IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i4p1495-d493722.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID-19 Community Incidence and Associated Neighborhood-Level Characteristics in Houston, Texas, USA

Author

Listed:
  • Abiodun O. Oluyomi

    (Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Environmental Health Service, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    These authors contributed equally.)

  • Sarah M. Gunter

    (National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    William T. Shearer Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    These authors contributed equally.)

  • Lauren M. Leining

    (National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    William T. Shearer Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Division of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Kristy O. Murray

    (National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    William T. Shearer Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

  • Chris Amos

    (Section of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Gulf Coast Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
    Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA)

Abstract

Central to developing effective control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic is understanding the epidemiology of transmission in the community. Geospatial analysis of neighborhood-level data could provide insight into drivers of infection. In the current analysis of Harris County, Texas, we used custom interpolation tools in GIS to disaggregate COVID-19 incidence estimates from the zip code to census tract estimates—a better representation of neighborhood-level estimates. We assessed the associations between 29 neighborhood-level characteristics and COVID-19 incidence using a series of aspatial and spatial models. The variables that maintained significant and positive associations with COVID-19 incidence in our final aspatial model and later represented in a geographically weighted regression model were the percentage of the Black/African American population, percentage of the foreign-born population, area derivation index (ADI), percentage of households with no vehicle, and percentage of people over 65 years old inside each census tract. Conversely, we observed negative and significant association with the percentage employed in education. Notably, the spatial models indicated that the impact of ADI was homogeneous across the study area, but other risk factors varied by neighborhood. The current findings could enhance decision making by local public health officials in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. By understanding factors that drive community transmission, we can better target disease control measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Abiodun O. Oluyomi & Sarah M. Gunter & Lauren M. Leining & Kristy O. Murray & Chris Amos, 2021. "COVID-19 Community Incidence and Associated Neighborhood-Level Characteristics in Houston, Texas, USA," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1495-:d:493722
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1495/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/4/1495/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cameron,A. Colin & Trivedi,Pravin K., 2013. "Regression Analysis of Count Data," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107667273.
    2. Abolfazl Mollalo & Kiara M. Rivera & Behzad Vahedi, 2020. "Artificial Neural Network Modeling of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Incidence Rates across the Continental United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-13, June.
    3. Ivan J. Ramírez & Jieun Lee, 2020. "COVID-19 Emergence and Social and Health Determinants in Colorado: A Rapid Spatial Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-15, May.
    4. Cummins, Steven & Curtis, Sarah & Diez-Roux, Ana V. & Macintyre, Sally, 2007. "Understanding and representing 'place' in health research: A relational approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(9), pages 1825-1838, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Munazza Fatima & Kara J. O’Keefe & Wenjia Wei & Sana Arshad & Oliver Gruebner, 2021. "Geospatial Analysis of COVID-19: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-14, February.
    2. Diane Coffey & Ashwini Deshpande & Jeffrey Hammer & Dean Spears, 2019. "Local Social Inequality, Economic Inequality, and Disparities in Child Height in India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1427-1452, August.
    3. Wang, Xu & Zhang, Xiaobo & Xie, Zhuan & Huang, Yiping, 2016. "Roads to innovation: Firm-level evidence from China:," IFPRI discussion papers 1542, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Preusse, Verena & Wollni, Meike, 2021. "Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices in the context of urbanisation and environmental stress – Evidence from farmers in the rural-urban interface of Bangalore, India," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 312690, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Luiz Paulo Fávero & Joseph F. Hair & Rafael de Freitas Souza & Matheus Albergaria & Talles V. Brugni, 2021. "Zero-Inflated Generalized Linear Mixed Models: A Better Way to Understand Data Relationships," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-28, May.
    6. Bono, Pierre-Henri & David, Quentin & Desbordes, Rodolphe & Py, Loriane, 2022. "Metro infrastructure and metropolitan attractiveness," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    7. Scott, Ryan P. & Scott, Tyler A., 2019. "Investing in collaboration for safety: Assessing grants to states for oil and gas distribution pipeline safety program enhancement," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 332-345.
    8. Mitchell, Richard & Dujardin, Claire & Popham, Frank & Farfan Portet, Maria-Isabel & Thomas, Isabelle & Lorant, Vincent, 2011. "Using matched areas to explore international differences in population health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(8), pages 1113-1122.
    9. Hanibuchi, Tomoya & Murata, Yohei & Ichida, Yukinobu & Hirai, Hiroshi & Kawachi, Ichiro & Kondo, Katsunori, 2012. "Place-specific constructs of social capital and their possible associations to health: A Japanese case study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 225-232.
    10. Riccardo (Jack) Lucchetti & Luca Pedini, 2020. "ParMA: Parallelised Bayesian Model Averaging for Generalised Linear Models," Working Papers 2020:28, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    11. Landry, Craig E. & Shonkwiler, J. Scott & Whitehead, John C., 2020. "Economic Values of Coastal Erosion Management: Joint Estimation of Use and Existence Values with recreation demand and contingent valuation data," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    12. John McLaren & Su Wang, 2020. "Effects of Reduced Workplace Presence on COVID-19 Deaths: An Instrumental-Variables Approach," NBER Working Papers 28275, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Spielman, Seth E. & Yoo, Eun-hye, 2009. "The spatial dimensions of neighborhood effects," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1098-1105, March.
    14. Vásquez-Vera, Hugo & Palència, Laia & Magna, Ingrid & Mena, Carlos & Neira, Jaime & Borrell, Carme, 2017. "The threat of home eviction and its effects on health through the equity lens: A systematic review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 199-208.
    15. Massimiliano Cal� & Sami H. Miaari, 2014. "Trade, employment and conflict: Evidence from the Second Intifada," HiCN Working Papers 186, Households in Conflict Network.
    16. Plane, Jocelyn & Klodawsky, Fran, 2013. "Neighbourhood amenities and health: Examining the significance of a local park," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 1-8.
    17. Kauffmann, Albrecht, 2021. "Befindet sich die "Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland" auf dem Weg zur räumlich integrierten Region? Eine empirische Untersuchung der Berufspendlerverflechtungen," Arbeitsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Rosenfeld, Martin T. W. & Stefansky, Andreas (ed.), "Metropolregion Mitteldeutschland" aus raumwissenschaftlicher Sicht, volume 30, pages 76-95, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    18. Barfield, Ashley & Shonkwiler, J. Scott, 2016. "A Distribution Transition Method for Extreme Responses in Recreation Survey Data," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235670, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    19. Arnold, Michael & Hsu, Ling & Pipkin, Sharon & McFarland, Willi & Rutherford, George W., 2009. "Race, place and AIDS: The role of socioeconomic context on racial disparities in treatment and survival in San Francisco," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 121-128, July.
    20. Ghosh, Prasenjit & Rong, Jian & Khanna, Madhu & Wang, Weiwei & Miao, Ruiqing, 2017. "Have They Gone with the Wind? Indirect Effects of Wind Turbines on Bird Abundance," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258100, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:4:p:1495-:d:493722. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.