Say Yes to GIS: Spatial Analysis in a Health and Inequality Curriculum
Social Epidemiology looks at how political, economic, and social factors create particular patterns of disease. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) lets you view and analyze data spatially on a map. In this presentation, we will share what we learned during two semesters of incorporating GIS into a 200 level Social Epidemiology course at Haverford College. Overall, we found that, despite a significant learning curve, challenges finding and using good data, and considerations adjusting the curriculum to incorporate GIS, GIS offered unique benefits for understanding the relationship between health disparities and various political, economic, and social factors.
