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Marie Lynn Miranda, PhD, Nicholas School of Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, PO Box 90328, Durham, NC 27708, 919-613-8023, mmiranda@duke.edu and Alan Gelfand, PhD, Institute of Statistics and Decision Sciences, Duke University, PO Box 90251, Durham, NC 27708.
Environmental threats to children's health are complex and multifaceted; consequently, children’s environmental health research strives to identify areas of elevated exposure, determine whether particular demographic groups are inequitably exposed, and link exposures to incidence of disease. Spatial analysis takes advantage of the fact that most data contain a geographic component that can be tied to a specific location, such as a country, state, county, zip code, Census block, or specific address. The integration of spatial analysis into environmental exposure and epidemiological research significantly enhances: research design; sampling, recruitment, and retention strategies; data management and analysis; and community translation. The Children’s Environmental Health Initiative (CEHI) at Duke University specializes in developing innovative methods for spatial analysis of the causal interactions and pathways through which the environment, genetic, and psycho-social domains operate in a child’s life. CEHI is analyzing children’s exposures to metals, allergens and asthma triggers, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phthalates, and air and water toxics within the context of the social stressors and, in beginning research stages, the genetic factors that may make children more vulnerable to exposure, uptake, and expressed toxic effects. This methods-based presentation will demonstrate how spatial conception of environmental health problems can fundamentally change and improve research design and implementation. While we will demonstrate how spatial approaches can improve research design in children’s environmental health projects, the methods are widely applicable to public health problems more generally.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.