[세미나] 유은혜 교수

Geospatial approaches to enhance environmental health science: Heat, air pollution, green space, and mental health

유은혜 교수

2023년 3월 28일 (화) 16:00

과학관 B102호

Abstract

A growing number of studies suggest that exposure to extreme heat and air pollution and the absence of greenspace are positively associated with mental disorders and the prevalence of these disorders may be increasing under climate change. However, our understanding of how and to what extent environmental exposures affect mental health outcomes is limited. The proposed research aimed to increase our understanding of the environmental influences on mental health by examining the associations between air pollutants and extreme heat with mental disorders, as well as the nature of social and geographic disparities. We achieved these goals by conducting retrospective studies across subpopulations, communities, and individuals. We used historical records of daily emergency department visits for mental disorders combined with spatially and temporally resolved environmental exposure estimates (i.e., daily temperature and air pollutants on 1 x 1 km2 grids imposed on the study region). We will also assess residence-based greenspace exposure using both satellite data and geospatial data (e.g., public parks, natural reserves) via objective metrics. We investigated the associations between exposures to heat and air pollution on mental health outcomes and identify vulnerable subgroups. We also determined the role of environmental exposures in geographic and socioeconomic disparities in poor mental health at the community level.