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Dissertation_Dong_11-19-2021_Final.pdf (5.48 MB)

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Geospatial Approaches to Social Determinants of Cancer Outcomes

Dong, Weichuan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3981-658X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1637326684344805

Abstract Details

2021, PHD, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Geography.
Cancer epidemiology has a long history of applying geographic thinking to address long-standing place-based disparities. This dissertation adds new knowledge to geospatial approaches to social determinants of cancer outcomes. It establishes a framework consisting of three dimensions in evaluating, identifying, and prioritizing spatially heterogeneous risk factors of cancer outcomes. The first dimension is protection. Using a space-time statistic, the first study evaluated whether a non-spatial healthcare policy, Medicaid expansion, has offered protection targeting spatially vulnerable populations against adverse cancer outcomes such as breast cancer late-stage diagnosis. The second dimension is phenotype. Using a classification and regression tree, the study disentangled how risk factors of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis were conceptualized and capsulized as phenotypes that labeled groups of homogenous geographic areas. It provides a novel angle to uncover cancer disparities and to provide insights for cancer surveillance, prevention, and control. The third dimension is priority. Using a geographic random forest along with several validation methods, the study emphasized the importance of the competing effect among risk factors of cancer mortality that are specific to geographic areas. The findings from this study can be used directly for priority settings in addressing the most urgent issues associated with cancer mortality. This dissertation demonstrated that geographic methodologies and frameworks are useful and are imperative to cancer epidemiology.
Jay Lee (Committee Chair)
Jun Li (Committee Member)
James Tyner (Committee Member)
Xinyue Ye (Committee Member)
101 p.
Epidemiology; Geographic Information Science; Geography; Health; Health Care; Health Care Management; Oncology; Public Health; Public Policy; Statistics
geography; geographic information science; geographic information systems; social determinants of health; machine learning; spatial statistics; spatial epidemiology; breast cancer; late-stage cancer; classification and regression tree; random forest; geographic random forest; space-time scan statistic; SaTScan; Medicaid expansion; health disparity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Dong, W. (2021). Geospatial Approaches to Social Determinants of Cancer Outcomes [Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1637326684344805

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Dong, Weichuan. Geospatial Approaches to Social Determinants of Cancer Outcomes. 2021. Kent State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1637326684344805.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Dong, Weichuan. "Geospatial Approaches to Social Determinants of Cancer Outcomes." Doctoral dissertation, Kent State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1637326684344805

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1637326684344805
494
© 2021, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.