GIS technology in public health monitors which type of epidemiological data?

• A. Maps water quality measures in sensitive ecosystems
• B. Daily step counts of individuals
• C. Blood glucose levels in a single patient
• D. Household pet ownership statistics

Answer: (A)

Spatial data and geographic patterns are at the heart of GIS in public health. GIS is used to map where health events occur and how environmental factors relate to those events across different places, helping identify clusters, exposures, and trends over space and time.

Water quality measures in sensitive ecosystems fit this approach because they are environmental data that vary by location and can be linked to populations and health outcomes in those areas. Mapping these measures allows public health professionals to see where exposures might be higher and how they might influence health risks in nearby communities.

Other options describe data that aren’t primarily about geographic patterns of health outcomes. Daily step counts are individual activity data and don’t inherently reveal population-level disease patterns. Blood glucose levels in a single patient are individual clinical data, not population-focused epidemiology. Household pet ownership statistics relate to demographics or animals rather than human health events mapped across space.