An Online Geographic Data Visualization Tool to Relate Preterm Births to Environmental Factors

Preterm birth (<37 weeks gestation) continues to be a significant cause of disease and death in the United States. Its complex causes are associated with several genetic, biological, environmental, and sociodemographic factors. Organizing and visualizing various data that may be related to preterm birth is an essential step for pattern exploration and hypothesis generation and presents an opportunity to increase public and stakeholder involvement. In this article, we describe a collaborative effort to create an online geographic data visualization tool using open software to explore preterm birth in Fresno County, where rates are the highest in California. The tool incorporates information on births, environmental exposures, sociodemographic characteristics, the built environment, and access to care. We describe data sets used to build the tool, the data-hosting platform, and the process used to engage stakeholders in its creation. We highlight an important example of how collaboration can increase the utility of geographic data visualization to improve public health and address health equity in birth outcomes.