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Climate, environment, neighborhood, & health: Pediatric asthma in Kansas City
Wesley, Elizabeth Jane
Wesley, Elizabeth Jane
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Abstract
The purpose of this dissertation research is to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of public health as a manifestation of the complex interactions between climatic, social, and environmental systems. As a case study, we employ long-term acute pediatric asthma observations to explore the structure of environmental health the Kansas City Metro Area. By using simple models and emphasizing Bayesian methods we aim to generate knowledge that is interpretable, impactful, and actionable for public health policy makers. Specifically, to investigate the interactions between environmental and climatic variables and their effects on health and to diagnose racial disparities in asthma incidence we ask the following research questions: • How is the spatial variability of acute pediatric asthma related to PM2.5 concentrations and the amount of vegetated cover?• Is there evidence of socioeconomic disparities in acute asthma incidence? If so, how do environmental and climatic effects vary along these axes of difference? • Howisthetemporalvariabilityofacutepediatricasthmarelatedtometeorologicconditions? • Are racial disparities evident in the manifestation of these temporal effects? The spatial and temporal variation of acute pediatric asthma is explored in two studies. Chapter 2 explores the neighborhood-level spatial variability of asthma rates and investigates the effects of vegetation and air pollution exposure on asthma incidence. Additionally, Chapter 2 examines how these effects differ by socioeconomic characteristics of neighborhoods. Chapter 3 explores the temporal variability of asthma incidence and investigates the effects of meteorological conditions on daily asthma hospitalizations. Additionally, chapter 3 examines whether the temporal effects of environmental exposure on asthma exhibit racial disparities. An additional chapter discusses the translation gap between research and policy. Chapter 4 provides opinionated recommendations for environmental health research to ensure that knowledge produced is interpretable, impactful, and actionable. Lastly, Chapter 5 provides a summary of the dissertation. Each chapter is formatted as a journal article complete with introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusions.
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Date
2022-12-31
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Environmental health, Urban planning, Environmental science, air pollution, asthma, Bayes, disparities, greenspace, public health