GPS tracking in neighborhood and health studies: A step forward for environmental exposure assessment, A step backward for causal inference?

Basile Chaix, Julie Méline, Scott Duncan, Claire Merrien, Noëlla Karusisi, Camille Perchoux, Antoine Lewin, Karima Labadi, Yan Kestens

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Recent studies have relied on GPS tracking to assess exposure to environmental characteristics over daily life schedules. Combining GPS and GIS allows for advances in environmental exposure assessment. However, biases related to selective daily mobility preclude assessment of environmental effects, to the extent that these studies may represent a step backward in terms of assessment of causal effects. A solution may be to integrate the Public health / Nutrition approach and the Transportation approach to GPS studies, so as to combine a GPS and accelerometer data collection with an electronic mobility survey. Correcting exposure measures and improving study designs with this approach may permit mitigating biases related to selective daily mobility.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)46-51
Number of pages6
JournalHealth and Place
Volume21
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013
Externally publishedYes

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