Environmental Public Health Tracking, Climate Change, and
Health Disparities in DC
Laura Anderko PhD RN, Georgetown University,
John Davies-Cole PhD MPH, District of Columbia Department of Health
and Andrew Strunk BS, Boston University
12 member Technical Advisory Group Public health, community organizations, academia
University students assisted in data collection and analysis for both Phases
DC Department of Health, Center for Policy Planning and Evaluation (CPPE)
DC EPHT: PHASE I Climate Change and
Health Indicators
Climate Change and Environmental Indicators
Pilot-tested data on 25 climate change and health indicators including green house gas emissions, temperature changes, heat related deaths.
DC EPHT: PHASE II Capacity Building Grant
Environmental Hazard Data-Air quality ozone
particulate matter
Health Effects-Hospitalizations asthma
myocardial infarction
Demographic characteristics geocode/ward (Exposure Data)
age
race
gender
Phase II Data used from 2007-2010
Environmental Air Quality Indicators
Particulate Matter
PM2.5 PM10
0
5
10
15
20
25
Jan
uar
y
Jun
e
No
vem
be
r
Ap
ril
Se
pte
mb
er
Feb
ruar
y
July
De
cem
be
r
May
Oct
ob
er
PM
2.5
con
cen
trat
ion
(u
g/m
^3)
PM2.5 Concentration (Monthly Average), 2007-2010
Observed PM2.5Concentration
EPA Standard0
20406080
100120140160
Jan
uar
y
Jun
e
No
vem
be
r
Ap
ril
Se
pte
mb
er
Feb
ruar
y
July
De
cem
be
r
May
Oct
ob
er
PM
10
co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
ug
/m^
3)
PM10 Concentration (Monthly Average), 2007-2010
Observed PM10concentration
EPA Standard
Ozone Concentration
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
0.08
Jan
uar
y
Mar
ch
May
July
Se
pte
mb
er
No
vem
be
r
Jan
uar
y
Mar
ch
May
July
Se
pte
mb
er
No
vem
be
r
Jan
uar
y
Mar
ch
May
July
Se
pte
mb
er
No
vem
be
r
Jan
uar
y
Mar
ch
May
July
Se
pte
mb
er
No
vem
be
r
Ozo
ne
co
nce
ntr
atio
n (
pp
m)
Max 8-hour ozone concentration (monthly average), 2007-2010
Monthly average of daily max 8-hour ozoneconcentration
EPA standard
Health Effects
Trends in Hospitalizations
Asthma
Demographics and Disparities
Gender Age
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2007 2008 2009 2010
No
. of
ho
spit
aliz
atio
ns
Year
Asthma Hospitalizations (2007-2010)
Male
Female0
100
200
300
400
500
No
. of
ho
spit
aliz
atio
ns
Age (in years)
Asthma Hospitalizations (2007-2010)
2007
2008
2009
2010
Race
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
2007 2008 2009 2010
No
. of
ho
spit
aliz
atio
ns
Year
Asthma Hospitalizations by Race (2007-2010)
Black
White
Other
Unknown
African Americans accounted for approximately 90% of all asthma hospitalizations
The majority of the asthma hospitalizations occurred from Wards 5 and 8, accounting for 44% of all cases in the District of Columbia
Females accounted for approximately 61.5 percent of all asthma-related hospitalizations between 2007 and 2010
Findings 2007-2010Hospitalizations for Asthma
Acute Myocardial Infarction
Acute Myocardial Infarction
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
No
. of
ho
spit
aliz
atio
ns
Monthly AMI Hospitalizations (2007-2010)
0100
200
300
400
500
600
Black White Other Unknown
No
. of
ho
spit
aliz
atio
ns
Race
AMI Hospitalizations by Race (2007-2010)
2007
2008
2009
2010
For each year studied, women were significantly more likely to be admitted to the hospital with asthma than were men,
Children 0-9 years of age were more likely to be hospitalized for asthma when compared to other age groups,
African Americans were significantly more likely to be hospitalized for both asthma and myocardial infarction.
Findings: Focus on Disparities
Conclusions
Environmental Public Health Tracking can be used successfully to explore climate change and public health effects particularly in EJ communities