You are here
Search results
(1 - 2 of 2)
- Title
- EXPLORING NEIGHBORHOOD PATHWAYS TO HEALTH : AN INTEGRATED ANALYSIS ACROSS SCALES
- Creator
- Rzotkiewicz, Amanda T.
- Date
- 2018
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
This research is a synthesis and discussion of two papers that apply diverse geographic techniques to closely examine neighborhoods and health, introduced in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is titled, “Systematic review of the use of Google Street View in health research: Sampling, exposure assessment, prevention or monitoring, and health policy compliance” and of 54 studies qualifying for the review, one (2%) utilized GSV for sampling, forty-four (82%) for exposure assessment, and six (11%) for policy...
Show moreThis research is a synthesis and discussion of two papers that apply diverse geographic techniques to closely examine neighborhoods and health, introduced in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is titled, “Systematic review of the use of Google Street View in health research: Sampling, exposure assessment, prevention or monitoring, and health policy compliance” and of 54 studies qualifying for the review, one (2%) utilized GSV for sampling, forty-four (82%) for exposure assessment, and six (11%) for policy monitoring. Most studies reported considerable benefits of GSV, when compared to non-virtual methods, through the reduction of research time and costs, making it a promising tool for automated environmental assessment for health research. Chapter 3 explores a relatively novel pathway to health (the microbiome) and is titled, “Evaluating the relationship between neighborhood vegetation and the human microbiome: implications for green space-health research”. Neighborhood vegetation scores and impervious surface area were compared to the microbial genera and biodiversity of the mouth, ears, eyes, nose and rectum (a surrogate of the gut) human microbiomes of postmortem residents of Wayne County, Michigan (n = 98). Relationships between neighborhood greenness and microbial composition varied by neighborhood size and area of the body. Results suggest that each body area is a unique microbial niche that interacts with the environment in different ways, an important consideration for targeted modification of the microbial environment. Overall, this research illustrates how an integrated analysis of neighborhoods and health has the potential to improve both health research and public policy across a wide range of geographic contexts and scales.
Show less
- Title
- Understanding the relationship between the human microbiome and urban decay/recovery among autopsied adults in Detroit, Michigan
- Creator
- Rzotkiewicz, Amanda T.
- Date
- 2016
- Collection
- Electronic Theses & Dissertations
- Description
-
Increased social cohesion within neighborhoods has been associated with better mental and physical health. Social cohesion is often measured via self-report data of an individual’s perception of the community, but features of the built environment may also serve as proxies for neighborhood social conditions. The recent and rapidly expanding body of research surrounding the human microbiome has presented new approaches to understanding human health at a subclinical level. In this study,...
Show moreIncreased social cohesion within neighborhoods has been associated with better mental and physical health. Social cohesion is often measured via self-report data of an individual’s perception of the community, but features of the built environment may also serve as proxies for neighborhood social conditions. The recent and rapidly expanding body of research surrounding the human microbiome has presented new approaches to understanding human health at a subclinical level. In this study, microbiome data from multiple body sites were collected from autopsied bodies of Detroit, Michigan (n = 30), in 2014 and 2015. Spatial data on neighborhood built environment characteristics were compiled to create two indices: the Detroit Index of Urban Decay (DIUR) and Detroit Index of Environmental Recovery (DIER). Microbiome data was then linked to the indices using the home location of the autopsied bodies. Results showed the diversity of the microbiome of the nares to be significantly and consistently associated with lower DIUR and increased DIER. Only the diversity of the ears did not have any significant relationship to DIUD and DIER. In addition, age was found not to be associated with microbial diversity, in contrast to existing literature. By investigating the relationship between the diversity of the human microbiome and neighborhood conditions, this research indicates that these relationships warrant further exploration for their potential to serve as a vector for promoting both human and ecological health at an accessible, subclinical level.
Show less