Primary Submission Category: Environmental factors
Ripple Effects: Association between Race/Ethnic Composition, Water Contaminants, and Chronic Disease Prevalence Across Census Tracts in Lake County, IL
Authors: Amanda Simanek, Ali Panahikarvand, Namhee Kim,
Presenting Author: Amanda Simanek*
Areas of race/ethnic spatial segregation are often characterized by greater levels of environmental hazards which may increase risk for chronic disease among racially minoritized groups. Understanding of the role of water contaminants in explaining race/ethnic inequities in health at the area-level remains, however, limited. This study examined associations between race/ethnic composition, levels of 13 water contaminants, and prevalence of 21 chronic health outcomes at the census tract-level in Lake County, IL. Data on race/ethnic composition (% non-Hispanic White (NHW)) and other covariates (% 65 and older and median household income) were from the U.S. census. Levels of 13 contaminants from Illinois Environmental Protection Agency water distribution system testing (2020-2021) were geocoded and averaged in each tract with available data. Prevalence of 21 health outcomes at the census-tract level were from CDC PLACES (2021). Spatial regression models were used to examine associations between %NHW, contaminant levels, and prevalence of health outcomes at the census tract-level, with false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment based on the Benjamini-Hochberg method. There were positive associations between %NHW and prevalence of cervical cancer, arthritis, any cancer, and depression, but inverse associations with diabetes, kidney disease, teeth loss, vision problems, cognitive disability, overall disability, and poor overall health as well as copper at the census tract-level, but not with any contaminants after FDR adjustment. Trichloroacetic acid, total trihalomethanes, and chloroform levels were also associated with prevalence of several health outcomes at the census tract level. While findings suggest contaminant levels measured in this study do not explain race/ethnic inequities in prevalence of chronic disease observed at the census tract level, further monitoring of water quality and assessment of the effect of contaminants on health in Lake County, IL is warranted.