Abstract WP269: Food Desert Residence as a Contributing Risk Factor for Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients

Abstract

Background: Research suggests that residing in a food desert (FD) area may negatively impact health by increasing cardiovascular risk factors. The USDA defines FD as an area of low income in addition to low access to grocery stores at a 1 (urban) or 10-mile (rural) radius and/or low vehicle access. This study aims to assess sociodemographic profile and stroke risk factors among individuals residing in FDs within the predominantly rural state of South Carolina (SC). Methods: Deidentified administrative discharge data included all individuals admitted to SC hospitals between 2010 and 2019 with ICD-9/10 codes for ischemic stroke. Public USDA census tract data were used to define FDs based on patients’ residential addresses at time of admission, with encrypted linkages provided by SC’s clinical data warehouse. Stroke risk factors were compared between those residing in a FD vs. not via chi-square analyses. Results: Out of the identified 63,330 patients with an index ischemic stroke event, 36.8% were classified as residing within a USDA defined FD. Acute stroke patients residing within a FD were significantly more likely to be younger (age <65), of black race, and without health insurance (all p<.0001). FD residents were significantly more likely to have comorbid hypertension (OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.09, 1.19), type 2 diabetes (OR 1.21, 95%CI 1.17, 1.25), heart failure (OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.09, 1.19), and chronic kidney disease (OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.18, 1.30) associated with acute stroke hospital admission. Also, those residing in FDs were significantly more likely to have a history of obesity (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.11, 1.23), mental health (OR 1.14, 95%CI 1.10, 1.18), tobacco use (OR 1.28, 95%CI 1.23, 1.33), and substance abuse (OR 1.40, 95%CI 1.35, 1.45). There were no significant differences noted in terms of sex/gender, dyslipidemia, discharge disposition, or case fatality. Conclusion: Stroke patients living within FDs are at heightened risks of comorbidities associated with ischemic stroke. Limitations in access to high quality food and suboptimal nutrition may be a contributing risk factor. Future studies focusing on shopping and eating behaviors among those living within FDs are needed to further reduce health disparities within rural and urban geographic locations nationwide.