Project Proposal #1

For my project, I plan to create a map showing the number of female cardiovascular disease deaths per 100,000 population in the United States. Over the past year, I have learned a lot about the large impact of heart disease, especially in the US. While abroad this past semester, I took a class called “Health Beyond Borders” that covered several global health topics. One main topic was the shift from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases as the top burdens of disease. We discussed the leading causes of death in each country and saw a common theme of heart disease being the top killer. This past summer, I also interned in the Cardiology department at my local hospital. I was able to meet and interact first-hand with several patients who struggled with heart disease. In my map, I hope to convey the enormous impact that cardiovascular disease has on Americans.

To create my map, I was able to find data from 2014 for the number of heart disease deaths per 100,000 population by gender in each state. I will focus specifically on female Americans. I plan to use the Albers projection, since we discussed in class how this projection was superior to Mercator for displaying the United States. I also plan to use color hue to show the differences between states. My goal is to create a map that conveys the vast effect that cardiovascular disease has in the United States.