Research

Combining GPS, GIS and accelerometry: Methodological issues in the assessment of location and intensity of travel behaviors

Melody Oliver, Hannah M Badland, Suzanne Mavoa, Mitch J Duncan, J Scott Duncan

Source: Journal of Physical Activity and Health | Year: 2010 | Volume: 7 | Issue: 1

Background: Global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and accelerometers are powerful tools to explain activity within a built environment, yet little integration of these tools has taken place. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of combining GPS, GIS, and accelerometry to understand transport-related physical activity (TPA) in adults.
Methods: Forty adults wore an accelerometer and portable GPS unit over seven consecutive days and completed a demographics questionnaire and 7-day travel log. Accelerometer and GPS data were extracted for commutes to/from workplace and integrated into a GIS database. GIS maps were generated to visually explore physical activity intensity, GPS speeds and routes traveled.
Results: GPS, accelerometer, and survey data were collected for 37 participants. Loss of GPS data was substantial due to a range of methodological issues, such as low battery life, signal drop out, and participant non-compliance. Nonetheless, greater travel distances and significantly higher speeds were observed for motorized trips when compared to TPA.
Conclusions: Pragmatic issues of using GPS monitoring to understand TPA behaviors and methodological recommendations for future research were identified. Although methodologically challenging, the combination of GPS monitoring, accelerometry and GIS technologies holds promise for understanding TPA within the built environment.

POSTED ON: 21 Jan 2010 21:01:31

POSTED BY: Melody Oliver

Mapping the Walk to School Using Accelerometry Combined with a Global Positioning System

Ashley R. Cooper, PhD, Angie S. Page, PhD, Benedict W. Wheeler, PhD, Pippa Griew, MSc, Laura Davis, MSc, Melvyn Hillsdon, PhD, Russell Jago, PhD

Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine | Year: 2010 | Volume: 38 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 178-183

Walking to school is associated with higher levels of physical activity, but the contribution of the journey itself to physical activity before school is unknown. This study combined accelerometer and GPS data to investigate the level and location of physical activity in children walking to school. Participants were 137 children (aged 11.3 years) from London, ... (more)

POSTED ON: 21 Jan 2010 19:01:34

POSTED BY: Ashley Cooper

Children in schoolyards: Tracking movement patterns and physical activity in schoolyards using global positioning system and heart rate monitoring

Ingunn Fjørtoft , Bjørn Kristoffersen, Jostein Sageie

Source: Landscape and Urban Planning | Year: 2009 | Volume: 93 | Pages: 210–217

ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to investigate how 6-year-old school children used their schoolyard during recess and how the yard invited investigation. Two different schoolyards, one in the city and one rural, in Southern Norway were chosen for the study. The schoolyards were mapped and the affordances for physical activity described and presented in an ... (more)

POSTED ON: 20 Nov 2009 00:11:46

POSTED BY: Ingunn Fjortoft

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Environmental supportiveness for physical activity in English schoolchildren: a study using Global Positioning Systems

Andy Jones, Emma Coombes, Simon Griffin, Esther van Sluijs

Source: International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity | Year: 2009 | Volume: 6 | Pages: 42

Background: There is increasing evidence that the environment plays a role in influencing physical activity in children and adults. As children have less autonomy in their behavioural choices, neighbourhood environment supportiveness may be an important determinant of their ability to be active. Yet we know rather little about the types of environment that children ... (more)

POSTED ON: 18 Nov 2009 10:11:01

POSTED BY: Andy Jones

Processing raw data from Global Positioning Systems without additional information

N Schuessler and KW Axhausen

Source: Transportation Research Record | Year: 2009 | Volume: 2105 | Pages: 28-36

Since the first Global Positioning System (GPS) studies in the mid-1990s, this method of surveying individual travel behavior has gained attention in transport research. Compared with classic travel survey methods, GPS studies offer researchers benefits of more accurate and reliable information. At the same time, the participants' burden is reduced substantially if ... (more)

POSTED ON: 16 Nov 2009 22:11:49

POSTED BY: Scott Duncan - Administrator

Combining GPS with heart rate monitoring to measure physical activity in children: A feasibility study

JS Duncan, HM Badland & G Schofield

Source: Journal of Science & Medicine in Sport | Year: 2009 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 583-585

The recent development of global positioning system (GPS) receivers with integrated heart rate (HR) monitoring has provided a new method for estimating the energy expenditure associated with children's movement. The purpose of this feasibility study was to trial a combination of GPS surveillance and HR monitoring in 39 primary-aged children from New Zealand. Spatial ... (more)

POSTED ON: 09 Nov 2009 20:11:19

POSTED BY: Scott Duncan - Administrator

A criterion method for measuring route distance in physically active commuting

P Schantz & E Stigell

Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise | Year: 2009 | Volume: 41 | Issue: 2 | Pages: 472-478

PURPOSE: There is a need for accurate, reliable, and feasible methods for determining route distances in physically active transportation. The aim of this study, therefore, was to scrutinize if distances of commuting routes drawn by physically active commuters and measured with a digital curvimetric distance measurement device could serve such a purpose.

METHODS: ... (more)

POSTED ON: 09 Nov 2009 20:11:57

POSTED BY: Scott Duncan - Administrator

Deriving and validating trip purposes and travel modes for multi-day GPS-based travel surveys: A large-scale application in the Netherlands

W Bohte & K Maat

Source: Transportation Research Part C | Year: 2009 | Volume: 17 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 285-297

In the past few decades, travel patterns have become more complex and policy makers demand more detailed information. As a result, conventional data collection methods seem no longer adequate to satisfy all data needs. Travel researchers around the world are currently experimenting with different Global Positioning System (GPS)-based data collection methods. An ... (more)

POSTED ON: 09 Nov 2009 20:11:34

POSTED BY: Scott Duncan - Administrator

Accuracy of iPhone locations: A comparison of Assisted GPS, WiFi, and Cellular Positioning

PA Zandbergen

Source: Transactions in GIS | Year: 2009 | Volume: 13 | Issue: S1 | Pages: 5-26

The 3G iPhone was the first consumer device to provide a seamless integration of three positioning technologies: Assisted GPS (A-GPS), WiFi positioning and cellular network positioning. This study presents an evaluation of the accuracy of locations obtained using these three positioning modes on the 3G iPhone. A-GPS locations were validated using surveyed benchmarks ... (more)

POSTED ON: 09 Nov 2009 20:11:09

POSTED BY: Scott Duncan - Administrator