Childhood lead poisoning rates in Chicago are among the nation's highest while screening rates remain low. A multi-agency effort is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to track children with elevated blood lead levels and to compare screening rates for different areas in the city of Chicago. Approximately 400,000 blood lead test results taken from a four year period have been geocoded and mapped for children living in Chicago. The lead results are mapped at the street block; US Census variables and blood lead results are totaled at varying geographic scales. By using unique identifiers, a cohort of children with elevated lead levels have been tracked from year to year, and new cases have been determined; a sub-population of Medicaid enrolled children has also been analyzed. A detailed discussion of the screening rates for these groups will be presented. By visualizing the spatial distribution of lead cases across the City, the Chicago Department of Public Health is using the results to target resources towards intervention efforts and increase screening rates among the various high-risk sub-populations. Work between the partners include: outreach activities to parents groups; providing web-based resources to the public; and delivering maps to physicians for their clinic areas. The methodology and results presented will be of interest to other agencies considering using these tools to address lead poisoning in their community.
Learning Objectives: N/A
Keywords: Lead, Geographic Information Systems
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Arcview GIS from ESRI.