Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/747438
Challenge The geographic location where children and adolescents spend their time plays a significant role in whether or not they will eat healthy food, get enough exercise, be exposed to pollutants or susceptible to injury. Where children live can also affect accessibility to health services and natural environments which may increase vulnerability to chronic illness or mental health issues. A small amount of Canadian research exists on this subject, and there lacks a clear understanding of the effects of social and environmental factors on children's health. Though studies have been conducted on a global scale, more work is required at the community level. For example, exploring the impact of built environments on neighbourhood walkability, air quality and access to parks, schools or hospitals. Recognizing this challenge, a study was commissioned by the Children's Health Foundation and funded by the Green Shield Canada Foundation that would seek to develop a platform for in-depth research on children's health and its connection with geography. Tasked with leading the project, Dr. Gilliland and his multidisciplinary research team would need to leverage robust technology to collect, integrate and visualize vast amounts of health, socioeconomic and environmental datasets. Advanced functionality would also be required to identify, analyze and map spatial trends over large geographic areas. Ground-breaking atlas adds geographic context to the study of children's health Children's health issues are on the rise in Canada: almost 1/3 of children are currently overweight or obese, while cases of asthma, injury and mental health issues continue to climb. In exploring these trends, researchers are beginning to place greater emphasis on the role of geography. Dr. Jason Gilliland, a professor with Western University and a scientist with the Children's Health Research Institute used GIS to map out the social and environmental factors that are affecting children's health in Southwestern Ontario. The results were compiled into a 400+ page atlas that will be used as a foundation to build healthier communities. 1 Esri Canada | Putting children's health on the map with GIS