Assembling data for use of the ITHIM (integrated transport and health impact modeling) tool for Houston, Texas
Abstract
Houston, Texas is implementing changes to the built environment in the forms of new rail lines and shared use pathways. The use of these new systems can improve public health via the benefit of transport-related physical activity, or active transport. These outcomes can be measured using modeling tools such as the Integrated Transport and Health Impact Model (ITHIM). ITHIM models population-level changes of chronic disease burden using secondary data sets tied to the geographical region of interest. We assembled an ITHIM iteration for Houston and documented the process and assembly results. Through this calibration we uncovered the limitations of the Houston model and challenges facing future versions such as acquiring key data and management of data that may or may not meet the requirements set by ITHIM developers. We concluded that our federal data were easy to use and attain, but recommend setting aside significant time to acquire and manage local and state data and establish contacts at partner agencies.
Subject Area
Public health
Recommended Citation
Bounds, Gregory W, "Assembling data for use of the ITHIM (integrated transport and health impact modeling) tool for Houston, Texas" (2016). Texas Medical Center Dissertations (via ProQuest). AAI10182186.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/dissertations/AAI10182186