Environmental Health Burdens and Socioeconomic Status in Rhode Island: Using Geographic Information Systems to Examine Health Disparities in Medical School

Race and class are major predictors of health outcomes in the United States. Health disparities among racial and low-income minorities often have environmental etiologies. Using Rhode Island as a case study, we geocoded and visualized several environmental determinants of health via Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the entire state and conducted a geospatial analysis to determine whether or not patterns existed along racial and class lines. The variables that we geocoded include elementary schools, fast food restaurants, Superfund sites, and community parks. From a census tract level, we then analyzed the racial and income makeup of each geocoded site. We discovered that, on average, the worst-performing elementary schools, fast food restaurants, and Superfund sites in Rhode Island were clustered in neighborhoods with a larger black population and lower household income. Conversely, community parks and the best elementary schools in Rhode Island tended to be located near neighborhoods with a larger White population and higher household income. Our results provide additional evidence for the pervasiveness of the unequal distribution of environmental health burdens between low-income, minority communities and affluent, predominantly White communities. This summer experiential student project demonstrates the feasibility of incorporating GIS as a practical tool for learning health disparities material at a U.S. medical school. Our study also highlights the value of digital technology and citizen science in helping the public recognize and understand the various environmental factors that perpetuate health disparities.