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Zone design for environment and health studies using pre-aggregated data

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  • Cockings, Samantha
  • Martin, David

Abstract

Many environment and health studies employ geographical areas as the units of analysis, either through choice or necessity. The design of these areas can greatly influence any observed spatial relationships or patterns--an effect known as the modifiable areal unit problem. In this paper we identify the phenomena and processes which are typically measured in environment and health studies and present a conceptualisation for their representation as data objects in spatial analysis. We discuss the circumstances under which we find ourselves using areas for representation and outline the application of zone design techniques for the creation of such areas in environment and health studies. An empirical study of the relationship between deprivation and limiting long-term illness in the former county of Avon, UK, is employed to demonstrate the potential usefulness of zone design techniques for creating zones with stable estimates and for exploring the sensitivity of relationships to changes in the zoning system. In particular, we illustrate the inappropriateness of the 1991 Census enumeration district and ward zoning systems for such an analysis and conclude that automatically designed aggregations may be a more appropriate basis for analysis than any pre-existing zoning system.

Suggested Citation

  • Cockings, Samantha & Martin, David, 2005. "Zone design for environment and health studies using pre-aggregated data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(12), pages 2729-2742, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:60:y:2005:i:12:p:2729-2742
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    10. Samantha Cockings & Andrew Harfoot & David Martin & Duncan Hornby, 2011. "Maintaining Existing Zoning Systems Using Automated Zone-Design Techniques: Methods for Creating the 2011 Census Output Geographies for England and Wales," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(10), pages 2399-2418, October.
    11. Chul Sue Hwang & Seong-Yun Hong & TaeKeon Hwang & Byungyun Yang, 2020. "Strengthening the Statistical Summaries of Economic Output Areas for Urban Planning Support Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-21, July.
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    13. Flowerdew, Robin & Manley, David J. & Sabel, Clive E., 2008. "Neighbourhood effects on health: Does it matter where you draw the boundaries?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(6), pages 1241-1255, March.
    14. I. G. Shuttleworth & C. D. Lloyd & D. J. Martin, 2011. "Exploring the implications of changing census output geographies for the measurement of residential segregation: the example of Northern Ireland 1991–2001," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 174(1), pages 1-16, January.
    15. Siegel, Martin & Koller, Daniela & Vogt, Verena & Sundmacher, Leonie, 2016. "Developing a composite index of spatial accessibility across different health care sectors: A German example," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(2), pages 205-212.
    16. Cindy M. Padilla & Wahida Kihal-Talantikit & Verónica M. Vieira & Séverine Deguen, 2016. "City-Specific Spatiotemporal Infant and Neonatal Mortality Clusters: Links with Socioeconomic and Air Pollution Spatial Patterns in France," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, June.
    17. Severine Deguen & Nina Ahlers & Morgane Gilles & Arlette Danzon & Marion Carayol & Denis Zmirou-Navier & Wahida Kihal-Talantikite, 2018. "Using a Clustering Approach to Investigate Socio-Environmental Inequality in Preterm Birth—A Study Conducted at Fine Spatial Scale in Paris (France)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, August.
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