| Use of Geographic Information System Technology to Aid Health Department Decision Making about Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Activities Dori B. Reissman,1 Forrest Staley,2 Gerald B. Curtis,1 and Rachel B. Kaufmann1 1Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Jefferson County Department of Environmental Health, Louisville, Kentucky, USA Abstract
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that local public health agencies use local data to identify children at risk for lead exposure to ensure that they receive preventive services. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of a geographic information system (GIS) in identifying children at risk for lead exposure. We conducted a descriptive study, using GIS technology, of the blood lead (BPb) levels and residential location of at-risk children screened for lead exposure. "At-risk children" were defined as those children living in housing built before 1950 or in an area with a high proportion of older housing. The study was conducted in Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA. Participants were the cohort of children born in 1995 and screened from 1996 through 1997, and children younger than age 7 years who were screened from 1994 through 1998. Outcome measures were the BPb level and residential location (address or target zone) of at-risk children screened from 1996 through 1997, and the number and location of homes where more than one child had been poisoned by lead from 1994 through 1998. The proportion of children screened who live within zones targeted for universal screening varied from 48% to 53%, while only 50% of the at-risk children in the entire county were screened. Between 1994 and 1998, 79 homes housed 35% of the 524 children with lead poisoning. These housing units were prioritized for lead-hazard remediation. Significant numbers of at-risk children throughout the county were not being tested for lead exposure, even in prioritized areas. GIS can be very useful to health departments in planning lead exposure screening strategies and measuring program performance. Key words: childhood, geographic information systems, lead poisoning, public health. Environ Health Perspect 109:89-94 (2001) . [Online 21 December 2000] http://ehpnet1.niehs.nih.gov/docs/2001/109p89-94reissman/ abstract.html Address correspondence to D.B. Reissman, 1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop E-23, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects, Atlanta, GA 30333 USA. Telephone: (404) 639-2564. Fax: (404) 639-2565. E-mail: dvs7@cdc.gov We thank T. Matte and N. Rosenblatt for their review of this article and we also thank the Epidemic Intelligence Service Program at the CDC. Received 16 May 2000 ; accepted 16 August 2000.
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