Social Determinants of Non-Communicable Disease Burden in Caribbean Coastal Communities: A Multilevel Analysis

by Gustavo Mora-Espinoza, Elena M. Fuentes-Aguirre, Paulo J. Ríos

Abstract

We examine how income, education and neighbourhood deprivation jointly shape the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity across 42 coastal communities, using multilevel models with census-linked health data.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue “Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health”)

1. Introduction

Public health research in this area has advanced rapidly over the last decade. Here we outline the evidence gap addressed by this work and summarize its main contributions to health policy and practice in the Caribbean and Latin America.

2. Materials and Methods

We analyzed population data using standardized epidemiological methods. Quantitative analyses were performed with multivariable models and statistical significance was assessed at α = 0.05. Ethical approval and informed-consent procedures followed institutional and international guidelines throughout the study.

3. Results

The results show consistent and reproducible trends across subgroups, summarized in Figures 1–2 below and discussed in relation to previous regional and international studies.

4. Discussion

Our findings support the proposed hypothesis and align with recent reports in the literature. Limitations include sample size and geographic coverage, which should be addressed in future multi-center collaborations across the region.

5. Conclusions

We conclude that the approach is feasible and scalable, and we provide concrete recommendations for practitioners, institutions and policy makers.

@article{a12025,
  title={Social Determinants of Non-Communicable Disease Burden in Caribbean Coastal Communities: A Multilevel Analysis},
  author={Gustavo Mora-Espinoza and Elena M. Fuentes-Aguirre and Paulo J. Ríos},
  journal={Public Health & Medicine},
  year={2025},
  doi={10.9999/cg.2025.a1}
}