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Alyse Reifer
ID#005255116
2/23/16
1. What is GIS? 4 points

What are three uses of GIS?

Answer-GIS is used to inventory, analyze and manage many aspects of the
world.

How might GIS be used in solutions to problems?

Answer-The Geographic Information System can be used for solutions to
problems because it allows people to input data onto a geographic location and
observe the spread of the data that was collected. It allows people to find were
they are and see the data that surrounds them. For example, if car accidents
keep happening in a certain place, GIS might be used to help solve the problem.

2. Dr. Chetan Tiwari and Using Maps as Public Health Decision Support Tools- 4
points

What examples did he use to demonstrate the use of GIS in health decision
making?
Answer-Dr. Chetan Tiwari used the example of John Snow (most likely the first
epidemiologist) and his mapping of the water lines connected to a pump during
the cholera outbreak in London.

What are the concerns about the data?

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Answer- One concern about the data is that the maps are not keeping up with
technology (and data). Another is that when inputting data, although it is the
same data, the maps are different.

3. Geographic Information Systems in Public Health - 4 points

Explain three (3) examples listed in this presentation about the use of GIS in
public health.
Answer- The first example used is to show the obesity trends that have grown
from 1987 to 2010. GIS enables users to present this topic of obesity and show
the shocking transition in the U.S. of the trend. The second example is the rate of
Diabetes mortality in St. Luis. Third, he looks at the poverty status in St. Luis to
see if he can make a correlation between the diabetes mortality and poverty. To
go into more information, he also looks at the number of parks in the area, also
the locations of fast food chains, and grocery stores. The shocking food deserts
are present in the maps.

4. Go to http://www.riversideca.gov/rpd/crstats/default.asp -6 points

Look at the crime map. Using Incident Layers make sure the following will
appear: breaking and entering, homicide, robbery, theft (all 3), sexual offense,
assault, property crime, family offense, weapons offense, quality of life (disorder,
drugs, liquor). Move the map so you can see Moreno Valley. Look at the area
bounded by I-60 on the north, Frederick on the west, Eucalyptus on the south,
and the Indian on the east.

What is the most frequently occurring issue in this area (see the Incident
Layers to understand the iconsnot everything is crimeATTENTION TO
DETAIL)?
Answer- The most frequent issue in this area are registered sex offenders.

Why is this type of map useful in public and community health? Justify your
answer.
Answer- This type of map is useful for public health so that people who are
considering moving to this area of Moreno Valley can know where these people
live and help to keep themselves and their family safe. This map is also important
for Community health so that the community can be safer and so that people in
charge of the community can know about the people who live in their city in order
to try and keep if safe for the community.

5. Go to the following link: 6 points

http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=da76de09076b4959ad005e1dc2c48049

What is the median household income?

Answer- The median household income for San Bernardino County was
about $40,910/year in 2012.

Why is this useful in public health/why do we need to use median household income
when we decide populations at risk or in need of services?

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Answer- This type of map showing median household income is useful because
when a county is suffering from one thing compared to another county, income
might be a very important factor to that. For example, people living in Orange
County might have a very high median household income compared to San
Bernardino and the difference in obesity might be a direct relationship for the
household income. So therefore, San Bernardino would be in need of services
since the median household income is 18% below the U.S. average.

6. Using online GIS mapping software- 12 points

Go back to the browser window with the ZIP code and census tract map. Take a screen
shot that shows the map of food locations.

For someone who lived at the corner of W. 17 th St and N. Perris St what is the
distance for them to walk to the Stater Brothers store?
Answer- The distance would be about 1.1 miles from the persons
house to the store.

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o Map that along the road using several points along the way to keep
the plotter on the road and take a screen shot.
Answer-

Use Google map in the browser where you have the address for the grocery
and use the street view icon to see what that road looks like. Why would that
be a difficult walk to the store?

Answer- Looking at Google Maps, it seems like a difficult walk for groceries to Stater
Bros because of the construction and the freeway being in the middle of the way. There
is no overpass for a walkway nearby so it would make it very hard for a person living
here to walk for groceries if they needed. The area does not look very safe and most of
the walk does not have a sidewalk. For someone without a car, this walk would be
extremely difficult.

Using Google street view follow the street down to 14 th and Massachusetts to
see the two grocery stores on that corner. Take a screen shot to use in your
presentation. What are the common ads on both markets?

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Answer- After looking at both of the markets, the ads of both are of beer and
wine, or cigarettes or EBT places. These are very unhealthy items that are
targeted toward a low income community who will buy these products because
they are low in cost. If healthier options were offered, or if a farmers market
opened in that area that accepted EBT, which could be a much better option for
the people living in this area.

Think about the Excel assignment and the disease rates you have been
investigating.
Answer- The correlation between lower income communities and diseases is
very evident in these communities.

What are the causes of those diseases from a social standpoint for
populations?
Answer-The causes are because of lack of healthy food options, high
abundance of liquor stores with unhealthy food, increase of drinking and
obesity and unsafe environments.

How would you make the association between death by ZIP code and the
availability of food in 92411?
Answer- The zip code is not a location where there are good choices for food
options. With very little options to almost none for food stores, the zip code
does not benefit the community.

7. Go to http://www.walkscore.com/ 4 points

What is your walk score in your neighborhood?

Answer- I have lived my whole life in my parents house until I moved to San
Bernardino for school, so I started with my parents house in Arcadia, CA
which has a walking score of 71. Then I used my current address in San
Bernardino and the walking score is 42. That was not a very surprising
difference to me actually. But it makes me upset that place where I currently
live is not good for walking.

Do you think your neighborhood is walk-able meaning conducive to

walking?
Answer- No, I do not think San Bernardino is conducive to walking. It does not
necessarily feel very safe, and there are some places that are not well lit and
do not have sidewalks.

Give examples to provide specifics to support your argument.