An Environmental Health Survey and Analysis
of Texas and Mexico Border Regions

Dr. R.J. Dutton, TDH, Austin, TX
Dr. Craing Blakely, PPRI, College Station, TX
Dr. Raghavan Srinivasan, TAES, Temple, TX

Cooperators:

Texas Department of Health
Austin, Texas

Public Policy Research Institute
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas

Blackland Research Center
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station
Temple, Texas

Period:

February 1996 - October 1997

Budget:

?????????

For a detailed description of the project.

Objectives . Methodology . Results

Comments:

Please send your comments/questions by email to Srini.

Objectives:

• To conduct a survey along the Texas-Mexico border to collect data for the assessment, evaluation, and development of active health surveillance and policy.

• To design and develop a Geographic Information System database for the border counties of Texas to support the border survey as well as future border projects.

Methodology:

The Texas Department of Health (TDH) will conduct a survey along the Texas-Mexico border to collect demographic, environmental, and health data. This survey will assess the environmental and health issues and will provide critical information for assessment, evaluation, and development of active health surveillance and policy in this region.

The Office of the Border Health (OBH) will lead a coordinated health effort among binational, local, state, and federal agencies. It is imperative that this pertinent information be made available to participating and concerned agencies. Program design will provide necessary data to appropriate agencies, and will ensure appropriate access among the participants.

The Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) will provide technical support for this survey consisting of all but actual field research. PPRI will provide design, instrument finalization and testing, sampling, monitoring field work (including telephone verification of completed interviews), coding and data entry, and preparation of SPSS, SAS, or other required files. PPRI will also produce a report that fullly exploits the survey data.

The Blackland Research Center (BRC) will design and develop a GIS database for the six most populous border counties of Texas including environmental data and available health data. These counties include El Paso, Val Verde, Maverick, Webb, Hidalgo, and Cameron. This user-friendly data analysis sytem will not only perform basic statistical and arithmetic operations, but will perform basic logical operations on retrieved data. BRC will customize the databases for public and secured accessibility. BRC will provide for the installation of data and training of TDH personnel in system usage. It will also assist TDH in the organization and presentation to appropriate audience.

Results:

Project is ongoing.