Abstract
Background: Children at the highest risk for lead poisoning are African American, living in families with low incomes, or are living in housing built prior to 1946. The Greater Flint Lead Safe Children Program (GFLSCP) was designed to increase the proportion of African Americans under 6 years of age who are tested for lead in a State-designated high risk area for childhood lead poisoning. Objective: We used Geographical Information Systems to create maps that facilitate program process and evaluation. Methods: We created maps of neighborhood outreach coverage and lead screening results. We identified areas with higher concentrations of African American children under 6 years of age and housing units constructed prior to 1940. Results: Digital maps organize program information and facilitate program process. Maps visually demonstrate the association between older housing stock and elevated blood lead levels, and assist GFLSCP staff in prioritizing areas at highest risk of lead poisoning. Analyses indicated that the proportion of houses built prior to 1940 predicted blood lead levels. Conclusions: Geographic Information Systems provide an intuitive, visual means of tracking program progress and correspondence of intervention activities within the focus demographic and identified areas of concentrated risk.
Recommended Citation
Kruger, Daniel; Shirey, Lauren; and Taylor, Sherry
(2012)
"Geographical Information Systems Facilitate Child Lead Screening Efforts,"
Michigan Journal of Public Health: Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mjph/vol6/iss1/5