Chronic Disease Prevalence in the US: Sociodemographic and Geographic Variations by Zip Code Tabulation Area

We examined the geographic distribution and sociodemographic and economic characteristics of chronic disease prevalence in the US. Understanding disease prevalence and its impact on communities is crucial for effective public health interventions.

Data came from the American Community Survey, the American Hospital Association Survey, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PLACES. We used quartile thresholds for 10 chronic diseases to assess chronic disease prevalence by Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). ZCTAs were scored from 0 to 20 based on their chronic disease prevalence quartile. Three prevalence categories were established: least prevalent (score ≤6), moderately prevalent (score 7-13), and highest prevalence (score ≥14). Community characteristics were compared across categories and spatial analyses to identify clusters of ZCTAs with high disease prevalence.