Issa 1

Liana Issa
HSCI 273
Professor Sosa
19 October 2015
What is GIS?
1. What are three uses of GIS? How might GIS be used in solutions to problems?
-GIS is used to Inventory, Analyze, Manage many aspects of the world.
-GIS is used in Agriculture, Marine Sciences, Marketing, Sales, Law Enforcement, and
Communications. It is used to collect points and take it back to the lab.
2. What examples did he use to demonstrate the use of GIS in health decision making?
-The use of GIS in health decision making that he demonstrated are for Cancer Mortality
Rates, Tuberculosis Incidence Rates, HIV Incidence Rates, Poverty Areas, Infant
Mortality Rate, Breast Cancer Rates, and other ways for showing Disease outcomes on
Maps.
What are the concerns about the data?
-Some of the concerns of the data on the maps would be that some of the maps only
present the data, rather than representing the process. Some of the maps show that the
populations structures are different, and they dont represent the process of the data. The
map should be driven by the question youre trying to answer. They can provide insight.
3. Explain three examples listed in this presentation about the use of GIS in public
health.
-Display information to get the point across. Ex. Obesity Trends in the U.S.
-Research the neighborhood or environment around the specific area, along with the
behaviors and chronic diseases to see how the two relate to one another. Ex. Diabetes
Mortality Rate, researched grocery stores, parks, and fast food chains, so see how it
influences one another.
-Used GIS to make the map and see the locations of the three categories above so that he
can use the data and see the reasons when, where, how, and why can all be answered.
The map should not only give data, but explain to us the why factor.
4.
a. 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, and weapons offense, quality
of life (disorder, drugs, and 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)?
-While researching the crime that is going on in Moreno Valley, I have come to
the conclusion that Theft is the most frequently occurring crime happening in this
area. Theft in general was the highest, but Theft of Vehicle was the second highest
crime.
b. Why is this type of map useful in public and community health? Justify your
answer.

Issa 2
Liana Issa
HSCI 273
Professor Sosa
19 October 2015
-This type of map is useful in public and community health because it is good to
know what types of crimes and people you are surrounded by.
5.
a. http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?
id=da76de09076b4959ad005e1dc2c48049
Click open below the map to see the household income map. Zoom in on
California and then San Bernardino County by clicking on the map. When
the county is outlined a pop up will show you the income (think about how to
state income correctly) for the county. What is the median household
income?
-The Median Household Income for San Bernardino County is $53,364

b. 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?
-Median Household Income is important when deciding if a population is at risk
or in need of services because it tells us whether or not they have good healthcare
insurance, if any at all. If a population has a low median household income than
we can presume that they dont have the sufficient funds, and/or the area they live
in doesnt have the access to proper healthcare information.

6.
a. Go to http://www.cnngis.org/ and click on Launch Map Viewer. When the
map viewer comes up you will need to put the ZIP code 92411 from your
earlier Excel assignment in and click Find Zip. Then find 2010 Census Tract
06071004202 using the menu. You will see two other census tracts-- 47 and
4201. One click on the screen will do what is selected on the left menu. Using
Layer List click on the places people could buy food or go to get prepared
food. Use the legend to see those. Select the following types of locations.
After each refresh the map so you can see those locations. Find these:
general grocery, convenience group, fast food/pizza/sandwiches, and WIC
vendors.
- General Grocery Store: 2
- Convenience Group: 2
- Fast Food/ Pizza/ Sandwiches: 4
- WIC Vendors: 4

Issa 3
Liana Issa
HSCI 273
Professor Sosa
19 October 2015
b. On the lower portion of the map you will see Summarize Data and it shows
the categories of the food locations you chose. For WIC Vendor look to see
the address of the Stater Brothers on Highland. Go to a new browser
window and Google that address so you see the map and zoom in so you can
see the street names and layout of that neighborhood.

c. 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.

d. Now using the Measure tab on the right side and the Measure function
on the left side of the map you will measure the distance from a location and
the Stater Bros grocer. For someone who lived at the corner of W. 17th St
and N. Perris St what is the distance for them to walk to the Stater Brothers
store? Map that along the road using several points along the way to keep
the plotter on the road and take a screen shot.
e.

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?

Issa 4
Liana Issa
HSCI 273
Professor Sosa
19 October 2015

-This would be a difficult walk because it is surrounded by business, the freeway,

and a train track. It will be very loud because of the train and busy because of the
freeway. It doesnt look like a very safe walk. It also looks like there is
construction going on down the street and the sidewalk is coned off on one side.
Overall, not an enjoyable walk.

f. Using Google Street view follow the street down to 14th 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?
-The common ads on both markets are ATM and EBT. Both markets advertise this
as something to attract customers inside, which means there must not be a bank
close by.

Issa 5
Liana Issa
HSCI 273
Professor Sosa
19 October 2015

g. Think about the Excel assignment and

the diseases you have been investigating. What are the causes of those
diseases from a social standpoint for populations? How would you make the
association between death by ZIP code and the availability of food in 92411?
-The causes of most of those diseases would be unhealthy eating habits, causing
Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, etc. The fast food chains in this area contribute
to these unhealthy habits because that is what there is the most of in this area. It is
mostly surrounded by fast food, and that is whats causing such high numbers of
diseases in this area.

7. Go to http://www.walkscore.com/
a. What is your walk score?
-My walk score is 30.
b. Do you think your neighborhood is walkable meaning conducive to walking?
-My neighborhood mostly relies on cars to get from point A to point B.
c. Give examples to provide specifics to support your argument.
-Most of the people that walk are doing it for exercise purposes, other than the children
that walk home from the junior high school around the corner. Otherwise, we use our cars
to go almost everywhere in the city. Everything is pretty much spaced out as far as going

Issa 6
Liana Issa
HSCI 273
Professor Sosa
19 October 2015
to the grocery store, and once you go down the street, the struggle is walking back up, so
people would rather drive their car. There is a Walgreens, 7/11 gas station, and Jack in the
Box that I would say is in walking distance.