Summer temperatures can pose a serious threat to public health, but BYU professor Matthew Heaton is using statistics to help alleviate this problem.
With his education in spatial data analysis—the study of data collected over various locations—Heaton has spent the last few years analyzing heat-related 911 calls in Houston, Texas, providing valuable input that can assist in decreasing health issues in the future.
“Houston issues a heat advisory when the heat index is above 106,” Heaton said. “One of the interesting things we found is that 106 degrees is too high. Something like 103 would be more effective at decreasing the number of heat-related health incidences.”
For this research, the Houston Fire Department gave Heaton access to the 911-call database so he could know when and where most heat-related injuries happened.
“If I know that they occur in the middle of the city at 3 o‘clock in the afternoon . . . then I can tell [the city] to build more water fountains and where to build them,” Heaton said.
His research and its application in Houston may help prevent heat-related injuries because the city will know better ways to keep its citizens hydrated. His research on heat-related 911 calls was published in The Journal of the American Statistical Association.
Heaton chose to specialize in spatial data analysis because of the various types of work he gets to do. Although it is a field that not many specialize in, there are many practical applications for spatial data analysis, which include tracking the spread of diseases, climate change, and even brain injuries.
“I love being able to play in everyone’s backyard,” he said. “I get to learn about different research fields without ever leaving mine.”
Not only does Heaton get to use his knowledge of statistics, but his contributions also make positive, practical changes wherever he works.
“I get excited about seeing results and drawing maps of data collection over space,” Heaton said. “Finding the temperature related to heat advisory is significant because we can have a direct impact on the ground.”