DeGAUSS: Decentralized Geomarker Assessment for Multi-Site Studies

Abstract

Scientific studies often examine the relationships between place-based information and health outcomes; for example, air pollution and asthma, neighborhood crime and mental health, or community greenspace and IQ. Study subjects with location information, most commonly a residential mailing address, are linked to databases of place-based information, or “geomarkers” in order to conduct these studies. Defined formally, a “geomarker” is any objective, contextual or geographic measure that influences or predicts the incidence of outcome or disease. “Geocoding” is the process of translating a string of text referring to a location (most often a mailing address) into coordinates on the earth’s surface (most often latitude and longitude). These coordinates are required to link participants to their estimated exposures to geomarkers – a process we call “geomarker assessment”. Some examples of geomarker assessment commonly performed in health studies using people include distance to the nearest major roaday – a commonly used as a measure of estimated exposure to traffic related air pollution that is associated with increased risk of asthma – or neighborhood median household income – a commonly used as a measure of community deprivation associated with increased bed days spent in the hospital.