Journal article
Developing a GIS-Based Online Survey Instrument to Elicit Perceived Neighborhood Geographies to Address the Uncertain Geographic Context Problem
The Professional geographer, v 70(3), pp 423-433
01 Jan 2018
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Although neighborhood factors have been consistently associated with health, technological difficulties in eliciting self-defined neighborhoods from large cohorts have compromised the interpretability of this research. Here, we offer a mixed-methods approach to elicit and validate self-defined neighborhoods. Participants used a customized Google.Maps interface to draw their neighborhood and answered questions about perceived map accuracy, neighborhood definition, and neighborhood activities. We compared geographic concordance of drawn and narrative neighborhood definitions, quantified differential accuracy by demographic characteristics, and examined factors influencing neighborhood definitions. We found similar geographic concordance between narrative and mapped boundaries in two cities, with no differences by neighborhood size. Self-reported neighborhoods had greater concordance with larger administrative areas (e.g., police precincts) than for smaller units (e.g., census tracts). To delineate their neighborhood boundaries, participants reported using administrative definitions, walking distance, their familiarity with people and structures, where they spend time, and physical landmarks. In New York City, participants also reported considering sociodemographic characteristics and transportation. Our method demonstrates the feasibility of collecting perceived (egocentric) neighborhoods through online mapping surveys, adaptable to many study settings.
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Details
- Title
- Developing a GIS-Based Online Survey Instrument to Elicit Perceived Neighborhood Geographies to Address the Uncertain Geographic Context Problem
- Creators
- Jessie L. C. Shmool - University of PittsburghIsaac L. Johnson - Northwestern UniversityZan M. Dodson - University of PittsburghRobert Keene - University of PittsburghRobert Gradeck - University of PittsburghScott R. Beach - University of PittsburghJane E. Clougherty - University of Pittsburgh
- Publication Details
- The Professional geographer, v 70(3), pp 423-433
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Number of pages
- 11
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Environmental and Occupational Health
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000435341900008
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85042906431
- Other Identifier
- 991019168578204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Geography