Abstract C078: Optimizing exposure science to understand disparities: the Bayview Hunters Point residential history study
Authors: Okorie Chinomnso , Adofo Dalila , Bennett Michael , Oh Debora , Joseph Galen , Gomez Scarlett , Rhoads Kim F. 
Published: September 2024

Background: Understanding environmental impacts on local cancer burden requires accurate documentation of residential histories. Collection of residential history data is challenging because individuals may have difficulty recalling addresses over decades, or the detailed dates living at each location. In addition, some communities may have different concepts of where they live versus their home address. Recently, Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data was linked to LexisNexis longitudinal residential history database, which could address some of these challenges. As part of a larger effort to understand the impact of environmental exposures in Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP), we compared the oral residential histories against commercially available data found in LN. We hypothesized that for communities with limited financial mobility, who live in multi-generational households or have diverse definitions of “home,” commercially available data sets may fail to capture accurate residential histories and has implications for studying environmental exposures and cancer. Methods: After institutional IRB approval, community advocates helped identify long term (&gt;20 years) BVHP residents. Group interviews, including a friend/family member to support detailed recall of residential history, were conducted. Interviews elicited residential histories (RH) with addresses and concepts of ‘home.’ Participant-reported RH were compared against records in LexisNexis (LN). We used three levels of identifiers to locate participant records: 1. Name and Date of Birth (DOB); 2. Name, DOB, and middle initial and aliases; 3. Name, DOB, augmented name, and alternate family members’ addresses. Participants were categorized by the amount of data required to find the LN record; and those who could not be located at all. Qualitative data was analyzed using Dedoose Version 7.0.23 (2016), Los Angeles, California. Results: The study included 20 participants who lived on average 40 years in BVHP. Of those, 90% were African American. The majority (65%) were female with an average age of 61. LN records for 4 participants (20%) were identified using minimal identifiers; five (25%) required inclusion of aliases. Nearly half (n=8 (40%)) required search terms that included aliases and an alternative address, highlighting the difference between where people “live” versus where they “stay;” and suggesting the importance of differences in definitions of ‘home.’ Three (15%) participants’ records could not be found in LN. Conclusion: In a historically redlined community situated at one of the country’s most contaminated superfund sites, LN data was limited in capturing complete RH. The NCI’s recent linkage of SEER with LN residential history data relies on assumptions about financial mobility and multigenerational households. The dataset may fail to capture exposures when locations where people “stay” differ from their permanent address. Our results suggest that SEER-LN data to evaluate environmental exposures should be used with caution.

Citation Format: Chinomnso Okorie, Dalila Adofo, Michael Bennett, Debora Oh, Galen Joseph, Scarlett Gomez, Kim F. Rhoads. Optimizing exposure science to understand disparities: the Bayview Hunters Point residential history study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr C078.