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Development and validation of a vacant lot care condition instrument for longitudinal evaluation of place-based interventions
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Development and validation of a vacant lot care condition instrument for longitudinal evaluation of place-based interventions

Hiwot Y Zewdie, Nicole Asa, Christina Brown, Rita Nelson, Hyden Terrell, Maggie Beverly, Amy Caroll-Scott, Shadi Omidvar Tehrani, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, Andrew G Rundle, …
Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), Forthcoming
05 Aug 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000002027
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Abstract

Remediating vacant lots is associated with reductions in neighborhood violence and other adverse health outcomes, potentially via increasing visible cues-to-care that signal stewardship. However, accurately measuring these cues over time remains challenging, limiting our ability to measure the sustained effects of lot remediation.BACKGROUNDRemediating vacant lots is associated with reductions in neighborhood violence and other adverse health outcomes, potentially via increasing visible cues-to-care that signal stewardship. However, accurately measuring these cues over time remains challenging, limiting our ability to measure the sustained effects of lot remediation.We developed a standardized audit protocol using subject-matter and community experts and assessed vacant lot cues-to-care from Google Street View imagery of vacant lots in Philadelphia from 2007-2023. We fit a two-parameter item response theory model to combine the observable cues-to-care measured consistently into a single latent score representing the lot care condition. We validated the latent score by testing its sensitivity to a randomized controlled greening trial and a local lot maintenance program.METHODSWe developed a standardized audit protocol using subject-matter and community experts and assessed vacant lot cues-to-care from Google Street View imagery of vacant lots in Philadelphia from 2007-2023. We fit a two-parameter item response theory model to combine the observable cues-to-care measured consistently into a single latent score representing the lot care condition. We validated the latent score by testing its sensitivity to a randomized controlled greening trial and a local lot maintenance program.Five raters audited 3419 images (518 vacant lots; 6315 ratings) captured from July 2007-October 2023. We selected reliable and conceptually aligned items to fit an item response theory (IRT) model representing a latent score of lot care condition and evaluated validity of that score. Average pairwise Cohen's kappa for audited items was 0.31 (SD=0.14) across all raters, and 0.55 (SD=0.18) among our most concordant raters. Eight items with above-moderate reliability (K>0.40) were retained for the final IRT model, which demonstrated high internal reliability (0.96). This IRT-derived care score was sensitive to improvements in lot conditions following greening interventions and enrollment in a lot maintenance program.RESULTSFive raters audited 3419 images (518 vacant lots; 6315 ratings) captured from July 2007-October 2023. We selected reliable and conceptually aligned items to fit an item response theory (IRT) model representing a latent score of lot care condition and evaluated validity of that score. Average pairwise Cohen's kappa for audited items was 0.31 (SD=0.14) across all raters, and 0.55 (SD=0.18) among our most concordant raters. Eight items with above-moderate reliability (K>0.40) were retained for the final IRT model, which demonstrated high internal reliability (0.96). This IRT-derived care score was sensitive to improvements in lot conditions following greening interventions and enrollment in a lot maintenance program.Our IRT-derived score can be used to measure vacant lot care condition accurately over time. This can support long-term evaluation of vacant lot remediation interventions.CONCLUSIONOur IRT-derived score can be used to measure vacant lot care condition accurately over time. This can support long-term evaluation of vacant lot remediation interventions.

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