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Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on May 15, 2009
Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdp041
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© The Author 2009, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved

Residential Anonymous Linking Fields (RALFs): a novel information infrastructure to study the interaction between the environment and individuals' health


Sarah E. Rodgers, Lecturer in Epidemiology1
Ronan A. Lyons, Professor of Public Health1
Rohan Dsilva, Software Manager1
Kerina H. Jones, Research Development Fellow1
Caroline J. Brooks, Senior Data Analyst1
David V. Ford, Co-Director of Health Information Research Unit1
Gareth John, Head of Information Product Unit2
Jean-Philippe Verplancke, Technical Manager1

1 Centre for Health Information Research and Evaluation, School of Medicine, Grove Building, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
2 Health Solutions Wales, 12th Floor, Brunel House, 2 Fitzalan Place, Cardiff CF24 0HA, UK


Address correspondence to Sarah E. Rodgers, E-mail: s.e.rodgers{at}swansea.ac.uk


  Abstract

Background The necessity of aggregating health data over areas can impede our understanding of health determinants.

Objective and method We demonstrate the possibility of creating anonymous links between individual residences and the local environment using digital map data and a data linkage system.

Results Digital map data were used successfully to anonymously link 1.3 million addresses to the local environment. The data linkage system allows detailed environment data surrounding each residence to be linked both to each resident therein and to their medical records.

Conclusions Local environment data specific to each house can be effectively and anonymously linked to the population registered with the National Health Service. Our integrated approach potentially enables flexible fine-scale, large-area observational studies of communities and health.

Keywords: epidemiology, environment, public health


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