Photo Credit: VectorMine

The following is a summary of “Socioeconomic Disparities and the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance,” published in the June 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Cooper et al.

The rise of antimicrobial-resistant infections poses a major global health threat, influenced by complex socioeconomic factors that drive increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study exploring how geographic and socioeconomic factors influence antimicrobial resistance.

They analyzed bacterial culture results (2015 to 2020) sourced from electronic health records (EHR) of two large healthcare systems in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), TX metropolitan area. Data were aggregated for individuals living in the 4 most populous counties in DFW, with case counts standardized per 1,000 people. Cultures were assigned based on residential addresses and linked to socioeconomic index values. Spatial autocorrelation tests were conducted to detect geographic clusters of high and low AMR prevalence and to examine the correlations with socioeconomic indices.

The result showed significant spatial clustering of organisms with AMRs in areas with high levels of socioeconomic deprivation, as measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI). A strong spatial autocorrelation was observed between ADI and AMR prevalence, particularly for AmpC and MRSA strains. Specifically, 14% and 13% of the variation in AMR prevalence for the strains could be attributed to the ADI values of neighboring locations.

Investigators concluded that improving socioeconomic conditions in areas with high deprivation may help reduce the prevalence of organisms with AMR.

Source: academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciae313/7689271