Using geographic information systems for exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology studies.
Using geographic information systems for exposure assessment in environmental epidemiology studies.
复制标题
使用地理信息系统进行环境流行病学研究中的暴露评估。
DOI：
10.1289/ehp.6738
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发表时间：
2004-06
影响因子：
10.4
通讯作者：
Jarup, Lars
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nuckols, John R;Ward, Mary H;Jarup, Lars
地理信息系统越来越多地用于环境流行病学研究。报告的应用包括通过地理编码地址（分配映射坐标）定位研究人群，使用污染源的邻近分析作为暴露的替代，并将环境监测数据纳入健康结果的分析。尽管大多数这些研究在设计上都是生态学的，但有些研究使用GIS来估计个人水平的污染物环境水平，并设计用于流行病学研究的暴露指标。在这篇文章中，我们讨论了三个科学学科的基本原理，有助于使用GIS在流行病学研究中的暴露评估：地理空间科学，环境科学和流行病学。我们还探讨了如何使用GIS来完成暴露评估过程中的几个步骤。这些步骤包括确定研究人群，确定暴露源和潜在途径，估计目标污染物的环境水平，以及估计个人暴露。我们提出并讨论前三个步骤的例子。在最后一步中，我们讨论了GIS和全球定位系统（GPS）的潜在用途。我们的研究结果的基础上，我们的结论是，使用GIS在环境流行病学研究的暴露评估不仅是可行的，但可以提高我们的环境中的污染物和疾病之间的关联的理解。
Geographic information systems (GIS) are being used with increasing frequency in environmental epidemiology studies. Reported applications include locating the study population by geocoding addresses (assigning mapping coordinates), using proximity analysis of contaminant source as a surrogate for exposure, and integrating environmental monitoring data into the analysis of the health outcomes. Although most of these studies have been ecologic in design, some have used GIS in estimating environmental levels of a contaminant at the individual level and to design exposure metrics for use in epidemiologic studies. In this article we discuss fundamentals of three scientific disciplines instrumental to using GIS in exposure assessment for epidemiologic studies: geospatial science, environmental science, and epidemiology. We also explore how a GIS can be used to accomplish several steps in the exposure assessment process. These steps include defining the study population, identifying source and potential routes of exposure, estimating environmental levels of target contaminants, and estimating personal exposures. We present and discuss examples for the first three steps. We discuss potential use of GIS and global positioning systems (GPS) in the last step. On the basis of our findings, we conclude that the use of GIS in exposure assessment for environmental epidemiology studies is not only feasible but can enhance the understanding of the association between contaminants in our environment and disease.