Community-level socioeconomic distress is associated with nutritional status in adults with sickle cell anemia.

ABSTRACT: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) negatively impacts the ability to achieve educational and occupational goals increasing vulnerability to socioeconomic challenges. In a cross-sectional analysis of 332 SCA adults, we investigated whether the distressed community index (DCI) was associated with SCA-related complications and nutritional status. More patients with higher DCI had Medicaid insurance. A higher DCI was independently associated with tobacco use and lower body mass index, serum albumin, and vitamin D 25-OH levels after adjusting for insurance status but was not associated with SCA-related complications. Future studies investigating access to healthy foods may help improve health equity in patients with SCA.

SUBMITTER: Ally SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10188476 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature