Spatial Distribution of Cosmetic-Procedure Businesses in Two U.S. Cities: A Pilot Mapping and Validation Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

S. Bryn Austin¹  Allegra R. Gordon²  Grace A. Kennedy¹  Kendrin R. Sonneville¹  Jeffrey Blossom³ 

[1] Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, 333 Longwood Ave., #634, Boston, MA 02115, USA; E-Mails:;Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA; E-Mail:;Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: cosmetic surgery;    cosmetic procedure;    U.V. indoor tanning;    small-area estimation;    NAICS code;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph10126832

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Cosmetic procedures have proliferated rapidly over the past few decades, with over $11 billion spent on cosmetic surgeries and other minimally invasive procedures and another $2.9 billion spent on U.V. indoor tanning in 2012 in the United States alone. While research interest is increasing in tandem with the growth of the industry, methods have yet to be developed to identify and geographically locate the myriad types of businesses purveying cosmetic procedures. Geographic location of cosmetic-procedure businesses is a critical element in understanding the public health impact of this industry; however no studies we are aware of have developed valid and feasible methods for spatial analyses of these types of businesses. The aim of this pilot validation study was to establish the feasibility of identifying businesses offering surgical and minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and to characterize the spatial distribution of these businesses. We developed and tested three methods for creating a geocoded list of cosmetic-procedure businesses in Boston (MA) and Seattle (WA), USA, comparing each method on sensitivity and staff time required per confirmed cosmetic-procedure business. Methods varied substantially. Our findings represent an important step toward enabling rigorous health-linked spatial analyses of the health implications of this little-understood industry.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.