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Role of exposure databases in epidemiology
G Matanoski1, S G Selevan, G Akland
1Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Archives of Environmental Health
|November 1, 1992
Summary
Exposure databases need modification to support epidemiology and public health. Enhancements include better access, documentation, coverage, and modeling for improved health research.
Area of Science:
- Environmental epidemiology
- Exposure science
- Public health informatics
Background:
- Current exposure databases are designed for regulatory compliance, not epidemiological research.
- Existing databases lack features essential for public health and epidemiological investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify necessary modifications for exposure databases to serve epidemiological needs.
- To propose strategies for enhancing data collection and usability in exposure science.
Main Methods:
- Review of current exposure database characteristics and limitations.
- Identification of key features required for epidemiological applications.
- Proposal for multidisciplinary team involvement in database enhancement.
Main Results:
- Essential database enhancements include user accessibility, comprehensive documentation (methods, bias, errors), broad spatial-temporal coverage, and robust exposure estimation methods.
- Development of exposure scenarios and models is crucial for unsampled areas and times.
- Validation of models using human dose-response data is a long-term objective.
Conclusions:
- Modifying exposure databases is critical to advance epidemiological research and public health.
- A collaborative, multidisciplinary approach is required to implement necessary database improvements.