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Background: Over 8,000 cases of Chlamydia are reported annually among females aged 10-19 in New York State (NYS), excluding New York City (NYC). If untreated, Chlamydia infection may result in serious health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Objectives: Create a spatial representation of Chlamydia by school district and determine geographic patterns of morbidity for surveillance, needs assessment and monitoring of existing interventions.
Methods: Chlamydia standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated by school district using age and sex specific Chlamydia rates from NYS surveillance data for 2006-2007. The calculated SIR was smoothed prior to mapping with an algorithm that uses information from the 4 nearest areas to stabilize SIRs in sparsely populated districts. As a secondary analysis, School Based Health Centers were overlaid on the maps.
Results: Of over 700 school districts in NYS (excluding NYC), 344 districts had at least 6 Chlamydia cases reported among females age 10-19 years. Fifty-five (29.1%) districts had an SIR of 2.00 or greater, indicating at least twice as many observed cases of Chlamydia as expected. Regional maps have been included in a data brief that will be shared with key stakeholders.
Conclusions: The spatial representation of Chlamydia in school districts can provide important information for School Boards who have the potential to be key community partners working alongside other stakeholders to address STD rates in adolescents in their districts. It also helps identify opportunities for targeted screening programs.
Implications for Programs, Policy, and/or Research: Adolescent females infected with Chlamydia are proxies for enrolled students of the same age. STD programs can use mapping tools to share surveillance data in visual formats using units of analysis that have meaning to specific constituencies involved in local decision-making.