Hunger Geography
Methods
Bivariate Attribute Editing, Spatial Joins
Software
ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS StoryMaps, GIMP 2.10, Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc 24.2
Data
2018-2020 Mortality Files (NCHS); Food Environment Atlas (USDA); Living Atlas (ESRI)
year
2024
Methods
1. Data Collection: Sourced multiple datasets and performed necessary data scraping and addressed formatting issues.
2. Integration: Combined multiple datasets using Arcade and SQL expressions, and performing large spatial joins.
3. Layer Creation: Merged datasets to create foundational and analytical feature layer(s).
4. Bivariate Attribute Visualization: Utilized both ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2 and AGOL to visualize spatial data and create relationship and predominance choropleth maps.
5. Hypothesis Formulation: Developed hypotheses based on spatial patterns.
6. Spatial Analysis and Conclusion: Conducted spatial analysis to test hypotheses and draw conclusions.
Process
Initially working with the CDC dataset "Life Expectancy at Birth for U.S. States and Census Tracts, 2010–2015", I aimed to analyze data at a census tract level for finer granularity but faced challenges with FIPS code formatting.
Ultimately, I decided to narrow the scope of this project to a dataset "National Center for Health Statistics Mortality files (2018-2020)" analyzing different factors on a county level instead. Leveraging SQL expressions and merging datasets from the US Census, USDA, and the National Center for Health Statistics, I created a comprehensive feature layer for this analysis. This layer facilitated spatial joins with the life expectancy and socioeconomic datasets, enabling in-depth examinations.
Results
Through various layers, such as those highlighting extremes in life expectancy, income disparities, and food access, I crafted a detailed analysis showcased in an Arc StoryMap presentation.
Conclusion
The analysis shows a clear pattern of places with few transportation choices and few food options that are linked to lower life expectancy. As a way to improve health and food access, this shows how important it is to have laws that take into account transportation facilities as a whole.
