Neighborhood Social Vulnerability Impacts Quality of Life in Kidney Stone Patients

No AccessUrology PracticeClinical Research30 Oct 2023Neighborhood Social Vulnerability Impacts Quality of Life in Kidney Stone Patients David Y. Song, Carl A. Ceraolo, Karen M. Doersch, Timothy D. Campbell, Christopher Wanderling, Nathan Schuler, Rajat K. Jain, and Scott O. Quarrier David Y. SongDavid Y. Song *Correspondence: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York (e-mail address: E-mail Address: [email protected]). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2178-9480 University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , Carl A. CeraoloCarl A. Ceraolo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4507-6696 University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , Karen M. DoerschKaren M. Doersch https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8374-9639 University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , Timothy D. CampbellTimothy D. Campbell University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , Christopher WanderlingChristopher Wanderling University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , Nathan SchulerNathan Schuler University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , Rajat K. JainRajat K. Jain University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author , and Scott O. QuarrierScott O. Quarrier https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2546-5264 University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000468AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between social vulnerability, as measured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), and the quality of life (QoL) of kidney stone patients using the validated Wisconsin Stone Quality of Life Questionnaire (WISQOL). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on medical records of new urolithiasis patients who completed the WISQOL at the University of Rochester Medical Center kidney stone clinic. The primary outcome was WISQOL score, which was measured across multiple domains. SVI was used to assess social vulnerability. Neighborhoods with high SVI were defined by a threshold greater than or equal to the 75th percentile nationally. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Statistical analyses, including univariate tests and multivariate linear regression, were performed to evaluate the relationships between social vulnerability and disease specific QoL. Results: A total of 1718 patients were included in the study. 105 subjects (6.1%) were from neighborhoods of high social vulnerability. Patients residing in neighborhoods with high social vulnerability (SVI quartile) reported significantly lower QoL scores (69.1 vs 77.2; P = .001) and this persisted across all domains, including social impact (32.6 vs 35.1; P = .002), emotional impact (25.2 vs 27.5; P = .006), disease impact (28.5 vs 31.4; P = .001), and vitality (10.3 vs 11.2; P = .015). Younger age, female sex, and higher number of comorbidities were identified as independent predictors of lower QoL scores. However, non-white race and Latinx ethnicity did not exhibit a significant association with QoL scores. Conclusions: These findings highlight the negative impact of high social vulnerability on QoL, emphasizing the importance of considering socioeconomic factors in patient care. These results emphasize the need for targeted interventions to support vulnerable populations. While this study offers initial insights, further research is essential to corroborate these outcomes across larger and more diverse populations. © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Supplementary Materials Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.KeywordsSocial Determinants of HealthHealth Status DisparitiesKidney CalculiVulnerable PopulationsQuality of LifeMetrics Author Information David Y. Song University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York *Correspondence: University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York (e-mail address: E-mail Address: [email protected]). More articles by this author Carl A. Ceraolo University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Karen M. Doersch University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Timothy D. Campbell University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Christopher Wanderling University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Nathan Schuler University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Rajat K. Jain University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Scott O. Quarrier University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...