title: Neighborhood socioeconomic status and influenza hospitalizations among children: New Haven County, Connecticut, 2003-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined surveillance data for disparities in pediatric influenza-associated hospitalizations according to neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) measures in New Haven County, Connecticut.
  
  
  METHODS
  We geocoded influenza-associated hospitalization case data from the past 7 years for children from birth to age 17 years and linked these to US Census 2000 tract-level SES data. Following the methods of Harvard's Public Health Disparities Geocoding Project, we examined neighborhood SES variables, including measures of poverty and crowding. We calculated influenza-associated hospitalization incidence by influenza season and individual case characteristics, stratified by SES measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, the mean annual incidence of pediatric influenza-associated hospitalization in high-poverty and high-crowding census tracts was at least 3 times greater than that in low-poverty and low-crowding tracts. This disparity could not be fully explained by prevalence of underlying conditions or receipt of influenza vaccination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Linkage of geocoded surveillance data and census information allows for ongoing monitoring of SES correlates of health and may help target interventions. Our analysis indicates a correlation between residence in impoverished or crowded neighborhoods and incidence of influenza-associated hospitalization among children in Connecticut.
authors.affiliation: Yale office of the Connecticut Emerging Infections Program, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, USA. kimberly.yousey-hindes@yale.edu
authors.forename: Kimberly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yousey-Hindes
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hadler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018571:Sentinel Surveillance; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors