Interfacing US Census map files with statistical graphics software: Application and use in epidemiology

Conference · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1993

OSTI ID:6524251

Rizzardi, M; Mohr, M S; Merrill, D W; Selvin, S ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States) California Univ., Berkeley, CA (United States). School of Public Health

In 1990, the United States Bureau of the Census released detailed geographic map files known as TIGER/Line (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing). The TIGER files, accessible through purchase or Federal repository libraries, contain 24 billion characters of data describing various geographic features including coastlines, hydrography, transportation networks, political boundaries, etc. covering the entire United States. Many of these physical features are of potential interest in epidemiological case studies. Unfortunately, the TIGER database only provides raw alphanumeric data; no utility software, graphical or otherwise, is included. Recently, the S statistical software package has been extended to include a map display function. The map function augments S's high-level approach toward statistical analysis and graphical display of data. Coupling this statistical software with the map database developed for US Census data collection will facilitate epidemiological research. We discuss the technical background necessary to utilize the TIGER database for mapping with S. Two types of S maps, segment-based and polygon-based, are discussed along with methods to construct them from TIGER data. Polygon-based maps are useful for displaying regional statistical data; e.g., disease rates or incidence at the census tract level. Segment-based maps are easier to assemble and appropriate if the data are not regionalized. Census tract data of AIDS incidence in San Francisco (CA) and lung cancer case locations relative to petrochemical refinery sites in Contra Costa County (CA) are used to illustrate the methods and potential uses of interfacing the TIGER database with S.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6524251
• Report Number(s): LBL-32641-Rev.1; CONF-9207201--1-Rev.1; ON: DE93013911
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550600* -- Medicine
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990200 -- Mathematics & Computers
AIDS
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DISEASES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
GEOGRAPHY
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
MAPPING
MATHEMATICS
NORTH AMERICA
S CODES
STATISTICS
T CODES
USA
VIRAL DISEASES