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