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Using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and temperature data to generate time-activity classifications for estimating personal exposure in air monitoring studies: an automated method
Citation
Nethery, E and Mallach, G and Rainham, D and Goldberg, MS and Wheeler, AJ, Using Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and temperature data to generate time-activity classifications for estimating personal exposure in air monitoring studies: an automated method, Environmental Health, 13 Article 33. ISSN 1476-069X (2014) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
DOI: doi:10.1186/1476-069X-13-33
Abstract
METHODS: Data was collected using a GPS and personal temperature from 54 children with asthma living in Montreal, Canada, who participated in a 10-day personal air pollution exposure study. A method was developed that incorporated personal temperature data and then matched a participant's position against available spatial data (i.e., road networks) to generate time-activity categories. The diary-based and GPS-generated time-activity categories were compared and combined with continuous personal PM2.5 data to assess the impact of exposure misclassification when using diary-based methods.
RESULTS: There was good agreement between the automated method and the diary method; however, the automated method (means: outdoors = 5.1%, indoors other =9.8%) estimated less time spent in some locations compared to the diary method (outdoors = 6.7%, indoors other = 14.4%). Agreement statistics (AC1 = 0.778) suggest 'good' agreement between methods over all location categories. However, location categories (Outdoors and Transit) where less time is spent show greater disagreement: e.g., mean time "Indoors Other" using the time-activity diary was 14.4% compared to 9.8% using the automated method. While mean daily time "In Transit" was relatively consistent between the methods, the mean daily exposure to PM2.5 while "In Transit" was 15.9 μg/m3 using the automated method compared to 6.8 μg/m3 using the daily diary.
CONCLUSIONS: Mean times spent in different locations as categorized by a GPS-based method were comparable to those from a time-activity diary, but there were differences in estimates of exposure to PM2.5 from the two methods. An automated GPS-based time-activity method will reduce participant burden, potentially providing more accurate and unbiased assessments of location. Combined with continuous air measurements, the higher resolution GPS data could present a different and more accurate picture of personal exposures to air pollution.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
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Keywords: | Time activity diary, Particulate air pollution, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Personal exposure |
Research Division: | Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services |
Research Group: | Human resources and industrial relations |
Research Field: | Occupational and workplace health and safety |
Objective Division: | Health |
Objective Group: | Public health (excl. specific population health) |
Objective Field: | Public health (excl. specific population health) not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Wheeler, AJ (Dr Amanda Wheeler) |
ID Code: | 101141 |
Year Published: | 2014 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 26 |
Deposited By: | Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
Deposited On: | 2015-06-10 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-04 |
Downloads: | 448 View Download Statistics |
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