Integrating activity spaces in health research: Comparing the VERITAS activity space questionnaire with 7-day GPS tracking and prompted recall

Spat Spatiotemporal Epidemiol. 2018 Jun:25:1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.sste.2017.12.003. Epub 2018 Jan 8.

Abstract

Background: Accounting for daily mobility allows assessment of multiple exposure to environments. This study compares spatial data obtained (i) from an interactive map-based questionnaire on regular activity locations (VERITAS) and (ii) from GPS tracking.

Methods: 234 participants of the RECORD GPS Study completed the VERITAS questionnaire and wore a GPS tracker for 7 days. Analyses illustrate the spatial match between both datasets.

Results: For half of the sample, 85.5% of GPS data fell within 500 m of a VERITAS location. The median minimum distance between a VERITAS location and a GPS coordinate ranged from 0.4 m for home to slightly over 100 m for a recreational destination.

Conclusions: There is a spatial correspondence between destinations collected through VERITAS and 7-day GPS tracking. Both collection methods offer complementary ways to assess daily mobilities, useful to study environmental determinants of health and health inequities.

Keywords: Activity locations; Activity space; GPS; Multiple exposures; VERITAS.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Activities of Daily Living*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Paris / epidemiology
  • Population Surveillance / methods
  • Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Spatio-Temporal Analysis*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*

Grants and funding