Funded Program:
National Environmental Public Health Tracking - Network Implementation
Program Announcement # EH06-601

Program Description:
The New Hampshire Environmental Health Tracking Program (NH EPHT) is undertaking an innovative effort to build an Environmental Health Data Integration Network. This network will incorporate environmental and public health data for environmental public health tracking (EPHT). EPHT activities have already improved—or are expected to improve—public health in New Hampshire. EPHT activities include the following:

• Identifying the true incidence of asthma hospital encounters, NH EPHT data analysts accessed and combined hospital discharge records for inpatient, outpatient, and observation beds. The resulting data set better identifies groups of people who are at-risk for asthma hospitalizations by location and provides an accurate and powerful health analysis variable.
• Tracking staff geocoded more than 7,000 birth records from Manchester, NH for the period 1999–2004 and standardized spatial analysis methods for the state health department. In future research, the Tracking Program will measure environmental impact on birth outcomes throughout the state while controlling for socioeconomics and prenatal care.

The NH EPHT has developed the following content areas for inclusion on the state network:

• Asthma and heart attack,
• Cancer,
• Childhood blood lead levels
• Birth defects,
• Air quality,
• Drinking water contaminants, and
• Vital statistics.

Additional content areas developed by the NH Tracking Program for the Network include

• Radon exposure in homes, and
• Climate and weather.