Project Team
Students
Elijah Akinade
Biobehavioral Health
Penn State Greater Allegheny
Sidney Przybylski
Energy Engineering
Penn State Greater Allegheny
Faculty Mentors
Louisa Holmes
Penn State University Park
Geography
Melissa Bopp
Penn State University Park
Kinesiology
Mallika Bose
Penn State University Park
Landscape Architecture
Project
https://sites.psu.edu/mcreu/files/formidable/2/MC-REU-Maps-and-References-.pdf
Project Video
Project Abstract
An individual’s health depends not only on their characteristics but on the health and health-promoting aspects of one’s local environment. In this project, we focused upon the factors within the Monongahela Valley (Mon Valley) local environment in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, that may affect community health. Factors such as disability, unemployment, college degree, median income influence the community health and are represented through the life expectancy and health development within the community. We created a demographic profile of the Mon Valley residents, which included the percent of high school graduates and percent of poverty. Additionally, we obtained health effects through the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool. We collected Census data between 2015 to 2019 about the Mon Valley region to explore the correlation between environmental factors and health. We placed this data into the ArcGIS software to create a choropleth map. Through the maps and environmental indicators, the effect of the environment on public health becomes evident and provides direction to improve the Mon Valley region’s environment. By evaluating the impact of these factors, we plan on increasing advocacy and improvement for the Mon Valley communities that will benefit the health of individuals within these communities.
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