Assingments % - Analyzing Lead Exposure and Health Impacts: A Biostatistical Approach to Environmental Justice in El Paso

Goal of the Project:
To describe and demonstrate the use of statistics in addressing environmental justice issues related to the reopening of the El Paso smelter and present findings in an empirical research manuscript as well as oral presentation.
Brief Description:
You are presented with a public health (Social Justice) issue and expected to use Biostatistics as a tool to provide recommendations on potential solutions. You will demonstrate the three core competencies of the course: Analyze the provided data, interpret the results of the analysis and communicate your findings.
Instructions:
1. Read the pdf document titled “Steps-Of-Data-Analysis…”
2. Read the El Paso Case study
3. Study the El Paso Codebook to ensure that you understand the El Paso Data
4. Answer the questions below.
Create a summary table describing the sample. Include summary measures for demographic (Race, gender, age, education, etc that is available in the data), exposure, symptom data, IQ and finger tap. Stratify your table by whether the children had blood lead levels less than 40 µg/100ml or blood lead levels between 40 to 68 µg/100ml.The summary table template provided is only an example. You encouraged to think critically and be
creative in summarizing the data (use variety of methods)
Introduction must include:
Background/Historical foundation/rational and Research question (RQ) or Objective/purpose, hypothesis… Comprehensive
literature review. Includes current and landmark literature highly
relevant to the topic and establishes gaps in the literature that
warrant the current investigation.RQ/objective or hypothesis clearly stated & appropriately worded, identifying key variables (PICO); Well conceptualized

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

Guide to Creating Your Biostatistics Research Manuscript on Environmental Justice and the El Paso Smelter Case Study

1. Understand the Project Goal and Overview

The goal of this project is to use Biostatistics as a tool to address environmental justice issues concerning the reopening of the El Paso smelter. You will need to:

Analyze the provided data
Interpret the results of the analysis
Communicate your findings both in a written empirical research manuscript and through an oral presentation

2. Understand the Instructions

Start by thoroughly reviewing the materials provided:

“Steps of Data Analysis” PDF: Follow the instructions in this document to guide your analysis.
El Paso Case Study: This will give you a detailed overview of the public health/social justice issue you’re analyzing.
El Paso Codebook: It’s essential to understand the data. The codebook will help clarify the meaning of each variable and measurement in the dataset.

3. Creating the Summary Table

The assignment asks you to create a summary table that describes the sample. This table should include summary measures for the following:

Demographic variables: Race, gender, age, education level, etc.
Exposure: Blood lead levels
Symptoms: Relevant health symptoms linked to lead exposure
IQ: Measure of intellectual functioning
Finger Tap Test: Used to assess motor skills and potentially correlate with lead exposure
Stratification: Split the table by blood lead levels, separating children with:
- Blood lead levels < 40 µg/100ml
- Blood lead levels between 40-68 µg/100ml

You are encouraged to think critically about the data and creatively present it, using various summary methods (e.g., mean, median, mode, standard deviation, percentages).

4. Writing the Introduction

Background: Begin by providing a brief background of the El Paso smelter and its potential impact on public health, especially in relation to children’s exposure to lead. Discuss the historical context of the smelter, its reopening, and previous environmental justice concerns tied to it.
Research Question (RQ): Clearly state the research question that your study aims to answer. For example: “What is the relationship between blood lead levels in children and their health outcomes (e.g., IQ, symptoms, motor skills) in the vicinity of the El Paso smelter?”
Objective/Purpose: State the objective of the research, which could be to assess the impact of lead exposure on children’s health in the community and to propose potential interventions or policies.
Hypothesis: Formulate a hypothesis based on the literature review and the data. For example, “Children with higher blood lead levels (40-68 µg/100ml) will show more significant cognitive and motor function impairments compared to those with lower blood lead levels.”
Literature Review: Review current and landmark literature on lead exposure, its effects on children’s health (e.g., IQ, motor function), and environmental justice. Identify gaps in the literature that your investigation will address, such as limited data on the specific impact of smelter-related lead exposure in El Paso.

5. Data Analysis and Interpretation

Analysis: Using Biostatistics, analyze the data to identify patterns or trends. This may involve calculating summary statistics, such as means, medians, and standard deviations, for demographic variables and health outcomes based on blood lead levels.
Interpretation: Draw conclusions from the data analysis. For example, discuss how blood lead levels correlate with specific health symptoms (e.g., lower IQ, poorer motor function) and whether there are significant differences between the two groups (children with blood lead levels < 40 µg/100ml vs. 40-68 µg/100ml).

6. Communicating Your Findings

In the empirical research manuscript, organize your findings into clearly defined sections:

Introduction: Provide the background, RQ, objectives, and hypothesis.
Literature Review: Discuss relevant literature and identify gaps your study will fill.
Methods: Outline how you analyzed the data (statistical methods, software used, etc.).
Results: Present the findings from the summary table and any statistical tests you ran (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA).
Discussion: Interpret the results and provide recommendations. Discuss the limitations of your study and the implications for environmental justice policy in El Paso.
Conclusion: Summarize the key takeaways from the study and propose next steps for addressing the issues identified.

7. Oral Presentation

Prepare an oral presentation summarizing your research, following the structure of your manuscript. Be sure to:

Clearly explain the background and significance of the issue.
Discuss your methodology and key findings.
Present your recommendations for policy or action based on the data analysis.

8. Final Steps

Review your manuscript and presentation for clarity, coherence, and completeness.
Make sure to properly cite all sources using the appropriate citation style (likely APA).
Submit your manuscript and presentation according to your instructor’s requirements.