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Related Experiment Videos

Geocoding addresses from a large population-based study: lessons learned.

Jane A McElroy1, Patrick L Remington, Amy Trentham-Dietz

  • 1Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53726, USA. jamcelroy@wisc.edu

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|July 5, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Developing an iterative geocoding process achieved a 97% match rate for assigning geographic coordinates to participants in a large health study, enhancing the utility of geographic information systems (GIS) in population health research.

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Area of Science:

  • Environmental Epidemiology
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Spatial Statistics

Background:

  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial statistics are crucial for analyzing the relationship between geographic location and health outcomes.
  • The accuracy and completeness of geocoding (assigning geographic coordinates to residences) are critical for the effective use of GIS in health research.
  • A high match rate in geocoding is essential for large population-based health studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate an iterative geocoding methodology.
  • To achieve a high geocoding match rate in a large population-based health study.
  • To provide practical guidance for using GIS in health research.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized mailing addresses from a Wisconsin-based health study (1988-1995).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Standardized addresses, employed desktop GIS software with multiple street map versions, and leveraged internet mapping engines.
  • Incorporated recontacting households for challenging cases and documented costs, time, and software requirements.

    • Main Results:

    • Successfully assigned latitude/longitude coordinates to 97% of the 14,804 study participants.
    • The remaining 3% of participants were geocoded to their respective zip code centroids.
    • Demonstrated the feasibility of achieving a high geocoding success rate through a multi-step iterative process.

    Conclusions:

    • The presented iterative geocoding approach offers a practical solution for improving geocoding accuracy in population health studies.
    • Investigators can utilize these methods to enhance the application of GIS in their research.
    • The study highlights the importance of a robust geocoding strategy for reliable spatial health analysis.