Housing Quality and Racial Disparities in Low Birth Weight: A GIS Assessment

Abstract

An individual’s exposure to air pollution is affected by the variability of pollution concentrations at different locations and times. The most accurate measures of exposure incorporate personal monitoring, but as the number of people included in a study increases, the feasibility of conducting individual-level monitoring quickly decreases, thus requiring the development of more practical approaches, sometimes at the cost of capturing these key sources of variability. In this chapter, we focus on how geotechnologies contribute to characterizing variable air pollution levels and individual geographic mobility with respect to exposure assessment for epidemiological and exposure determinants studies. Rather than an exhaustive literature review, we provide a general discussion of geotechnology uses, include representative examples from epidemiological or exposure determinants studies, and identify limitations and future potential applications. Approaches discussed include simple proximity-to-source or monitor methods, dispersion models, spatial interpolation techniques, and the potential for using satellite-derived air pollution estimates and global positioning systems. The use of time-activity patterns and travel surveys is also included. Finally, an annotated list of recommended review articles is provided for readers interested in more in-depth treatment of many of the topics presented in this chapter.