Establishing population health data in Flint: A response to a community based needs and assets assessment

Background: The Flint Center for Health Equity Solutions’ Needs and Assets assessment (NAA) identified the need for a comprehensive public health data resource in Flint. The NAA highlighted that current local public health datasets are lacking in terms of their methodological rigor and/or their comprehensive coverage of public health issues. As a response, the Flint Area Study’s (FASt) first wave is underway. The FASt is a longitudinal inter/multi-generational cohort study designed to assess environmental exposures and elucidate their long-term effects on Flint residents. Methods: The FASt uses a random probability sample and has three assessment phases. Phase 1 involved compiling a list of 400 inhabited households from random block-faces and collecting qualitative data on Flint neighborhoods. Phase 2 involved using the NIfETy Method to assess social- and physical-environmental conditions at the Phase 1 households. Phase 3 will consist of residential surveys that measure for physical/behavioral health, multi-level social dynamics, and biological specimen
collection every three years. Results: Results from Phase 1 show that one-third of the assessed block-faces contained fewer than two inhabited households. Results from Phase 2 show geographical clustering of evidence of potentially protective environmental factors, levels of physical disorder and levels of social-environmental risk (including aggression, signs of violence and presence of alcohol and other drugs). Phase 3 is underway. Conclusions: FASt Phases 1 and 2 identified locations for targeted environmental intervention. Once combined with individual health outcome and biological data from Phase 3, the comprehensive FASt dataset will provide valuable information about unmet health needs.