Unlocking the Power of Data Harmonization in Environmental Health Sciences: A Comprehensive Exploration of Significance, Use Cases, and Recommendations for Standardization Efforts.
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| Title: | Unlocking the Power of Data Harmonization in Environmental Health Sciences: A Comprehensive Exploration of Significance, Use Cases, and Recommendations for Standardization Efforts. |
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| Authors: | Stingone, Jeanette A.1 js5406@cumc.columbia.edu, Bledsoe, HC2, Cooney, Grace2, Diaz-Insua, Mireya3, Faustman, Elaine4, Fecho, Karamarie5,6, Gouripeddi, Ramkiran7, Holmes, Philip8, Kaeli, David9, Lozoya, Oswaldo10, Masci, Anna Maria11, Narayan, Hina12, Schmitt, Charles13, Shatz, Maria13, Tracy, Wren2 |
| Source: | Environmental Health Perspectives. Jul2026, Vol. 134 Issue 3, p240-251. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Environmental health, *Environmental exposure, *Metals, *Environmental sciences, *Epidemiological research, Database management standards, Community health services, Community support, Medical information storage & retrieval systems, Data management, Asthma in children, Electronic data interchange, Adult education workshops, Electronic health records, Standards |
| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: The field of environmental health sciences increasingly demands comprehensive and diverse data sets, particularly in response to emerging research areas such as climate change, mixtures, and exposomics. The data needed to address the complexity of environmental health research questions often extend beyond the boundaries of a single study or data resource. Traditional data management approaches struggle to harmonize the ever-expanding and heterogeneous data sources needed for research in the environmental health sciences. Harmonization may help address this issue as it involves aligning and standardizing various elements of data to allow comprehensive analysis, data pooling, and interpretation across studies. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to inform researchers about the transformative potential of embracing harmonization methodologies and to motivate contributions to ongoing efforts, thereby fostering advancements. METHODS: Using the Environmental Health Language Collaborative’s Data Harmonization Use Case, we provide a practical illustration of existing data harmonization approaches, identify gaps, and emphasize future research and application directions. We selected two publicly available environmental epidemiology studies on the topic of childhood asthma and three studies on the topic of biomarkers of metals exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes and applied several existing harmonization approaches to assess interoperability. DISCUSSION: Our process revealed the potential limitations of many existing harmonization approaches, with notable failures to identify common variables across independent data sets and lack of agreement between human and computerbased approaches. This use case identified various challenges with existing approaches, including reliance on often incomplete data documentation and large amounts of manual effort. To address these challenges, we recommend the continued advancement and dissemination of community data standards, the development of software and tools to facilitate harmonization through automation, and strategic efforts to promote engagement in data harmonization within the environmental health sciences community. Collaborative science is needed to advance our understanding of environmental contributors to health, and realizing the harmonization potential of our scientific data is a step toward improved collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Environmental Health Perspectives is the property of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
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| Header | DbId: 8gh DbLabel: GreenFILE An: 195689992 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Unlocking the Power of Data Harmonization in Environmental Health Sciences: A Comprehensive Exploration of Significance, Use Cases, and Recommendations for Standardization Efforts. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Stingone%2C+Jeanette+A%2E%22">Stingone, Jeanette A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> js5406@cumc.columbia.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bledsoe%2C+HC%22">Bledsoe, HC</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cooney%2C+Grace%22">Cooney, Grace</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Diaz-Insua%2C+Mireya%22">Diaz-Insua, Mireya</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Faustman%2C+Elaine%22">Faustman, Elaine</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fecho%2C+Karamarie%22">Fecho, Karamarie</searchLink><relatesTo>5,6</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gouripeddi%2C+Ramkiran%22">Gouripeddi, Ramkiran</searchLink><relatesTo>7</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Holmes%2C+Philip%22">Holmes, Philip</searchLink><relatesTo>8</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaeli%2C+David%22">Kaeli, David</searchLink><relatesTo>9</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lozoya%2C+Oswaldo%22">Lozoya, Oswaldo</searchLink><relatesTo>10</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Masci%2C+Anna+Maria%22">Masci, Anna Maria</searchLink><relatesTo>11</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Narayan%2C+Hina%22">Narayan, Hina</searchLink><relatesTo>12</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Schmitt%2C+Charles%22">Schmitt, Charles</searchLink><relatesTo>13</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shatz%2C+Maria%22">Shatz, Maria</searchLink><relatesTo>13</relatesTo><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tracy%2C+Wren%22">Tracy, Wren</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Environmental+Health+Perspectives%22">Environmental Health Perspectives</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 134 Issue 3, p240-251. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+health%22">Environmental health</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+exposure%22">Environmental exposure</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Metals%22">Metals</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Environmental+sciences%22">Environmental sciences</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Epidemiological+research%22">Epidemiological research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Database+management+standards%22">Database management standards</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+health+services%22">Community health services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Community+support%22">Community support</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+information+storage+%26+retrieval+systems%22">Medical information storage & retrieval systems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+management%22">Data management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Asthma+in+children%22">Asthma in children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+data+interchange%22">Electronic data interchange</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adult+education+workshops%22">Adult education workshops</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+health+records%22">Electronic health records</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Standards%22">Standards</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: BACKGROUND: The field of environmental health sciences increasingly demands comprehensive and diverse data sets, particularly in response to emerging research areas such as climate change, mixtures, and exposomics. The data needed to address the complexity of environmental health research questions often extend beyond the boundaries of a single study or data resource. Traditional data management approaches struggle to harmonize the ever-expanding and heterogeneous data sources needed for research in the environmental health sciences. Harmonization may help address this issue as it involves aligning and standardizing various elements of data to allow comprehensive analysis, data pooling, and interpretation across studies. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective is to inform researchers about the transformative potential of embracing harmonization methodologies and to motivate contributions to ongoing efforts, thereby fostering advancements. METHODS: Using the Environmental Health Language Collaborative’s Data Harmonization Use Case, we provide a practical illustration of existing data harmonization approaches, identify gaps, and emphasize future research and application directions. We selected two publicly available environmental epidemiology studies on the topic of childhood asthma and three studies on the topic of biomarkers of metals exposure during pregnancy and birth outcomes and applied several existing harmonization approaches to assess interoperability. DISCUSSION: Our process revealed the potential limitations of many existing harmonization approaches, with notable failures to identify common variables across independent data sets and lack of agreement between human and computerbased approaches. This use case identified various challenges with existing approaches, including reliance on often incomplete data documentation and large amounts of manual effort. To address these challenges, we recommend the continued advancement and dissemination of community data standards, the development of software and tools to facilitate harmonization through automation, and strategic efforts to promote engagement in data harmonization within the environmental health sciences community. Collaborative science is needed to advance our understanding of environmental contributors to health, and realizing the harmonization potential of our scientific data is a step toward improved collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Environmental Health Perspectives is the property of National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1021/EHP.6c00062 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 240 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Environmental health Type: general – SubjectFull: Environmental exposure Type: general – SubjectFull: Metals Type: general – SubjectFull: Environmental sciences Type: general – SubjectFull: Epidemiological research Type: general – SubjectFull: Database management standards Type: general – SubjectFull: Community health services Type: general – SubjectFull: Community support Type: general – SubjectFull: Medical information storage & retrieval systems Type: general – SubjectFull: Data management Type: general – SubjectFull: Asthma in children Type: general – SubjectFull: Electronic data interchange Type: general – SubjectFull: Adult education workshops Type: general – SubjectFull: Electronic health records Type: general – SubjectFull: Standards Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Unlocking the Power of Data Harmonization in Environmental Health Sciences: A Comprehensive Exploration of Significance, Use Cases, and Recommendations for Standardization Efforts. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Stingone, Jeanette A. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Bledsoe, HC – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Cooney, Grace – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Diaz-Insua, Mireya – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Faustman, Elaine – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Fecho, Karamarie – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gouripeddi, Ramkiran – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Holmes, Philip – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Kaeli, David – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Lozoya, Oswaldo – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Masci, Anna Maria – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Narayan, Hina – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Schmitt, Charles – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Shatz, Maria – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Tracy, Wren IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 07 Text: Jul2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 00916765 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 134 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: Environmental Health Perspectives Type: main |
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