Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has grown to pandemic proportions, placing a significant burden on global public health, socio-economic condition, and human capital resources. This paper examines the global spatial distribution of TBI using currently available data from research studies to advance a comprehensive review of TBI that integrates geospatial and environmental perspectives. It reveals significant geographic differences and socioeconomic gaps in global TBI incidence tracking, prevalence, and mortality rates. It proposes an environmental science approach to improving public awareness, tracking and prevention of TBI through the integration of environmental data using GIS. The use of GIS for accurate location-based mapping and integrated analysis of environmental data subsequently helps reveal risk factors for targeted research, education outreach, and more effective public health policy and preventative measures.
Highlights
This paper examines the global spatial distribution of Traumatic brain injury (TBI) using currently available data from research studies to advance a comprehensive review of TBI that integrates geospatial and environmental perspectives
As we face the acute crisis of COVID-19, another global public health pandemic has silently emerged in recent years - traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Recent studies estimate that people with short-term mild to severe TBI experience health losses of 11.0% and 21.4%, respectively, compared with a person in full health, measured by years of life lived with disability (GBD 2016 Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Collaborators, 2019)
Summary
As we face the acute crisis of COVID-19, another global public health pandemic has silently emerged in recent years - traumatic brain injury (TBI). A comprehensive geospatial approach is needed to better address TBI – a problem that is perhaps best understood by the very nature of our relationships with the environment throughout human history. The injuries sustained from head trauma stem from our inability to prevent or adequately adapt in real time to abrupt environmental changes encountered in daily living, which may be naturally occurring or human-induced (Chen et al, 2020). The TBI problem highlights the vital importance of human-environment interactions and calls for better intelligent design of safer environments, and the maximization of resources for TBI awareness and prevention. We analyzed available data in these areas to support our call for environment-based research and education measures on TBI awareness and prevention
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