Using ZIP Code and GIS Studies to Assess Disease Risk

Abstract

In several recent articles in EHP, investigators have attempted to link proximity to hazardous waste sites, as measured by geographic information systems (GIS) or ZIP codes, with increased incidences of various diseases. An implicit assumption in these studies is that proximity is a surrogate for exposure. However, numerous studies have demonstrated that the presence of chemicals in an individual’s environment does not necessarily translate into a dose. For example, Stehr-Green et al. (1988) found that