 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Deborah Balk, PhD, Meredith Golden, and Francesca Pozzi. CIESIN, Columbia University, 202 Geoscience, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964, 845-365-8965, dbalk@ciesin.org
The analytic potential of linking socioeconomic and earth science data (including that which is remotely sensed) for use in public health is great. However, these data are intrinsically collected and disseminated in units of analysis and formats that are not compatible. Socioeconomic data tend to be collected by surveys or censuses whereas earth science and environmental data tend to be collected as points or on a latitude-longitude grid (sometime as non-continuous swaths) and from a variety of sources such as earth-observing satellites, observation stations, and so forth. Geographic information system (GIS) technology is one powerful way to transform and integrate data; a variety of examples will be drawn from local to continental/global scale applications to illustrate the types of questions that can only be answered when integration of these types of data is possible. However, use of GIS—in particular by the identification of physical and environmental characteristics—also introduces complexities such as protecting the confidentiality of survey or census respondents. Thus, potential solutions to these problems will be addressed. In discussing both the advances and shortcomings of cross-disciplinary data integration, we will consider the feasibility of using integrated data for public health surveillance.
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.