An environmental vulnerability index framework supporting targeted public health interventions at the census tracts level.

Abstract

Background: Analyzing and visualizing disparities in environmental risks can help assess place-based vulnerabilities and provide civic leaders and community members with essential data for promoting health equity and informing public health strategies.

Objective: We investigated the adaptation of a previously developed environmental vulnerability index to evaluate the cumulative impact of diverse stressors in Louisville Metro-Jefferson County, KY, with the goal of supporting multi-faceted targeted public health interventions at the census tract level.

Methods: We assessed countywide vulnerability variability using the Toxicological Prioritization Index interface across five domains with 32 publicly available data indicators, and modeled the effects of theoretical public health interventions.

Results: Our findings suggest that similar vulnerable areas are not always geographically clustered. Higher vulnerability scores were observed in the western and central areas of the county, with lower scores in the eastern regions. The index enabled the selection of the most at-risk census tracts for modeling targeted public health interventions to reduce cumulative environmental vulnerability.

Impact: Environmental vulnerabilities are not invariant features of urban environments. Rather, knowledge of these risks can guide the development and implementation of targeted solutions. This analysis demonstrated how publicly available data can support selection of feasible interventions to improve environmental equity. Targeted interventions to modify environmental conditions that support health can be developed and implemented locally with greater precision at the census tract level, yielding impactful outcomes.