Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34407813›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of health geographics2021

Improving spatial data in health geographics: a practical approach for testing data to measure children's physical activity and food environments using Google Street View.

Jesse Whitehead, Melody Smith, Yvonne Anderson, Yijun Zhang, Stephanie Wu, Shreya Maharaj, Niamh Donnellan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of health geographics, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jesse WhiteheadSchool of Nursing, University of Auckland, Private Bag 920019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand. j.whitehead@auckland.ac.nz.ORCID 0000-0001-9682-7544
Melody SmithSchool of Nursing, University of Auckland, Private Bag 920019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-0987-2564
Yvonne AndersonDepartment of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Level 1, Building 507, Grafton Campus, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0003-2054-338X
Yijun ZhangSchool of Nursing, University of Auckland, Private Bag 920019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
Stephanie WuFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 920019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
Shreya MaharajFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 920019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
Niamh DonnellanSchool of Nursing, University of Auckland, Private Bag 920019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-9411-7642

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundGeographic information systems (GIS) are often used to examine the association between both physical activity and nutrition environments, and children's health. It is often assumed that geospatial datasets are accurate and complete. Furthermore, GIS datasets regularly lack metadata on the temporal specificity. Data is usually provided 'as is', and therefore may be unsuitable for retrospective or longitudinal studies of health outcomes. In this paper we outline a practical approach to both fill gaps in geospatial datasets, and to test their temporal validity. This approach is applied to both district council and open-source datasets in the Taranaki region of Aotearoa New Zealand.

methodsWe used the 'streetview' python script to download historic Google Street View (GSV) images taken between 2012 and 2016 across specific locations in the Taranaki region. Images were reviewed and relevant features were incorporated into GIS datasets.

resultsA total of 5166 coordinates with environmental features missing from council datasets were identified. The temporal validity of 402 (49%) environmental features was able to be confirmed from council dataset considered to be 'complete'. A total of 664 (55%) food outlets were identified and temporally validated.

conclusionsOur research indicates that geospatial datasets are not always complete or temporally valid. We have outlined an approach to test the sensitivity and specificity of GIS datasets using GSV images. A substantial number of features were identified, highlighting the limitations of many GIS datasets.

Indexed as

Geographic Information SystemsSearch EngineChildExerciseHumansNew ZealandResidence CharacteristicsRetrospective StudiesChild-friendly citiesChild healthHealth behavioursHealth geographyMeasurementNeighbourhood environments

Identifiers

PMID34407813
PMCPMC8375212

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.