Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Read this article. When you read the section on Centroid (geometric and population-weighted), think about the location of your local supermarket. Where is it in relation to customers, suppliers, or other partners?
Discussion
Geographic
Information tools have been described as one of six innovations at the
frontier of social science research and has important application to
studies of the built environment and health. Coupled with new advances
in epidemiology, such as multilevel statistics and spatial analysis
methods, GIS has the potential to contribute to the advancement of our
understanding of the importance of the built environment for obesity.
However, important methodological challenges remain relating to data
collection, GIS concepts, and the measurement of the built environment.
This glossary provides public health researchers with an introduction to
GIS; its potential to contribute to our understanding of the built
environment and obesity; and the basic concepts and methods related to
using GIS. Further, the correct and consistent use is aided by protocols
such as those already developed by Forsyth and the ever growing
collections of up-to-date web-based resources including the
International Physical Activity and the Environment Network
http://www.ipenproject.org/, The Global Positioning Systems in Health
Research Network http://www.gps-hrn.org/ and the US National Cancer
Institute: Measures of the Food Environment
https://riskfactor.cancer.gov/mfe. Nonetheless, a familiarisation of key
terms is not a substitute for an understanding of geographical and
mapping principles (e.g. map projections and edge effects) and the need
for theoretically-informed rather than data-driven analytical
approaches.