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[Not Available]
Emilio Villa-González1, Carlos Rodríguez-López, Yaira Barranco-Ruiz
1Departamento de Cultura Física. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo. Riobamba, Ecuador. PROFITH (PROmoting FITness and Health through physical activity) grupo de investigación. Departamento de Educación Física y Deportiva. Facultad de Ciencias del Deporte. Universidad de Granada. evilla@unach.edu.ec.
This study compared Google Maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for measuring school commute distances. Both methods showed high agreement, but GIS is recommended for its proven reliability and validity in research.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Geospatial Analysis
Background:
- Accurate measurement of travel distance from home to school is crucial for public health and epidemiological research.
- Traditional methods may lack precision, necessitating evaluation of digital tools for geospatial analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the concordance between Google Maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for determining home-to-school distances.
- To assess the reliability and validity of these digital tools in a study involving schoolchildren.
Main Methods:
- 542 schoolchildren (ages 8-11) in Southern Spain provided their home addresses.
- Home-to-school distances were calculated using Google Maps and GIS (both route and straight-line distances).
- Spearman correlation, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), and Bland Altman methods were used for analysis.
Main Results:
- A very significant correlation was found between the measurement methods (r = 0.966 to 0.984, p < 0.001).
- Excellent agreement was observed between Google Maps and GIS (ICC = 0.92 to 0.97, p < 0.001).
- Both methods demonstrated high concordance for measuring distances.
Conclusions:
- Both Google Maps and GIS are viable methods for measuring home-to-school distances in research, offering high concordance.
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is recommended for route distance measurement when resources permit, due to its established reliability and validity.
- The choice of method can be tailored to specific research needs and available resources.
