Cardiometabolic & kidneyResearch article
Wireless Movement Activity and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk in Historical Redlined Areas
- census tract-level study using multivariable linear regression models
- nationally representative cell-phone tracking data
Authors' conclusion
Even among redlined census tracts, those that reported a higher WMI (indicative of more frequent and diverse mobility) were likely to have better population-level cardiometabolic health. WMI may serve as a scalable, dynamic proxy for environmental opportunity and structural inequity.
Study context
- Population
- Historically redlined U.S. census tracts graded A-D by the Homeowners Loan Corporation (HOLC)HOLC grades A-B 4,458 · grade C 7,572 · grade D 4,322
- Participants
- 16,352 census tracts
- Comparison
- The association between Wireless Movement Index (WMI) and disease prevalence across HOLC grades
- HOLC grades A-Bn = 4,458
- grade Cn = 7,572
- grade Dn = 4,322
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Visits by grade D tract residents
Visits to other grade D census tracts
55%
Visits to grade A/B census tracts
9%
Further findings
| Outcome | Estimate | |
|---|---|---|
| Prevalent hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in grade D tracts, per unit increase in WMI — each unit increase in WMI · grade D tracts | decrease in prevalent hypertension −2.33 (95% CI −2.79 to −1.86) | |
| Prevalent hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in grade D tracts, per unit increase in WMI — each unit increase in WMI · grade D tracts | decrease in prevalent obesity −2.93 (95% CI −3.42 to −2.45) | |
| Prevalent hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in grade D tracts, per unit increase in WMI — each unit increase in WMI · grade D tracts | decrease in prevalent diabetes −0.99 (95% CI −1.30 to −0.68) | |
| −4−202Difference (linear scale) |
Cardiometabolic disease (CMD) prevalence
- The WMI was negatively associated with CMD prevalence across all HOLC grades, but this protective association was most pronounced in redlined areas
Original publication
Wireless Movement Activity and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk in Historical Redlined Areas. JACC Adv. Published 22 January 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102528
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it