A tale of two ZIP codes
Memphis is a renowned, multifaceted gem of the Midsouth that tells its story through the cultural outpouring of diverse attractions like the , (the birthplace of rock ’n’ roll, where musical legend B.B. King was discovered) and world-class barbecue. Memphis is also home to some of the worst inequity in the U.S.
April is , a time to reflect on the importance of closing racial and ethnic gaps in health disparities and consider actionable goals that can improve the quality of life across our communities.
Disparities in access to healthcare or in outcomes for different health conditions are important topics that receive substantial attention. But what comes before healthcare? Basic needs that are the right of all humans: food and air.
Disparities in access to clean air and fresh food are major predictors of the prevalence of so-called diseases of poverty (i.e., obesity, diabetes and hypertension). The lack of access to fresh food and clear air precipitates a domino effect in the predisposition to more fatal illnesses, such as cancer, stroke or compromised ability to fight infection. Although there are genetic causes to these illnesses, much of the pathology is triggered by behavior and poverty.
My origin motivates me to understand better the variances in lived experience between the privileged and the needy.
I think of my mom — a Honduran immigrant who came to this country for opportunity, struggled as a young mother, and is now an executive who teams with my dad to put on the largest back-to-school event in the state of Florida, which provides medical screening, school supplies, backpacks and other essentials at no cost to those in need.
Lessons from my mother have inspired my own community involvement in every place I’ve lived, most recently as a founding member of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Black Employees and Allies Resource Group. My mom taught me you don’t have to belong to a particular group to recognize or act on a need.
I came to Memphis to advance my scientific training at a premier research institution, and now, as a father of two, my motivation has intensified to improve our society for the next generation.
I reflect on the poor air quality and unhealthy food many children consume at school, and improving these aspects of daily life would be an important step toward improving our society. My hope is that shedding light on the situation can stimulate action here and beyond.
As a contributor to 91亚色传媒 Today and writing for such an important purpose, I found someone to engage in conversation about Memphis, and the conversation went from local to global.
Local experiences, global application
is an infectious diseases expert and the director of the Infectious Diseases Program of St. Jude Global, an ambitious initiative to enhance the global quality of pediatric care by providing access to better therapies and improving the standard of care.
During her master’s of public health training at the University of Memphis, Caniza studied health and environmental contamination across Memphis ZIP codes and now travels all over the world to train and equip healthcare providers in mostly developing nations.
“Memphis is an incubator, a lab for the world, because there is so much disparity in Memphis,” Caniza told me. “Although markers of environmental contamination can be correlated with diseases of poverty, access to fresh water, fresh food and clean air have profound impacts on health. Thinking about Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil, they are such beautiful countries with so many resources, but big companies have come in, misused the land, killed the biodiversity, and the overall health of the people has suffered.”
Speaking with Caniza inspired me to investigate further what is going on in my community as it relates to differences in health outcomes, disparities in access to healthy food, and disparities in air quality across ZIP codes.
Proximity in location, distance in air quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency performs a triennial review called that provides ambient measurements of 180-plus air toxics, identifies emission sources and correlates this data with health risks such as respiratory illness.
is a market data analysis firm that analyzes NATA and other data to provide interpretable and reliable analysis down to the ZIP code level.
Using the NATA data, SBP created an air-quality index where 100 is the best air quality in the U.S., and the average ZIP code scores a 58.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the premiere pediatric treatment and research facility in the United States, employs some of the world’s top minds and is intrinsic to Memphis’ identity. St. Jude also is located in one of Tennessee’s most impoverished ZIP codes: 38105.
scores a 22 on the air-quality index and has more than double the risk for respiratory illness of the state of Tennessee or the U.S. overall.
According to SBP, the 38105 population of 6,449 residents is 10.5% white, 78.6% Black and 5.5% Hispanic. It has a median household income of $17,192.
A 30-minute drive east takes you to ZIP code , where SBP reports an air quality index of 56, half the risk for respiratory illness of 38105. 38139 has a median household income of $53,482 and a population that is 86.1% white, 1.8% Black and 4.2% Hispanic.
These data show the demographic of people exposed to the highest levels of environmental contamination in Memphis.
ZIP code effect on survival
ZIP codes 38105 and 38139 are in Shelby County, and according to , the annual age-adjusted mortality rate in the county from chronic lower respiratory disease is 39.6. This rate rises to 54.2 for the downtown Memphis area and falls to 27.2 in a more affluent area.