Association of Social Drivers of Health With Hospitalizations for Pediatric Asthma.

Asthma remains the most prevalent chronic disease affecting children worldwide and a leading cause of pediatric emergency department visits and hospitalizations [, , , , ]. Despite advances in medical management, disparities in asthma outcomes persist, particularly among children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds [, , , , , , ]. Emerging evidence highlights the significant role of social drivers of health (SDOH) in shaping pediatric asthma incidence, severity, and healthcare utilization [, , , , , , , , ]. Specific SDOH shown to impact pediatric asthma include patients/families preferring languages other than English (LOE) [, , , , ], neighborhood poverty [, , , , , , ], limited green space [], limited walkability [], poor diet [], racial disparities [, , , , ], and limited access to health care [, ]. Neighborhood‐level analyses have identified geographical hotspots where children face increased risk of asthma exacerbation and hospitalization [], underscoring the critical role of environmental and social contexts [, , ]. Understanding SDOH is essential for targeting interventions and resources effectively [, , , , ]. To better characterize social/environmental contexts contributing to health disparities, several composite indices of SDOH have been developed []. Three common indices—Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), Childhood Opportunity Index (COI), and Area Deprivation Index (ADI)—integrate various population‐level economic and demographic factors to offer a more comprehensive view of place‐based vulnerability than any single socioeconomic indicator [] (Figure ). Some studies demonstrate associations between lower COI and increased rates of asthma exacerbations, emergency care utilization, and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admissions [, , , , , ]. However, a side‐by‐side comparison of the three indices as they relate to pediatric asthma outcomes has not been conducted.