence interval) in use in the first pandemic week compared to the previous week were physician services [Ontario: -43% (-49%,-37%); BC: -24% (-30%,-19%) (both p<0.001)] and emergency department visits [Ontario: -41% (-47%,-35%); BC: -29% (-35%,-23%) (both p<0.001)]. Hospital admissions declined by 27% (-32%,-23%) in Ontario and 21% (-26%,-16%) in BC (both p<0.001). Resource use subsequently rose but did not return to pre-pandemic levels. Only home care and dialysis clinic visits did not significantly decrease compared to pre-pandemic. Costs for COVID-19 cases represented 1.3% and 0.7% of total direct healthcare costs in 2020 in Ontario and BC, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced utilization of healthcare services in the overall population outweighed utilization by COVID-19 patients in 2020. Meeting the needs of all patients across all services is essential to maintain resilient healthcare systems.

Neighbourhood-level social capital, marginalisation, and the incidence of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in Toronto, Canada: a retrospective population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown mixed results regarding social capital and the risk of developing a psychotic disorder, and this has yet to be studied in North America. We sought to examine the relationship between neighbourhood-level marginalisation, social capital, and the incidence of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in Toronto, Canada.

METHODS

We used a retrospective population-based cohort to identify incident cases of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder over a 10 year period and accounted for neighbourhood-level marginalisation and a proxy indicator of neighbourhood social capital. Mixed Poisson regression models were used to estimate adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs).

RESULTS

In the cohort (n = 649 020) we identified 4841 incident cases of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. A 27% variation in incidence was observed between neighbourhoods. All marginalisation dimensions, other than ethnic concentration, were associated with incidence. Compared to areas with low social capital, areas with intermediate social capital in the second [aIRR = 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.33] and third (aIRR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.08-1.40) quintiles had elevated incidence rates after accounting for marginalisation. There was a higher risk associated with the intermediate levels of social capital (aIRR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.00-1.39) when analysed in only the females in the cohort, but the CI includes the possibility of a null effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The risk of developing schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder in Toronto varies by neighbourhood and is associated with socioenvironmental exposures. Social capital was not linearly associated with risk, and risk differs by sex and social capital quintile. Future research should examine these relationships with different forms of social capital and examine how known individual-level risk factors impact these findings.

Dyspnea in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer: a population-based analysis of disease burden and patterns of care

Background

Patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) experience significant morbidity with dyspnea being a common symptom with a prevalence of 70%. The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with a moderate-to-severe dyspnea score based on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), as well as resultant patterns of intervention and factors correlated to intervention receipt.

Methods

Using health services administrative data, we conducted a population-based study of all patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC treated from January 2007 to September 2018 in the province of Ontario. The primary outcomes of interest are the prevalence of moderate-to-severe dyspnea scores, and the receipt of dyspnea-directed intervention. Differences in baseline characteristic between moderate-to-severe dyspnea and low dyspnea score cohorts were assessed by comparative statistics. Predictors of intervention receipt for patients with moderate-to-severe dyspnea scores were estimated using multivariable modified Poisson regression.

Results

The initial study cohort included 13,159 patients diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC and of these, 9,434 (71.7%) reported a moderate-to-severe dyspnea score. Compared to patients who did not report moderate-to-severe dyspnea scores, those who reported a moderate-to-severe dyspnea score were more likely to complete a greater number of ESAS surveys, be male, have a higher Elixhauser comorbidity index (ECI) score, and receive subsequent systemic therapy after diagnosis. Most patients with a moderate-to-severe dyspnea score received intervention (96%), of which the most common were palliative care management (87%), thoracic radiotherapy (56%) and thoracentesis (37%). Multivariable regression identified older patients to be less likely to undergo pleurodesis. Thoracentesis was less common for patients living in rural and non-major urban areas, lower income areas, and earlier year of diagnosis. Receipt of thoracic radiotherapy was less common for older patients, females, those with ECI ≥4, patients living in major urban areas, and those with later year of diagnosis. Finally, palliative care referrals were less frequent for patients with ECI ≥4, age 60-69, residence outside of major urban areas, earlier year of diagnosis, and lower income areas.

Conclusions

Dyspnea is a prevalent symptom amongst patients with metastatic NSCLC. Subpopulations of patients with moderate-to-severe dyspnea scores were in which inequities may exist in access to care that require further attention and evaluation.

Investigating suicide related behaviours across sexual orientation and neighbourhood deprivation levels: A cohort study using linked health administrative data

BACKGROUND

There have been no studies examining how neighbourhood deprivation modifies the effects of sexual minority status on suicide-related behaviours (SRB). Sexual minority individuals in deprived areas may face unique challenges and stressors that exacerbate their risk of SRB. This study aims to investigate the association between sexual minority status and clinical SRB, and examine whether the effect of neighbourhood deprivation differs across sexual orientation.

METHODS

A population-representative survey sample (169,090 respondents weighted to represent 8,778,120 individuals; overall participation rate 75%) was linked to administrative health data in Ontario, Canada to measure SRB-related events (emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths) from 2007 to 2017. Neighbourhood-level deprivation was measured using the Ontario Marginalisation index measure of material deprivation at the dissemination area level. Discrete-time survival analysis models, stratified by sex, tested the effects of neighbourhood deprivation and sexual minority status, while controlling for individual-level covariates.

RESULTS

Sexual minority men had 2.79 times higher odds of SRB compared to their heterosexual counterparts (95% CI 1.66 to 4.71), while sexual minority women had 2.14 times higher odds (95% CI 1.54 to 2.98). Additionally, neighbourhood deprivation was associated with higher odds of SRB: men in the most deprived neighbourhoods (Q5) had 2.01 times higher odds (95% CI 1.38 to 2.92) of SRB compared to those in the least deprived (Q1), while women had 1.75 times higher odds (95% CI 1.28 to 2.40). No significant interactions were observed between sexual minority status and neighbourhood deprivation levels.

CONCLUSION

In both men and women, sexual minority status and neighbourhood deprivation are independent risk factors for SRB. Despite the lack of effect modification, sexual minorities living in the most deprived neighbourhoods have the highest chances of SRB. Future investigations should evaluate interventions and policies to improve sexual minority mental health and address neighbourhood deprivation.

Social Deprivation and Post-TAVR Outcomes in Ontario, Canada: A Population-Based Study

Background Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)/intervention has become the standard of care for treatment of severe aortic stenosis across the spectrum of risk. There are socioeconomic disparities in access to TAVR. The impact of these disparities on postprocedural outcomes remains unknown. Our objective was to examine the association between neighborhood-level social deprivation and post-TAVR mortality and hospital readmission. Methods and Results We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study of all 4145 patients in Ontario, Canada, who received TAVR from April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2020. Our co-primary outcomes were 1-year postprocedure mortality and 1-year postprocedure readmission. Using Cox proportional hazards models for mortality and cause-specific competing risk hazard models for readmission, we evaluated the relationship between neighborhood-level measures of residential instability, material deprivation, and concentration of racial and ethnic groups with post-TAVR outcomes. After multivariable adjustment, we found a statistically significant relationship between residential instability and postprocedural 1-year mortality, ranging from a hazard ratio of 1.64 to a hazard ratio of 2.05. There was a significant association between the highest degree of residential instability and 1-year readmission (hazard ratio, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.01-1.49]). There was no association between material deprivation and concentration of racial and ethnic groups with post-TAVR outcomes. Conclusions Residential instability was associated with increased risk for post-TAVR mortality, and the highest quintile of residential instability was associated with increased post-TAVR readmission. To reduce health disparities and promote an equitable health care system, further research and policy interventions will be required to identify and support economically and socially minoritized patients undergoing TAVR.

"Bring the Hoses to Where the Fire Is!": Differential Impacts of Marginalization and Socioeconomic Status on COVID-19 Case Counts and Healthcare Costs

OBJECTIVES

Local health leaders and the Director General of the World Health Organization alike have observed that COVID-19 "does not discriminate." Nevertheless, the disproportionate representation of people of low socioeconomic status among those infected resembles discrimination. This population-based retrospective cohort study examined COVID-19 case counts and publicly funded healthcare costs in Ontario, Canada, with a focus on marginalization.

METHODS

Individuals with their first positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 test from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020, were linked to administrative databases and matched to negative/untested controls. Mean net (COVID-19-attributable) costs were estimated for 30 days before and after diagnosis, and differences among strata of age, sex, comorbidity, and measures of marginalization were assessed using analysis of variance tests.

RESULTS

We included 28 893 COVID-19 cases (mean age 54 years, 56% female). Most cases remained in the community (20 545, 71.1%) or in long-term care facilities (4478, 15.5%), whereas 944 (3.3%) and 2926 (10.1%) were hospitalized, with and without intensive care unit, respectively. Case counts were skewed across marginalization strata with 2 to 7 times more cases in neighborhoods with low income, high material deprivation, and highest ethnic concentration. Mean net costs after diagnosis were higher for males ($4752 vs $2520 for females) and for cases with higher comorbidity ($1394-$7751) (both P < .001) but were similar across levels of most marginalization dimensions (range $3232-$3737, all P ≥ .19).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that allocating resources unequally to marginalized individuals may improve equality in outcomes. It highlights the importance of reducing risk of COVID-19 infection among marginalized individuals to reduce overall costs and increase system capacity.

The 2011 and 2016 iterations of the Ontario Marginalization Index: updates, consistency and a cross-sectional study of health outcome associations

OBJECTIVES

The Ontario Marginalization Index (ON-Marg) is an area-based measure used widely to measure health inequalities in Ontario. Recently, the index was updated for 2011 and 2016. The loss of the 2011 long-form census required the use of alternative data sources for the 2011 version. This paper describes the update of ON-Marg, assesses consistency in the indices across census years using Dissemination Areas, and examines associations between ON-Marg 2016 and four health and social outcomes to demonstrate its potential to measure health inequalities.

METHODS

ON-Marg was created using factor analysis. Differences in quintile assignment was compared over time to assess whether the use of taxfiler, immigration, property assessment, and health card address data in 2011 affected consistency in measurement of marginalization. Inequalities in rates of overall mortality, gonorrhea incidence, mental health emergency department visits, and alcohol retail locations across quintiles of ON-Marg 2016 were quantified using the Relative Index of Inequality.

RESULTS

Depending on the dimension, between 81% and 96% of DAs showed limited or no changes in quintiles of marginalization between 2006, 2011 and 2016. Of the 45-64% of DAs that did not change quintile between 2006 and 2016, 1.8% to 8.8% of DAs in 2011 differed by two or more quintiles. Findings showed significant differences in rates of health and social outcomes across quintiles of ON-Marg 2016, with strength and directionality varying by dimension of ON-Marg.

CONCLUSION

Alternative data sources did not substantially affect the consistency of the 2011 version of ON-Marg. The updated ON-Marg is a comprehensive tool that can be used to study health inequalities in Ontario.

Urban Health and Social Marginality: Perceived Health Status and Interaction with Healthcare Professionals of a Hard-to-Reach Community Living in a Suburban Area of Rome (Italy)

The study reports an urban health investigation conducted in Bastogi, an outskirt of Rome (Italy) characterised by social marginalization and deprivation. Our aim was to analyse the health perception, health-related behaviours, and interaction with healthcare professionals of the inhabitants of Bastogi compared to the population living in the area of the same local health unit (ASL). The Progresses of Health Authorities for Health in Italy questionnaire (PASSI) was administered to a sample of 210 inhabitants of Bastogi. Data were analysed and compared to those of the ASL collected in 2017–2018. The socio-economic indicators showed an overall worse condition for the inhabitants of Bastogi, with a significantly higher proportion of foreign and unemployed residents and a lower educational level compared to the ASL. Significant differences in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, mental health complaints, and participation in prevention strategies, including cancer screening, were found. The questionnaire showed a lower help-seeking behaviour and a lack of reliance on health professionals in Bastogi inhabitants. Our findings highlight how social determinants produce health inequities and barriers to accessing healthcare. The difficulties of conducting quantitative research in complex and hard-to-reach contexts, characterized by high social vulnerability, are outlined.

Disparities in Cancer-Related Avoidable Mortality by the Level of Area Deprivation in South Korea

Background: This study investigated trends in cancer-related avoidable (preventable and treatable) mortality and its association with area deprivation in Korea. Methods: Cancer-related avoidable mortality rates per 100,000 population between 2015 and 2019 were measured using the Causes of Death Statistics. Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was measured from the Population and Housing Census and information on other independent variables from the Korea Community Health Survey. The gap in avoidable mortality between the more and less deprived groups was expressed as rate ratios (RR) and absolute differences (ADs) with a 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI). The association between avoidable mortality and ADI was investigated through Poisson regression modelling. Results: The more deprived areas had higher avoidable (RR 1.15, 95% CI 1.13–1.17; AD 6.58, 95% CI 5.59–7.57) and preventable (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.17–1.21; AD 6.22, 95% CI 5.38–7.06) mortality. The overall cancer-related avoidable mortality decreased but the gap between the more and less deprived groups did not decline significantly during the study period. The association between avoidable and preventable mortality and area deprivation remained significant after adjusting for variables, including area levels of smokers and alcohol drinkers. Conclusions: The gap in avoidable mortality signifies the importance of addressing related disparities in cancer.

Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in premature and avoidable mortality in Canada, 1991-2016

BACKGROUND

Recent epidemiologic findings suggest that socioeconomic inequalities in health may be widening over time. We examined trends in socioeconomic inequalities in premature and avoidable mortality in Canada.

METHODS

We conducted a population-based repeated cohort study using the 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011 Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts. We linked individual-level Census records for adults aged 25-74 years to register-based mortality data. We defined premature mortality as death before age 75 years. For each census cohort, we estimated age-standardized rates, risk differences and risk ratios for premature and avoidable mortality by level of household income and education.

RESULTS

We identified 16 284 045 Census records. Between 1991 and 2016, premature mortality rates declined in all socioeconomic groups except for women without a high school diploma. Absolute income-related inequalities narrowed among men (from 2478 to 1915 deaths per 100 000) and widened among women (from 1008 to 1085 deaths per 100 000). Absolute education-related inequalities widened among men and women. Relative socioeconomic inequalities in premature mortality widened progressively over the study period. For example, the relative risk of premature mortality associated with the lowest income quintile increased from 2.10 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.02-2.17) to 2.79 (95% CI 2.66-2.91) among men and from 1.72 (95% CI 1.63- 1.81) to 2.50 (95% CI 2.36-2.64) among women. Similar overall trends were observed for avoidable mortality.

INTERPRETATION

Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups have not benefited equally from recent declines in premature and avoidable mortality in Canada. Efforts to reduce socioeconomic inequalities and associated patterns of disadvantage are necessary to prevent this pattern of widening health inequalities from persisting or worsening over time.