Geocoding precision of birth records from 2008 to 2017 in Kentucky, USA

Courtney J. Walker; Steven R. Browning; Jeffrey E. Levy; W. Jay Christian

doi:10.4081/gh.2022.1020

Geocoding precision of birth records from 2008 to 2017 in Kentucky, USA

Courtney J. Walker, Steven R. Browning, Jeffrey E. Levy, W. Jay Christian

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Maternal address information captured on birth records is increasingly used to estimate residential environmental exposures during pregnancy. However, there has been limited assessment of the geocoding precision of birth records, particularly since the adoption of the 2003 standard birth certificate in 2015. To address this gap, this study evaluated the geocoding precision of live and stillbirth records of Kentucky residents over ten years, from 2008 through 2017. This study summarized the demographic characteristics of imprecisely geocoded records and, using a bivariate logistic regression, identified covariates associated with poor geocoding precision among three population density designations-metro, non-metro, and rural. We found that in metro areas, after adjusting for area deprivation, education, and the race, age and education of both parents, records for Black mothers had 48% lower odds of imprecise geocoding (aOR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.56), while Black women in rural areas had 96% higher odds of imprecise geocoding (aOr=1.96, 95% CI: 1.68, 2.28). This study also found that over the study period, rural and non-metro areas began with a high proportion of imprecisely geocoded records (38% in rural areas, 19% in non-metro), but both experienced an 8% decline in imprecisely geocoded records over the study period (aOr=0.92, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.94). This study shows that, while geocoding precision has improved in Kentucky, further work is needed to improve geocoding in rural areas and address racial and ethnic disparities. r.

Original language	English
Article number	1020
Journal	Geospatial health
Volume	17
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4081/gh.2022.1020
State	Published - Jun 5 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© the Author(s), 2022.

Funding

Funding sources: this manuscript was supported in part by the Education Research Center (ERC) through Grant 6U54OH007547 and by Berea College through the Olive Ruth Russel Fellowship. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIOSH/CDC or Berea College. The authors would like to thank Dr. John Barton for his feedback on this manuscript and the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics and the Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center for their support of this project. Funding sources: this manuscript was supported in part by the Education Research Center (ERC) through Grant 6U54OH007547 and by Berea College through the Olive Ruth Russel Fellowship. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIOSH/CDC or Berea College.

Funders	Funder number
Berea College
NIOSH Education and Research Center	6U54OH007547
Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Keywords

Geocode
Kentucky
USA
birth
logistic regression
ruralurban continuum codes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Medicine (miscellaneous)
Health(social science)
Geography, Planning and Development
Health Policy

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.4081/gh.2022.1020

Cite this

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title = "Geocoding precision of birth records from 2008 to 2017 in Kentucky, USA",

abstract = "Maternal address information captured on birth records is increasingly used to estimate residential environmental exposures during pregnancy. However, there has been limited assessment of the geocoding precision of birth records, particularly since the adoption of the 2003 standard birth certificate in 2015. To address this gap, this study evaluated the geocoding precision of live and stillbirth records of Kentucky residents over ten years, from 2008 through 2017. This study summarized the demographic characteristics of imprecisely geocoded records and, using a bivariate logistic regression, identified covariates associated with poor geocoding precision among three population density designations-metro, non-metro, and rural. We found that in metro areas, after adjusting for area deprivation, education, and the race, age and education of both parents, records for Black mothers had 48\% lower odds of imprecise geocoding (aOR=0.52, 95\% CI: 0.48, 0.56), while Black women in rural areas had 96\% higher odds of imprecise geocoding (aOr=1.96, 95\% CI: 1.68, 2.28). This study also found that over the study period, rural and non-metro areas began with a high proportion of imprecisely geocoded records (38\% in rural areas, 19\% in non-metro), but both experienced an 8\% decline in imprecisely geocoded records over the study period (aOr=0.92, 95\% CI: 0.92, 0.94). This study shows that, while geocoding precision has improved in Kentucky, further work is needed to improve geocoding in rural areas and address racial and ethnic disparities. r.",

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N1 - Publisher Copyright: © the Author(s), 2022.

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AB - Maternal address information captured on birth records is increasingly used to estimate residential environmental exposures during pregnancy. However, there has been limited assessment of the geocoding precision of birth records, particularly since the adoption of the 2003 standard birth certificate in 2015. To address this gap, this study evaluated the geocoding precision of live and stillbirth records of Kentucky residents over ten years, from 2008 through 2017. This study summarized the demographic characteristics of imprecisely geocoded records and, using a bivariate logistic regression, identified covariates associated with poor geocoding precision among three population density designations-metro, non-metro, and rural. We found that in metro areas, after adjusting for area deprivation, education, and the race, age and education of both parents, records for Black mothers had 48% lower odds of imprecise geocoding (aOR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.56), while Black women in rural areas had 96% higher odds of imprecise geocoding (aOr=1.96, 95% CI: 1.68, 2.28). This study also found that over the study period, rural and non-metro areas began with a high proportion of imprecisely geocoded records (38% in rural areas, 19% in non-metro), but both experienced an 8% decline in imprecisely geocoded records over the study period (aOr=0.92, 95% CI: 0.92, 0.94). This study shows that, while geocoding precision has improved in Kentucky, further work is needed to improve geocoding in rural areas and address racial and ethnic disparities. r.

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KW - logistic regression

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Geocoding precision of birth records from 2008 to 2017 in Kentucky, USA

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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