Social-environmental determinants and geographic distribution of cardiovascular death among adults in two central Texas areas

Abstract

Over the last half century, obesity has become a public health priority throughout the United States of America (U.S.). Overweight and obesity are risk factors for many cardiovascular diseases. Socio-ecological influences play a role in obesity when the built environment surrounding an individual leads to the creation of behavioral patterns in diet and exercise and affect health. The objective of this study was to investigate the geospatial distribution and social-environmental determinants of cardiovascular deaths among adults in two Central Texas areas from 2005 to 2008. It was determined by a latent growth curve analysis that area 2 increased in cardiovascular death variance while the variance of area 1 remained relatively constant over the four-year period. As social-environmental factors in area 2 became more indicative of healthier living over time, cardiovascular death became more dispersive. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that these deaths are less likely due to a specific obesity problem.