Geographic information systems: their use in environmental epidemiologic research

Area of Science:

• Environmental epidemiology
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Background:

• Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has advanced significantly, offering new avenues for environmental epidemiology.
• GIS integrates and analyzes large volumes of spatial and non-spatial data, including demographic and environmental exposure information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities and limitations in environmental health research.
• To illustrate practical applications of GIS functions in studying the spatial distribution of disease and environmental exposures.

Main Methods:

• Overview of GIS capabilities and limitations.
• Practical examples of GIS functions: automated address matching, distance functions, buffer analysis, spatial query, and polygon overlay.
• Discussion of address geocoding methods and limitations.

Main Results:

• GIS technology enables the integration and analysis of diverse datasets for environmental health studies.
• Specific GIS functions can be practically applied to investigate disease-environment associations.
• Address geocoding presents methodological challenges but is central to GIS application in epidemiology.

Conclusions:

• GIS technology presents significant opportunities for environmental epidemiologists to study disease-environment relationships.
• Effective utilization of GIS requires collaborative efforts among epidemiologists, biostatisticians, environmental scientists, and GIS specialists.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to innovative solutions for complex environmental health questions.