142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

310881
Health Disparities and Geographic Technology to Understand Adolescent Injury

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 9:15 AM - 9:30 AM

Lisa Hilmi, PhD(c), MPH, RN , School of Nursing, Center for Global Women's Health, University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA
Elizabeth Ely, PhD, RN , Center for Pediatric Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Charles Branas, PhD
Marilyn Sommers, PhD, RN, FAAN , School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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.

Learning Areas:

Biostatistics, economics
Environmental health sciences
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Explain two innovative methods to identify risk to urban adolescent motor vehicle crash injury Discuss how health disparities in urban environments can affect adolescent road safety Identify two interventions in urban environments that may prevent adolescent motor vehicle crash injury

Keyword(s): Motor Vehicles, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a public health nurse with 25 years of global experience. I worked in Road Safety with the WHO in South East Asia and have clinical experience in Pediatric Emergency. My current doctoral research explores innovative technology and Adolescent Motor vehicle crash injury and health disparity.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.