Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 May;34(5):407-420.
doi: 10.1007/s10552-023-01683-1. Epub 2023 Apr 7.

The social vulnerability index as a risk stratification tool for health disparity research in cancer patients: a scoping review

Tiffaney Tran  1 , Morgan A Rousseau  2 , David P Farris  3 , Cici Bauer  4 , Kelly C Nelson  1 , Hung Q Doan  5
Affiliations
Review

The social vulnerability index as a risk stratification tool for health disparity research in cancer patients: a scoping review

Tiffaney Tran et al. Cancer Causes Control. 2023 May.

Abstract

Purpose: The social vulnerability index (SVI), developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a novel composite measure encompassing multiple variables that correspond to key social determinants of health. The objective of this review was to investigate innovative applications of the SVI to oncology research and to employ the framework of the cancer care continuum to elucidate further research opportunities.

Methods: A systematic search for relevant articles was performed in five databases from inception to 13 May 2022. Included studies applied the SVI to analyze outcomes in cancer patients. Study characteristics, patent populations, data sources, and outcomes were extracted from each article. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Results: In total, 31 studies were included. Along the cancer care continuum, five applied the SVI to examine geographic disparities in potentially cancer-causing exposures; seven in cancer diagnosis; fourteen in cancer treatment; nine in treatment recovery; one in survivorship care; and two in end-of-life care. Fifteen examined disparities in mortality.

Conclusion: In highlighting place-based disparities in patient outcomes, the SVI represents a promising tool for future oncology research. As a reliable geocoded dataset, the SVI may inform the development and implementation of targeted interventions to prevent cancer morbidity and mortality at the neighborhood level.

Keywords: Cancer; Health disparity, minority and vulnerable populations; Health inequities; Healthcare disparities; Neighborhood characteristics; Residence characteristics; Social determinants of health; Social vulnerability; Socioeconomic factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Social variables captured by the CDC/ATSDR SVI, categorized into four subthemes
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Distribution of literature findings (in black) and research opportunities (in green) along the cancer care continuum
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Smith BD, Smith GL, Hurria A, Hortobagyi GN, Buchholz TA. Future of cancer incidence in the United States: burdens upon an aging, changing nation. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(17):2758–2765. doi: 10.1200/jco.2008.20.8983. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mariotto AB, Enewold L, Zhao J, Zeruto CA, Yabroff KR. Medical care costs associated with cancer survivorship in the United States. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2020;29(7):1304–1312. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-19-1534. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Zavala VA, Bracci PM, Carethers JM, Carvajal-Carmona L, Coggins NB, Cruz-Correa MR, Davis M, de Smith AJ, Dutil J, Figueiredo JC, Fox R, Graves KD, Gomez SL, Llera A, Neuhausen SL, Newman L, Nguyen T, Palmer JR, Palmer NR, et al. Cancer health disparities in racial/ethnic minorities in the United States. Br J Cancer. 2021;124(2):315–332. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-01038-6. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ward E, Jemal A, Cokkinides V, Singh GK, Cardinez C, Ghafoor A, Thun M. Cancer disparities by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. CA Cancer J Clin. 2004;54(2):78–93. doi: 10.3322/canjclin.54.2.78. - DOI - PubMed
    1. O'Keefe EB, Meltzer JP, Bethea TN. Health disparities and cancer: racial disparities in cancer mortality in the United States, 2000–2010. Front Public Health. 2015;3:51. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00051. - DOI - PMC - PubMed