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Overcrowding and COVID-19 mortality across U.S. counties: Are disparities growing over time?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kamis, C; Stolte, A; West, JS; Fishman, SH; Brown, T; Brown, T; Farmer, HR
Published in: SSM Popul Health
September 2021

A growing line of research underscores that sociodemographic factors may contribute to disparities in the impact of COVID-19. Further, stages of disease theory suggests that disparities may grow as the pandemic unfolds and more advantaged areas are better able to apply growing knowledge and mitigation strategies. In this paper, we focus on the role of county-level household overcrowding on disparities in COVID-19 mortality in U.S. counties. We examine this relationship across three theoretically important periods of the pandemic from April-October 2020, that mark both separate stages of community knowledge and national mortality levels. We find evidence that the percentage of overcrowded households is a stronger predictor of COVID-19 mortality during later periods of the pandemic. Moreover, despite a relationship between overcrowding and poverty at the county-level, overcrowding plays an independent role in predicting COVID-19 mortality. Our findings underscore that areas disadvantaged by overcrowding may be more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 and that this vulnerability may lead to changing disparities over time.

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Published In

SSM Popul Health

DOI

ISSN

2352-8273

Publication Date

September 2021

Volume

15

Start / End Page

100845

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • 4410 Sociology
  • 4206 Public health
  • 4202 Epidemiology
  • 1117 Public Health and Health Services
 

Citation

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Kamis, C., Stolte, A., West, J. S., Fishman, S. H., Brown, T., & Farmer, H. R. (2021). Overcrowding and COVID-19 mortality across U.S. counties: Are disparities growing over time? SSM Popul Health, 15, 100845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100845
Kamis, Christina, Allison Stolte, Jessica S. West, Samuel H. Fishman, Taylor Brown, Tyson Brown, and Heather R. Farmer. “Overcrowding and COVID-19 mortality across U.S. counties: Are disparities growing over time?SSM Popul Health 15 (September 2021): 100845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100845.
Kamis C, Stolte A, West JS, Fishman SH, Brown T, Farmer HR. Overcrowding and COVID-19 mortality across U.S. counties: Are disparities growing over time? SSM Popul Health. 2021 Sep;15:100845.
Kamis, Christina, et al. “Overcrowding and COVID-19 mortality across U.S. counties: Are disparities growing over time?SSM Popul Health, vol. 15, Sept. 2021, p. 100845. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100845.
Kamis C, Stolte A, West JS, Fishman SH, Brown T, Farmer HR. Overcrowding and COVID-19 mortality across U.S. counties: Are disparities growing over time? SSM Popul Health. 2021 Sep;15:100845.
Journal cover image

Published In

SSM Popul Health

DOI

ISSN

2352-8273

Publication Date

September 2021

Volume

15

Start / End Page

100845

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • 4410 Sociology
  • 4206 Public health
  • 4202 Epidemiology
  • 1117 Public Health and Health Services