Open AccessUsing Geographic Information Science to Explore Associations between Air Pollution, Environmental Amenities, and Preterm Births
Author(s) -
Yelena OgnevaHimmelberger,
Tyler Dahlberg,
Kristen M. Kelly,
Tiffany A. Moore Simas
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
aims public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2327-8994
DOI - 10.3934/publichealth.2015.3.469
Subject(s) - environmental health , demography , geography , birth records , cluster (spacecraft) , premature birth , hazard , medicine , birth weight , gestational age , pregnancy , ecology , sociology , biology , computer science , programming language , genetics
The study uses geographic information science (GIS) and statistics to find out if there are statistical differences between full term and preterm births to non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic mothers in their exposure to air pollution and access to environmental amenities (green space and vendors of healthy food) in the second largest city in New England, Worcester, Massachusetts. Proximity to a Toxic Release Inventory site has a statistically significant effect on preterm birth regardless of race. The air-pollution hazard score from the Risk Screening Environmental Indicators Model is also a statistically significant factor when preterm births are categorized into three groups based on the degree of prematurity. Proximity to green space and to a healthy food vendor did not have an effect on preterm births. The study also used cluster analysis and found statistically significant spatial clusters of high preterm birth volume for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic mothers.