Graduation Date

Spring 5-7-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Programs

Epidemiology

First Advisor

Edward Peters

Abstract

One Health emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health and the importance of understanding each to improve the others. In urban settings, the environment can be conceptualized as the neighborhood. This dissertation aims to examine the relationship between the neighborhood and (1) vaccine-preventable diseases and heartworm in dogs, (2) canine cognitive dysfunction, and (3) survival after diagnosis in African American women with ovarian cancer. To achieve these aims, this dissertation utilizes data from the Dog Aging Project and the African American Cancer Epidemiology Study. The effect of neighborhood disadvantage, measured using the Area Deprivation Index, varied. In aim one, a relationship was observed between increasing neighborhood disadvantage and increasing heartworm incidence, but no relationship was observed with the vaccine-preventable diseases included in the analysis. When examining the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and canine cognitive dysfunction, increasing disadvantage was associated with a slight decrease in cognitive dysfunction scores, but not with a diagnosis of dementia. In humans, disadvantage was associated with decreased survival after diagnosis with ovarian cancer. Additionally, increases in the measure of neighborhood physical disorder derived from neighborhood audits conducted on Google Street View imagery were associated with decreased survival time. By comparing the effects of neighborhood disadvantage between humans and companion dogs, we can deepen our understanding of how our shared neighborhoods shape our health.

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