To examine the association between neighborhood climate vulnerability and the frequency of cardiometabolic disease (CMD)-related pediatric health care visits in New York State.
Key Findings:
The sample included 299,034 CMD-related health care visits, with obesity accounting for 69.2% of visits, indicating a significant public health concern.
ED visit rates were highest in quartile 4 (highest CVI) across all insurance types, with adjusted rate ratios significantly elevated, suggesting urgent care needs.
Outpatient visit increases varied by insurance type, with the largest increase among children with public insurance in the highest CVI quartile, highlighting disparities in access.
Interpretation:
Higher neighborhood climate vulnerability is associated with increased CMD-related pediatric health care utilization, reflecting significant disparities in access to care that need to be addressed.
Limitations:
Use of administrative data may capture only severe cases, potentially underestimating the prevalence of CMDs.
Lack of individual-level clinical measures and limited temporal resolution of climate vulnerability exposure may affect the accuracy of findings.
Ecological bias may arise from neighborhood-level CVI measurement, complicating the interpretation of results.
Conclusion:
Increased climate vulnerability highlights the urgent need for accessible care and targeted interventions in pediatric populations.
