Scully, Jason Y.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Aggarwal, Anju; Drewnowski, Adam. (2017). GPS or Travel Diary: Comparing Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Visits to Fast Food Restaurants and Supermarkets. Plos One, 12(4).
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Abstract
To assess differences between GPS and self-reported measures of location, we examined visits to fast food restaurants and supermarkets using a spatiotemporal framework. Data came from 446 participants who responded to a survey, filled out travel diaries of places visited, and wore a GPS receiver for seven consecutive days. Provided by Public Health Seattle King County, addresses from food permit data were matched to King County tax assessor parcels in a GIS. A three-step process was used to verify travel-diary reported visits using GPS records: (1) GPS records were temporally matched if their timestamps were within the time window created by the arrival and departure times reported in the travel diary; (2) the temporally matched GPS records were then spatially matched if they were located in a food establishment parcel of the same type reported in the diary; (3) the travel diary visit was then GPS-sensed if the name of food establishment in the parcel matched the one reported in the travel diary. To account for errors in reporting arrival and departure times, GPS records were temporally matched to three time windows: the exact time, +/-10 minutes, and +/-30 minutes. One third of the participants reported 273 visits to fast food restaurants; 88% reported 1,102 visits to supermarkets. Of these, 77.3 percent of the fast food and 78.6 percent supermarket visits were GPS-sensed using the +/-10-minute time window. At this time window, the mean travel-diary reported fast food visit duration was 14.5 minutes (SD 20.2), 1.7 minutes longer than the GPS-sensed visit. For supermarkets, the reported visit duration was 23.7 minutes (SD 18.9), 3.4 minutes longer than the GPS-sensed visit. Travel diaries provide reasonably accurate information on the locations and brand names of fast food restaurants and supermarkets participants report visiting.
Keywords
Global Positioning System; Fast Food Restaurants; Self-evaluation; Public Health; Supermarkets; Geoinformatics; Comparative Studies; Biology And Life Sciences; Computer And Information Sciences; Diet; Earth Sciences; Eating; Engineering And Technology; Food; Food Consumption; Geographic Information Systems; Geography; Medicine And Health Sciences; Nutrition; Physiological Processes; Physiology; Public And Occupational Health; Research And Analysis Methods; Research Article; Research Design; Survey Research; Surveys; Transportation; Global Positioning Systems; Environment; Neighborhood; Exposure; Health; Consumption; Tracking; Adults; Associations; Dietary
Muni, Kennedy; Kobusingye, Olive; Mock, Charles; Hughes, James P.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Guthrie, Brandon. (2020). Motorcycle Taxi Programme Increases Safe Riding Behaviours Among Its Drivers In Kampala, Uganda. Injury Prevention, 26(1), 5 – 11.
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Abstract
Background SafeBoda is a motorcycle taxi company that provides road safety training and helmets to its drivers in Kampala, Uganda. We sought to determine whether SafeBoda drivers are more likely to engage in safe riding behaviours than regular drivers (motorcycle taxi drivers not part of SafeBoda). Methods We measured riding behaviours in SafeBoda and regular drivers through: (1) computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI), where 400 drivers were asked about their riding behaviours (eg, helmet and mobile phone use) and (2) roadside observation, where riding behaviours were observed in 3000 boda-boda drivers and their passengers along major roads in Kampala. Results Across the two cross-sectional studies, a higher proportion of SafeBoda drivers than regular drivers engaged in safe riding behaviours. For instance, helmet use among SafeBoda compared with regular drivers was 21% points higher (95% CI 0.15 to 0.27; p<0.001) based on the CAPI and 45% points higher (95% CI 0.43 to 0.47; p<0.001) based on roadside observation. Furthermore, compared with regular drivers, SafeBoda drivers were more likely to report having a driver's license (66.3% vs 33.5 %; p<0.001) and a reflective jacket (99.5% vs 50.5 %; p<0.001) and were less likely to report driving towards oncoming traffic (4% vs 45.7 %; p<0.001) in the past 30 days. Conclusion The SafeBoda programme is associated with increased safe riding behaviours among motorcycle taxi drivers in Kampala. Therefore, the promotion and expansion of such programmes may lead to a reduction in morbidity and mortality due to road injuries.
Keywords
Multiple-imputation; Helmet Use; Knowledge; Injuries; Riders
Duncan, Glen E.; Mills, Brianna; Strachan, Eric; Hurvitz, Philip; Huang, Ruizhu; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Turkheimer, Eric. (2014). Stepping Towards Causation in Studies of Neighborhood and Environmental Effects: How Twin Research Can Overcome Problems of Selection and Reverse Causation. Health & Place, 27, 106 – 111.
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Abstract
No causal evidence is available to translate associations between neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes into beneficial changes to built environments. Observed associations may be causal or result from uncontrolled confounds related to family upbringing. Twin designs can help neighborhood effects studies overcome selection and reverse causation problems in specifying causal mechanisms. Beyond quantifying genetic effects (i.e., heritability coefficients), we provide examples of innovative measures and analytic methods that use twins as quasi-experimental controls for confounding by environmental effects. We conclude that collaboration among investigators from multiple fields can move the field forward by designing studies that step toward causation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved,
Keywords
Residential Location; Methylation; Gene; Interplay; Obesity; Causality; Environment Design; Lifestyle Risk Reduction; Social And Built Environments; Twin Studies
Goh, Charlene E.; Mooney, Stephen J.; Siscovick, David S.; Lemaitre, Rozenn N.; Hurvitz, Philip; Sotoodehnia, Nona; Kaufman, Tanya K.; Zulaika, Garazi; Lovasi, Gina S. (2018). Medical Facilities in the Neighborhood and Incidence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Resuscitation, 130, 118 – 123.
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Abstract
Background: Medical establishments in the neighborhood, such as pharmacies and primary care clinics, may play a role in improving access to preventive care and treatment and could explain previously reported neighborhood variations in sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) incidence and survival. Methods: The Cardiac Arrest Blood Study Repository is a population-based repository of data from adult cardiac arrest patients and population-based controls residing in King County, Washington. We examined the association between the availability of medical facilities near home with SCA risk, using adult (age 18-80) Seattle residents experiencing cardiac arrest (n = 446) and matched controls (n = 208) without a history of heart disease. We also analyzed the association of major medical centers near the event location with emergency medical service (EMS) response time and survival among adult cases (age 18+) presenting with ventricular fibrillation from throughout King County (n = 1537). The number of medical facilities per census tract was determined by geocoding business locations from the National Establishment Time-Series longitudinal database 1990-2010. Results: More pharmacies in the home census tract was unexpectedly associated with higher odds of SCA (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.59), and similar associations were observed for other medical facility types. The presence of a major medical center in the event census tract was associated with a faster EMS response time (-53 s, 95% CI: -84, -22), but not with short-term survival. Conclusions: We did not observe a protective association between medical facilities in the home census tract and SCA risk, orbetween major medical centers in the event census tract and survival.
Keywords
Cardiac Arrest; Medical Care; Emergency Medical Services; Ventricular Fibrillation; Heart Diseases; Patients; Medical Facilities; Neighborhood; Observational Study; Sudden Cardiac Arrest; Survival; Ambulance Response-times; Socioeconomic-status; Association; Care; Resuscitation; Disparities; Population; Provision; Disease
Rhew, Isaac C.; Duckworth, Jennifer C.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Lee, Christine M. (2020). Within- and Between-Person Associations of Neighborhood Poverty with Alcohol Use and Consequences: A Monthly Study of Young Adults. Drug & Alcohol Dependence, 212.
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Abstract
Background: Studies have shown associations between neighborhood disadvantage and alcohol misuse among adults. Less is known about the role of neighborhood context in young adults (YAs), who engage in more disordered forms of alcohol use compared to other age groups. Using data collected monthly, this study examined whether YAs reported more alcohol use and consequences when they were living in neighborhoods with greater concentration of poverty. Method: This study used data from 746 participants aged 18-23 years living in the Seattle, WA, region. Surveys were administered each month for 24 consecutive months. Measures included typical number of drinks per week and past month count of alcohol-related consequences. Residential addresses at each month were geocoded and linked to census-tract level percentage of households living at or below poverty threshold. Multilevel over-dispersed Poisson models were used to estimate associations between standardized monthly deviations in tract-level poverty from one's average and alcohol outcomes. Results: Across 14,247 monthly observations, the mean number of typical drinks per week was 4.8 (SD = 7.4) and the mean number of alcohol consequences was 2.1 (SD = 3.5). On months when they were living in neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty than their average, participants reported significantly higher levels of alcohol consequences (Count Ratio = 1.05; p = .045). Conclusion: YAs may engage in more problematic forms of drinking when they reside in neighborhoods with higher levels of disadvantage. During a time of frequent residential changes, YAs moving to more disadvantaged neighborhoods may benefit from additional supports.
Keywords
Alcohol Drinking; Young Adults; Neighborhoods; Age Groups; Poverty; Western Australia; Seattle (wash.); Alcohol; Neighborhood Context; Young Adulthood; Emergency-department Visits; Heavy Episodic Drinking; College-students; United-states; Substance Use; Use Disorders; Models; Health; Disorganization; Availability
Hurvitz, Philip M.; Moudon, Anne V.; Kang, Bumjoon; Fesinmeyer, Megan D.; Saelens, Brian E. (2014). How Far from Home? The Locations of Physical Activity in an Urban US Setting. Preventive Medicine, 69, 181 – 186.
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Abstract
Little is known about where physical activity (PA) occurs, or whether different demographic groups accumulate PA in different locations. Method. Objective data on PA and location from 611 adults over 7 days were collected in King County, WA in 2008-2009. The relative amounts of time spent in sedentary-to-low and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) were quantified at three locations: home (1666 m). Differences in MVPA by demographics and location were examined. The percent of daily time in MVPA was estimated using a mixed model adjusted for location, sex, age, race/ethnicity, employment, education, BMI, and income. Results. Most MVPA time occurred in nonhome locations, and disproportionately near home; this location was associated with 16.46% greater time in MVPA, compared to at-home activity (p< 0.001), whereas more time spent at away locations was associated with 3.74% greater time in MVPA (p< 0.001). Location was found to be a predictor of MVPA independent of demographic factors. Conclusion. A large proportion of MVPA time is spent at near locations, corresponding to the home neighborhood studied in previous PA research. Away locations also host time spent in MVPA and should be the focus of future research. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.
Keywords
Accelerometer Data; Built Environment; United-states; Neighborhood Walkability; Exercise Intensity; Time Use; Land-use; Walking; Health; Behavior; Physical Activity; Objective Measurement; Gps; Accelerometry; Gis
Kang, Bumjoon; Moudon, Anne V.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Saelens, Brian E. (2018). Increased Walking’s Additive and No Substitution Effect on Total Physical Activity. Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise, 50(3), 468 – 475.
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Abstract
Purpose We assessed the associations between a change in time spent walking and a change in total physical activity (PA) time within an urban living adult sample to test for additive or substitution effects. Methods Participants living in the greater Seattle area were assessed in 2008-2009 and again 1-2 yr later (2010-2011). At each time point, they wore accelerometers and GPS units and recorded trips and locations in a travel diary for seven consecutive days. These data streams were combined to derive a more objective estimate of walking and total PA. Participants also completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire to provide self-reported estimates of walking and total PA. Regression analyses assessed the associations between within-participant changes in objective and self-reported walking and total PA. Results Data came from 437 participants. On average, a 1-min increase in total walking was associated with an increase in total PA of 1 min, measured by objective data, and 1.2-min, measured by self-reported data. A similar additive effect was consistently found with utilitarian, transportation, or job-related walking, measured by both objective and self-reported data. For recreational walking, the effect of change was mixed between objective and self-reported results. Conclusion Both objective and self-reported data confirmed an additive effect of utilitarian and total walking on PA.
Keywords
Accelerometers; Global Positioning System; Metropolitan Areas; Questionnaires; Recreation; Self-evaluation; Time; Walking; Physical Activity; Accelerometer; Gps; Ipaq; Longitudinal Study; Self-reported Measures; Light-rail Construction; Built Environment; Accelerometer Data; Older-adults; Urban Form; Transit Use; Travel; Neighborhood; Interventions; Calibration
Besser, Lilah M.; Lovasi, Gina S.; Michael, Yvonne L.; Garg, Parveen; Hirsch, Jana A.; Siscovick, David; Hurvitz, Phil; Biggs, Mary L.; Galvin, James E.; Bartz, Traci M.; Longstreth, W. T. (2021). Associations between Neighborhood Greenspace and Brain Imaging Measures in Non-Demented Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study. Social Psychiatry And Psychiatric Epidemiology, 56(9), 1575 – 1585.
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Abstract
Purpose Greater neighborhood greenspace has been associated with brain health, including better cognition and lower odds of Alzheimer's disease in older adults. We investigated associations between neighborhood greenspace and brain-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures and potential effect modification by sex or apolipoprotein E genotype (APOE), a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. Methods We obtained a sample of non-demented participants 65 years or older (n = 1125) from the longitudinal, population-based Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Greenspace data were derived from the National Land Cover Dataset. Adjusted multivariable linear regression estimated associations between neighborhood greenspace five years prior to the MRI and left and right hippocampal volume and 10-point grades of ventricular size and burden of white matter hyperintensity. Interaction terms tested effect modification by APOE genotype and sex. CHS data (1989-1999) were obtained/analyzed in 2020. Results Participants were on average 79 years old [standard deviation (SD) = 4], 58% were female, and 11% were non-white race. Mean neighborhood greenspace was 38% (SD = 28%). Greater proportion of greenspace in the neighborhood five years before MRI was borderline associated with lower ventricle grade (estimate: - 0.30; 95% confidence interval: - 0.61, 0.00). We observed no associations between greenspace and the other MRI outcome measures and no evidence of effect modification by APOE genotype and sex. Conclusion This study suggests a possible association between greater greenspace and less ventricular enlargement, a measure reflecting global brain atrophy. If confirmed in other longitudinal cohort studies, interventions and policies to improve community greenspaces may help to maintain brain health in older age.
Keywords
Mild Cognitive Impairment; Ventricular Enlargement; Residential Greenness; Hippocampal Atrophy; Volume; Disease; Environment; Progression; Symptoms; Dementia; Neighborhood; Green Space; Mri; Brain Volume; Hippocampal; White Matter
Saelens, Brian E.; Moudon, Anne Vernez; Kang, Bumjoon; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Zhou, Chuan. (2014). Relation between Higher Physical Activity and Public Transit Use. American Journal Of Public Health, 104(5), 854 – 859.
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Abstract
Objectives. We isolated physical activity attributable to transit use to examine issues of substitution between types of physical activity and potential confounding of transit-related walking with other walking. Methods. Physical activity and transit use data were collected in 2008 to 2009 from 693 Travel Assessment and Community study participants from King County, Washington, equipped with an accelerometer, a portable Global Positioning System, and a 7-day travel log. Physical activity was classified into transit-and non-transit-related walking and nonwalking time. Analyses compared physical activity by type between transit users and nonusers, between less and more frequent transit users, and between transit and nontransit days for transit users. Results. Transit users had more daily overall physical activity and more total walking than did nontransit users but did not differ on either non-transit-related walking or nonwalking physical activity. Most frequent transit users had more walking time than least frequent transit users. Higher physical activity levels for transit users were observed only on transit days, with 14.6 minutes (12.4 minutes when adjusted for demographics) of daily physical activity directly linked with transit use. Conclusions. Because transit use was directly related to higher physical activity, future research should examine whether substantive increases in transit access and use lead to more physical activity and related health improvements.
Keywords
Transportation; Analysis Of Covariance; Analysis Of Variance; Chi-squared Test; Comparative Studies; Confidence Intervals; Geographic Information Systems; Research Funding; Statistics; Walking; Data Analysis; Accelerometry; Cross-sectional Method; Exercise Intensity; Physical Activity; Diary (literary Form); Descriptive Statistics; Washington (state); Work; Car; Impact
Kang, Mingyu; Moudon, Anne V.; Hurvitz, Philip M.; Saelens, Brian E. (2018). Capturing Fine-Scale Travel Behaviors: A Comparative Analysis between Personal Activity Location Measurement System (PALMS) and Travel Diary. International Journal Of Health Geographics, 17(1).
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Abstract
BackgroundDevice-collected data from GPS and accelerometers for identifying active travel behaviors have dramatically changed research methods in transportation planning and public health. Automated algorithms have helped researchers to process large datasets with likely fewer errors than found in other collection methods (e.g., self-report travel diary). In this study, we compared travel modes identified by a commonly used automated algorithm (PALMS) that integrates GPS and accelerometer data with those obtained from travel diary estimates.MethodsSixty participants, who made 2100 trips during seven consecutive days of data collection, were selected from among the baseline sample of a project examining the travel behavior impact of a new light rail system in the greater Seattle, WA (USA) area. GPS point level analyses were first conducted to compare trip/place and travel mode detection results using contingency tables. Trip level analyses were then performed to investigate the effect of proportions of time overlap between travel logs and device-collected data on agreement rates. Global performance (with all subjects' data combined) and subject-level performance of the algorithm were compared at the trip level.ResultsAt the GPS point level, the overall agreement rate of travel mode detection was 77.4% between PALMS and the travel diary. The agreement rate for vehicular trip detection (84.5%) was higher than for bicycling (53.5%) and walking (58.2%). At the trip level, the global performance and subject-level performance of the PALMS algorithm were 46.4% and 42.4%, respectively. Vehicular trip detection showed highest agreement rates in all analyses. Study participants' primary travel mode and car ownership were significantly related to the subject-level mode agreement rates.ConclusionsThe PALMS algorithm showed moderate identification power at the GPS point level. However, trip level analyses found lower agreement rates between PALMS and travel diary data, especially for active transportation. Testing different PALMS parameter settings may serve to improve the detection of active travel and help expand PALMS's applicability in geographically different urbanized areas with a variety of travel modes.
Keywords
Transportation Planning; Public Health; Accelerometers; Global Positioning System; Voyages & Travels; Cycling; Algorithms; Accelerometer; Automated Algorithm; Gis; Gps; Places; Trips; Global Positioning Systems; Physical-activity; Data-collection; Health Research; Gps Data; Accelerometry; Validity