Trey Parks

HSCI 273
Prof. Flores
Feb. 23, 2016
GSI Assignment
Question 1:
What is GIS?
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GIS stands for Geographic Information System. It uses computers and software
to explore the fundamental principle of geography.

What are the three uses?

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The three uses of GIS are used for inventory, analyzing, and mange many aspect
of the world.

How might GIS be used in solutions to problems?

-

One example would be by the Police Department, if you were curious to find out
the number of traffic collision in a certain area or to keep track of crime trends
and target enforcement.

Question 2:
What examples did he use to demonstrate the use of GIS in health decision
making?
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Dr. Chetan used GIS to identify cancer mortality rates, Tuberculosis outcome

What are the concerns about the data?

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That they fail to be representative of the phenomena and control for difference in
populations

Question 3:
GIS in Public Health: Explain three example listed in this presentation about the
use of GIS in public health.
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Used to look at build environment to see how it relates to obesity and chronic

disease.
You can look at poverty status
Diabetes mortality rate.

Question 4:
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The most frequent occurring issue in this area is sex offenders.

This type of data is useful because it gives those who live in the community as
sense of who they are surrounded by, if their neighborhood is safe, and just an
overall view of what goes down in the community.

Question 5:
Median household income?
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$53,364

Why is this useful in public health/why do we need to use median household

income when we decide populations at risk or in need of service?
- Knowing the median household income in useful in public health because it offers
public information to indicate how the community and area is structured. Many
economists have attributed these correlations to the effects of education, arguing that
more educated people are better able to understand and use health information, and
are better placed to benefit from the healthcare system. Economists also have
emphasized the negative correlation between socioeconomic status and various risky
behaviors, such as smoking, binge drinking, obesity, and lack of exercise. They have
also pointed to mechanisms that run from health to earnings, education, and labor force
participation, and to the role of potential third factors, such as discount rates, that affect
both education and health.
Question 6:
Places people can buy food or go to get prepared food.

Distance
For someone who lived at the corner of W. 17th St and N. Perris St what is the
distance for them to walk to the Stater Brothers store?
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0.5 miles

Map that along the road using several points along the way to keep the plotter on
the road and take a screen shot.

Use Google map in the browser where you have the address for the grocery and
use the street view icon to see what that road looks like. Why would that be a
difficult walk to the store?
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This would be a problem to walk because it would be difficult to cross the

highway.

Using Google street view follow the street down to 14th and Massachusetts to see
the two grocery stores on that corner. Take a screen shot to use in your
presentation. What are the common ads on both markets?
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The most common adds advertised are liquor, both markets have Beer & Wine
on the outside, along with EBT acceptations.

What are the causes of those diseases from a social standpoint for populations?
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The causes of these disease all lead to what is being advertised on the markets
in the area. For example coronary heart disease, some determinants of that are
tobacco smoking and binge drinking which both markets advertise. This
ultimately places a negative effect on one health or those in the area.

How would you make the association between death by ZIP code and the
availability of food in 92411?
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In the area code of 92411 you notice that this zip code is more populated with
fast food, not too many fresh grocery stores, and a lot of people in the area are
low income families. You can tie this association with the higher rates of coronary
heart disease and cancer because of the lack of fresh food grocery store. The
families living in this area have a difficult time accessing these fresh food grocery
store so they result to bad choices such as fast food restaurants which are closer
and inexpensive.

Question 7:
What is your walk score in your neighborhood?
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Walk Score = 27

Do you think your neighborhood is walk-able meaning conductive to walking?

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No because a lot of the local store and shops are not within walking distance.
Most errands require a car.

Give example to provide specifics to support your argument.

- For example, grocery stores, fast food restaurants, any place where you go to
purchase food are not in walking distance from the areas where families live. The area
plays a factor as well, how the streets are built, this could make it uncomfortable to
walk.