Secondary GIS built environment data for health research: Guidance for data development

Publication date: Available online 22 January 2016 Source:Journal of Transport & Health Author(s): Orion T. Stewart, Heather A. Carlos, Chanam Lee, Ethan M. Berke, Philip M. Hurvitz, Li Li, Anne Vernez Moudon, Mark P. Doescher Built environment (BE) data in geographic information system (GIS) format are increasingly available from public agencies and private providers. These data can provide objective, low-cost BE data over large regions and are often used in public health research and surveillance. Yet challenges exist in repurposing GIS data for health research. The GIS data do not always capture desired constructs; the data can be of varying quality and completeness; and the data definitions, structures, and spatial representations are often inconsistent across sources. Using the Small Town Walkability study as an illustration, we describe (a) the range of BE characteristics measurable in a GIS that may be associated with active living, (b) the availability of these data across nine U.S. small towns, (c) inconsistencies in the GIS BE data that were available, and (d) strategies for developing accurate, complete, and consistent GIS BE data appropriate for research. Based on a conceptual framework and existing literature, objectively measurable characteristics of the BE potentially related to active living were classified under nine domains: generalized land uses, morphology, density, destinations, transportation system, traffic conditions, neighb...
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research