Dashboard

Summary

Data Source: CalEnviroScreen (CES) 4.0 (calenviroscreen40resultsdatadictionary.xlsx)

Author: Nao Satoh

Background: Social determinants of health (SDOH) are widely recognized in the field of public health as the non-medical factors that impact health outcomes. Utilizing the CalEnviroScreen data, I sought to explore the following research question: What is the relationship between two specific SDOH - Environment (specifically pollution exposure) and Economic Stability (specifically poverty) - and their consequences on public health in Alameda County?

As future public health professionals, we have a responsibility to address health inequities, especially within the communities where we live and learn. By examining the intersections of SDOH, such as environment and economic stability, we can identify vulnerable populations and advocate for evidence-based interventions. This analysis aims to spark further research and inspire policies to improve equity in public health outcomes for all communities in our state.

This dashboard utilizes data from CalEnviroScreen 4.0 (last updated in October 2021), which was prepared by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment on behalf of the California Environmental Protection Agency. It provides environmental, health, and socioeconomic data by census tract for the State of California.

Results:

Examining census tract data in Alameda County, there is a positive correlation between the proportion of people living in poverty and the level of pollution exposure (Figure 1). While we cannot conclude a causal relationship between these two variables, this suggests that communities exposed to harmful environment SDOHs are also more likely to be exposed to poverty and its consequences (e.g., reduced access to resources, economic instability) in their communities.

Furthermore, Figure 2 demonstrates an association between poverty and asthma-related health outcomes. Census tracts with higher poverty levels (relative to the state average) exhibit higher rates of asthma-related emergency department visits, underscoring the potential health risks associated with both environmental and socioeconomic factors.

Figure 3 shows the geographic distribution of the pollution burden in Alameda County. The concentration of pollution is higher in coastal areas, which often overlaps with the location of pollution generating infrastructure (e.g., highways, airports) and neighborhoods with higher poverty levels. This emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to mitigate environmental health disparities.

Understanding the Geographic Distribution of the Pollution Burden

The interactive map below shows Pollution Burden Percentile overlaid on top of census tract information for Alameda County.

• Hover over the map to see the approximate location (i.e., city name).

• Click on the census tract tiles to see more detailed information, such as the specific Pollution Burden Percentile and what percentage of the population lives below 2x the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).

Alt text: An interactive map of Alameda County showing pollution burden percentile by census tract.

Figure 3: Interactive Map

Figure 1: Visualizing the relationship

Alt text for Figures 1 and 2

(Figure 1) Scatter plot and linear regression line of poverty (% of population living below 2x FPL) and pollution burden percentile where poverty is positively correlated with pollution burden percentile.

(Figure 2) Violin plot of age-adjusted asthma emergency department (ED) visit rates by poverty level (low, high) where high poverty level has a distribution centered on a higher ED visit rate compared to low poverty level.

Figure 2: Implications on Health