Using the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and U.S. Census data, authors aimed to assess if local broadband connectivity at the census tract level was related to prevalence of cardiometabolic dysfunction (diabetes, hypertension, and obesity/overweight) in these census tracts. Authors analyzed data from 2019 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) for respondents aged 18 years or older (n = 21,905). Broadband connectivity and population density at the census tract level was determined from 2010 U.S. Census data. Health information, secondary predictors, and covariates were self-reported by California Health Interview Survey CHIS respondents.

Findings: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes was greater in broadband connectivity areas with less than 40% high-speed connectivity as compared with broadband connectivity areas with greater than 80% high-speed connectivity. As compared to areas with greater than 80% high-speed connectivity, we did not find differences in diabetes prevalence for areas with 40–60% high-speed connectivity or areas with 60–80% high-speed connectivity. There were trends toward greater hypertension prevalence in areas with lower high-speed broadband connectivity as compared to higher broadband connectivity, but none of the differences reached statistical significance. Authors did not find statistical differences in the prevalence of obesity/overweight for areas with different penetration of high-speed broadband connectivity. Authors conclude that California, the prevalence of cardiometabolic conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes, is highest in areas with lowest broadband connectivity.