Assessment of Environmental Pollution and Community Health in Northwest Florida

EPA Cooperative Agreement X-97455002. July 1, 2002 to June 30, 2007

Project Director: Dr. K. Ranga Rao

Task Leader: Dr. James Studnicki; Co-Investigator: Dr. Stephen Luther; Center for Health Outcomes Research; Health Sciences Center, University of South Florida (USF). (Supported by a sub-award from UWF to USF).

There is considerable national interest in being able to relate the geographic patterns of environmental hazard exposure to variation in the health status of populations residing in these communities. These spatially defined associations between environmental hazards and population health are referred to as environmental health "tracking" studies. In this project two related sets of analyses were conducted: (1) a preliminary analysis of association between the 1996 National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment (NATA) cancer and non-cancer exposure estimates and selected health status outcome measures (1997-2001) for 67 Florida counties; and (2) an assessment of postal zip code level variation in morbidity and mortality in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, controlling for the most demographic factors influencing health status.

Reports available for down load:

Final Report (PDF): Multivariate analysis of health outcomes at the zip code level in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.