Introduction: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major health concern in the United States (US), with its incidence, severity, and outcomes influenced by social determinants of health, including socioeconomic status. The impact of neighborhood socioeconomic status, as measured by the Distressed Communities Index (DCI), on CAP-related admissions remains understudied in the literature. Objective: To determine the independent association between DCI and CAP-related admissions in Maryland. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study using the Maryland State Inpatient Database (SID) to collate data on CAP-related admissions from January 2018 to December 2020. The study included adults aged 18-85 years. We explored the independent association between community-level economic deprivation based on DCI quintiles and CAP-related admissions, adjusting for significant covariates. Results: In the study period, 61,467 cases of CAP-related admissions were identified. The patients were predominantly White (49.7%) and female (52.4%), with 48.6% being over 65 years old. A substantive association was found between the DCI and CAP-related admissions. Compared to prosperous neighborhoods, patients living in economically deprived communities had 43% increased odds of CAP-related admissions. Conclusion: Residents of the poorest neighborhoods in Maryland have the highest risk of CAP-related admissions, emphasizing the need to develop effective public health strategies beneficial to the at-risk patient population.
