Abstract 4251: Neighborhood data system to enable health disparities research in Chicago

Abstract

Abstract Background: Chicago has become the focus of national concern following findings of striking disparities in cancer incidence and mortality, with worse outcomes for Non-Hispanic Black persons. Chicago also has communities with very high crime rates, racial/ethnic segregation, and resource-poor communities. Social stressors, including crime, social isolation, low socioeconomic status (SES), interpersonal and institutional discrimination, and residence in resource-poor settings intersect at individual- and neighborhood- levels across the lifespan and are associated with poor health outcomes. However, the extent to which these social determinants separately and together contribute to cancer health disparities is unclear. Purpose: To elucidate health disparities attributable to neighborhood social stressors in the Chicago setting, a pilot Chicago Neighborhood Data System (ChNDS) is currently in production, using the Chicago Police Department crimes database, data from the 2010 Census short form, 2008-2012 American Community Survey (ACS), University of Chicago MAPSCorps project, and Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) geodatabases. Approach: We use principal components analysis (PCA) to generate composite indices of neighborhood-level factors at the small area level (census tract or block group): racial/ethnic composition; SES; immigration/ acculturation; other sociodemographic characteristics; crime; and community assets including density/proximity to types of businesses, retail food, and recreational facilities. Future directions: Data record linkages at the small area-level will be performed between the pilot ChNDS and observational and population-based datasets to examine the impact of neighborhood-level characteristics on research study participation, disease occurrence, healthcare utilization, and disease outcomes in Chicago. Citation Format: David J. Press, Scarlett Lin Gomez, Briseis Aschebrook-Kilfoy, Habibul Ahsan. Neighborhood data system to enable health disparities research in Chicago [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4251.