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Built Environments 3: Health Indices & Proximity to Parks
Built Environment 3
Background
Built Environment, Part 3 (ArcGIS) See the Guide and video for ArcGIS in the Toolbox within the course in 2BU. Increasingly in public health, mapping tools are being used to better understand where people live and the resources (e.g., parks) available to them within their communities. ArcGIS is one mapping tool that is available for examining the availability of resources as well as the demographic make-up of an area. ArcGIS can be used to identify high-risk populations to target for community health interventions. For example, the health status of low socioeconomic status (SES) communities is worse off than higher SES communities. Since income is a significant predictor of health outcomes, public health practitioners often use US Census Data to identify low SES areas for community-level health interventions. For this part of the built environment assignment, students will become familiar with ArcGIS.
Assignment
- Students will learn how to use the ArcGIS Online Community Analyst to select four parks and to describe the demographic and health status of residents near these parks.
Deliverables
- Submit a document (MS Word or PDF format) with a screenshot of your city with four parks labeled with the park name and whether the health status of the surrounding residents are HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW.
ArcGIS Community Analyst is a browser-based mapping app that applies GIS technology to extensive demographic, consumer spending, and business data, allowing you to map locations, perform analysis, and create reports and infographics. Esri updates the data periodically so that you have access to the most current and accurate data.
We are Analysts: As analysts, we are trying to determine whether proximity to park areas has an impact on the health status of the residents.
How do We Calculate Health Status? We will create a Health Index. In order to calculate a Health Index, we will need to each make 2 decisions:
- What criteria should we include?
- How important is each criteria?
We Will Use a Weighted Mean Calculation: A standard mean or average is adding all values and dividing by the number of values. A weighted mean multiplies a weight to each value so they are not all averaged equally. In GIS terminology, this is called Suitability Analysis.
Here is an example:
| Criteria | Value | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents Use Exercise Program to Help with their Diet | 10% of residents | .3 (30%) | 3 |
| Residents Make Sure they Exercise Regularly | 5% of residents | .15 (15%) | .75 |
| A Third Indicator | 15% of residents | .2 (20%) | 3 |
| A Fourth Indicator | 10% of residents | .35 (35%) | 3.5 |
| Health Index | 10.25 |
| Steps | Helpful Images |
|---|---|
| Head to ArcGIS Community Analyst using the same ArcGIS credentials you used to log into ArcGIS Online. |  |
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(1) Make sure you are in the Home tab (2) Create a New Project |
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Name the project and click Create (will then take a moment)
Then click OK |
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| Click Open on the project just created |  |
| Find a basemap that works for you. |  |
| Steps | Helpful Images |
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(1) Click Define Areas (2) Select Geography |
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| Select from Full List |  |
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Select Census Tracts |
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Select your state Then Select your county
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Click the box next to Census Tract to select all tracts NOTE: Community Analyst can analyze a maximum of 1,000 tracts per project. If your county contains more than 1,000 tracts you will receive a popup that only the first 1,000 tracts will be analyzed. Click Continue if this happens. |
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| Click NO beneath. This is important! Then click |
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| Click Suitability Analysis |  |
| Click Get Started | |
| Click Start with features on map | |
| Click Next |
| Steps | Helpful Images |
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| Click Add Criteria/Add variables from data browser |  |
| Let's search for exercise |  |
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Steps:
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| Click Categories icon to return |  |
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Add 2 more variables (perhaps diabetes, income, education)?
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| Steps | Helpful Images |
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Assign Weights using sliders
Make sure to choose total count or percent
The map will update automatically with your scores
NOTE: Click More Options to Reverse |
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Click Filter Icon and drag the 0 bar on the left towards the right to filter out the lower scored items.
These are the highest scoring Census Tracts! |
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Click Done
Click |
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| Click to Save Layer |  |
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Select Export to a New Suitability Layer
Check Include All Site Attributes OK |
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| Steps | Helpful Images |
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| Click Add Data and select Web Maps and Layers |  |
| Select Living Atlas |  |
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Search for USA Parks
Click Open |
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| In the legend, drag USA Parks to top |  |
| Adjust transparency of Sites Areas to approximately 50% to see parks beneath highest scoring areas. |  |
| Steps | Helpful Images |
|---|---|
| Click a park to identify the park name |  |
| On far right, click the Add Annotation button to add a label for this park |  |
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Type park name
Click Add to Map |
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| Move label to appropriate position | |
| Repeat for three more other parks |
