First Advisor

Daneshi Naghmeh

Date of Award

Spring 6-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mathematics and University Honors

Department

Mathematics and Statistics

Language

English

Subjects

heart disease, social variables, cardiovascular disease, internet subscription, Oregon

DOI

10.15760/honors.1872

Abstract

The study examined the association between selected social determinants of health and heart disease mortality across geographic regions in Oregon. Using a regional analysis design, county-level population and mortality data were grouped into nine geographic regions to evaluate patterns of cardiovascular disease burden across the state. Social determinant variables were obtained from publicly available U.S. Census Bureau datasets and included poverty, crowding among households, single-parent households, lack of broadband internet subscription, housing cost burden, high school diploma attainment, and unemployment.

Heart disease mortality counts per 100,000 population were derived from official birth and death certificate records. Statistical analyses were conducted using R software, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were performed to assess differences in mortality distributions across regions and socioeconomic conditions.

Results indicated that all selected social determinants were significantly associated with heart disease mortality. Among the variables examined, lack of broadband internet subscription emerged as the strongest predictor of mortality, with lower internet access consistently associated with higher heart disease mortality rates. Significant regional variation was also observed, with Region 5 demonstrating comparatively lower mortality rates and Region 7 demonstrating consistently elevated mortality rates. These findings suggest that socioeconomic disadvantage and regional context both contribute to cardiovascular health disparities across Oregon counties. The study highlights broadband internet access as a potentially important social determinant of cardiovascular health and emphasizes the need to consider structural and geographic inequalities in public health interventions.

Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/44806

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