Small-area morbidity risks associated to environmental stressors
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Small-area analysis of morbidity risks associated to environmental stressors
IRAS ID
273928
Contact name
Antonio Gasparrini
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Several environmental exposures, such as air pollutants, heat and cold temperature, and pollens are established risk factors for human health. However, several limitations still exist. First, epidemiological studies on environmental stressors have mainly focused on mortality, while milder health outcomes have received less attention. Second, analyses have used data aggregated over large areas and within limited study periods, preventing the analysis of the substantial geographical and temporal variation in risks. Third, and more importantly, little is known about vulnerability factors responsible for differential risks within and between populations. This project aims to characterise the morbidity risk associated with environmental stressors at small-area geographical scale across England. The analysis will make use of state-of-the-art epidemiological designs and statistical methods to analyse and combine data from multiple sources, including nation-wide databases on hospital episodes statistics, small-area administrative data, and high-resolution environmental measurements reconstructed from multiple sources, including spatio-temporal models and remote sensing satellite measurements. The project will offer a detailed picture of current and future morbidity risks associated to environmental stressor in England, extending our knowledge of underlying causal mechanisms and providing critical information for the definition and implementation of integrated public health policies.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
21/LO/0377
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jun 2021
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion