Health Disparities and Geographic Technology to Understand Adolescent Injury

Background/Purpose Motor vehicle crashes (MVC) kill more adolescents than any other cause in the US. Research suggests that adolescents living in low-resourced neighborhoods with environmental risks such as few sidewalks, bike lanes, traffic lights, and areas of economic growth, are at increased risk for MVC injury.

Methods

We are analyzing a sample of 500 urban emergency department (ED) visits for adolescent, 10-18 years, admitted with MVC injuries. By using digital visualization, we view the location of injury for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and motor vehicle occupants. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) enable us to map access to transport, zonal transport laws, and census block characteristics.  Injury characteristics/severity and socio-demographic data are available through the electronic medical record. We also use spatial analytics to apply logical values to the cells of different data grids, and discern health disparities in the environment for MVC. Census block characteristics, (land use, household income level, employment rate, population density), are mapped using publicly available data.

Results/Outcomes

The sample includes 61% males; African American 82%, White 12%, Asian 2%, Unknown/Unreported 4% with 19% repeat ED visits. Using the “Street View” feature of digital visualization on 10% of preliminary cases, identifiable risks were visible including infrastructure (traffic signs, lights, cameras, street type/ geometry, lanes; construction), community institutional assets (government or private agencies, retail and recreational agencies).  Spatial analytics are underway.

Conclusions: Using innovative technology to identify risk in the physical environment may provide geographically-specific target areas to aid prevention and intervention efforts and reduce adolescent MVC injury at the neighborhood level.