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Comparing Location Data From Smartphone and Dedicated Global Positioning System Devices: Implications for
American Journal of Epidemiology
|August 30, 2023
Summary
This study compared dedicated GPS devices and smartphone apps for collecting location data in urban health research. Smartphone apps provide similar results to dedicated GPS devices when data is aggregated to the day level.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Accurate location data is crucial for understanding the impact of urban environments on health.
- Comparing data from dedicated Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and smartphones is essential for optimizing data collection methods in health studies.
- The Interventions, Equity, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) Study provides a valuable dataset for this comparison.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy and reliability of location data collected by dedicated GPS devices versus smartphone applications.
- To evaluate the performance of activity-space measures derived from both data sources.
- To provide recommendations for choosing appropriate location-tracking technology based on study design and data aggregation levels.
Main Methods:
- Utilized location data from 337 participants in the INTERACT Study, collected over six months using the Ethica Data smartphone app and SenseDoc dedicated GPS device.
- Employed dynamic time warping and cross-correlation analyses to assess spatial and temporal similarity of GPS points.
- Compared four activity-space measures derived from both smartphone and dedicated GPS data.
Main Results:
- Cross-correlation values exceeded 0.8 at the 125-m resolution for survey and day levels, increasing with cell size.
- Minimal differences were observed in activity-space measures at the day or survey level between the two devices.
- High-frequency, non-aggregated data analysis benefits from dedicated GPS devices.
Conclusions:
- Dedicated GPS devices are recommended for studies requiring high-frequency, non-aggregated exposure and outcome measurements.
- Smartphone applications offer comparable results to dedicated GPS devices when data is aggregated to the day level.
- The choice of location-tracking technology should align with the specific requirements of the research design and data analysis plan.
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