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Collecting Policy Relevant Data: Example from a GIS Mapping Effort

Collecting Policy Relevant Data: Example from a GIS Mapping Effort. Sora Park Tanjasiri, DrPH, MPH Division of Kinesiology & Health Promotion California State University, Fullerton stanjasiri@fullerton.edu 10 th Anniversary APPEAL National Conference Washington, DC September 9, 2004.

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Collecting Policy Relevant Data: Example from a GIS Mapping Effort

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  1. Collecting Policy Relevant Data: Example from a GIS Mapping Effort Sora Park Tanjasiri, DrPH, MPH Division of Kinesiology & Health Promotion California State University, Fullerton stanjasiri@fullerton.edu 10th Anniversary APPEAL National Conference Washington, DC September 9, 2004

  2. BACKGROUND • Most policymakers do not understand the health problems and service needs of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) • They also believe in the “model minority myth” that AAPIs are healthier than other racial groups • Thus, we often need to conduct our own research to clearly show the needs of our communities

  3. Research Method Options • Conduct surveys • Hold focus group discussions • Interview “key informants” • Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping

  4. What are tobacco-related problems that can be geographically mapped?

  5. Example: Cancer Screening and AAPIs in California • Policymakers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties believed that AAPI women were not affected by cancer, and therefore did not need special outreach for cancer screening services. • In 2000, UCLA eliminated their mobile screening unit that was used extensively to outreach for the Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander populations.

  6. Our Solution: Community-Based Mapping of Cancer Needs • Our goal – to visually demonstrate the cancer screening needs of Southeast Asian and Pacific Islander women • Our method – geographic information system (GIS) mapping

  7. Step #1: Creating maps of our communities • Photocopy maps from “Thomas Guides” or other street maps. • Get maps online – e.g., the U.S. Census • Go to www.census.gov • Click on “maps” • Click on “online mapping” • Click on “American Fact Finder” • Click on “Maps & Geography” • Click on “Reference Maps”

  8. Step #2: Collecting data to place on community maps • We developed a data collection tool that we called an “Asset Inventory” of medical and social for each community • The inventory was completed by community health workers • We supplemented these inventories with county information on public cancer service providers. • Key is to have addresses for all data!

  9. Example: Thai community inventory

  10. Step #3: Looking at the maps and interpreting the results • For the Thai community, we saw that there were many different kinds of health services nearby • 22 Thai-speaking health facilities • 15 Thai-speaking social service facilities • 22 Thai-speaking BCEDP providers • But, there was only 1 Thai-speaking BCEDP provider located where the concentration of Thais reside in North Hollywood, CA.

  11. Many health services in and around Thai community of LA

  12. But, only one Thai speaking health service

  13. Results: Tongan Community • Worse picture for Tongans • 0 Tongan-speaking health facilities • 2 Tongan-speaking social service facilities • 2 Tongan-speaking BCEDP providers • And, there is only 1 Tongan-speaking cancer screening provider located where the concentration of Tongans live in the Lennox/Gardena area.

  14. Very few health services near Tongan community

  15. And only 1 cancer provider for Tongans

  16. Outcomes • We have showed these results to county officials to urge increased AAPI language availability for publicly-funded screening locations. • We have also published our study methods in order to promote replication by other communities who are interested in applying to their areas.

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