The Child Opportunity Index and Children's Health: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Context: Quantifying the impact of place on pediatric health is difficult given the diverse methodologies used to measure place-based social determinants. However, the Child Opportunity Index (COI) is increasingly used to study these relationships.

Objective: To synthesize associations between the COI and pediatric health.

Data sources: Fifteen databases, 4 gray literature sources, and diversitydatakids.org searched from 2014 to 2024.

Study selection: US-based observational studies that evaluated children, the COI, and at least 1 pediatric health outcome.

Data extraction: Protocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023418407). Random-effects models created pooled odds ratios (ORs) comparing very low/low COI to high/very high COI for mortality, emergency department (ED) use, and hospital use. Clinically relevant subgroups were explored.

Results: Most studies (n = 61 of 85; 72%) reported inverse associations between the COI and an adverse outcome. Lower COI was associated with higher odds of mortality (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.31-1.94; tau squared [τ2] = 0.045; 15 associations from 13 studies). Overall, ED visits were similar (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.97-1.95; τ2 = 0.312; 10 associations from 6 studies), but the subgroup of all-cause ED visits were significantly higher among children with lower COI (OR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.19-2.31; τ2 = 0.198; 7 associations from 5 studies). Select hospitalization subgroups (medical, surgical/trauma, and >30-day rehospitalizations) were significantly associated with COI, but not overall hospitalizations (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.96-1.36; τ2 = 0.090; 12 studies).

Limitations: Meta-analyses were unadjusted.

Conclusions: Place is a risk factor for children's mortality and select measures of health care use. Shifting the focus from identifying place-based disparities to cocreating community-engaged strategies that mitigate disparities may effectively advance children's health equity.