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Spatio-temporal epidemiology: Principles and opportunities

  • Stony Brook University

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

Space-time analysis of disease data has historically involved the search for patterns in aggregated data to identify how regions of high and low risk change through time. Space-time analysis of aggregated data has great value, but represents only a subset of space-time epidemiologic applications. Technological advances for tracking and mapping individuals (e.g., global positioning systems) have introduced mobile populations as an important element in space-time epidemiology. We review five domains critical to the developing field of spatio-temporal epidemiology: (1) spatio-temporal epidemiologic theory, (2) selection of appropriate spatial scale of analysis, (3) choice of spatial/spatio-temporal method for pattern identification, (4) individual-level exposure assessment in epidemiologic studies, and (5) assessment and consideration of locational and attribute uncertainty. This review provides an introduction to principles of space-time epidemiology and highlights future research opportunities.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalSpatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2011

Keywords

  • Geographic information systems
  • Global positioning systems
  • Residential mobility
  • Small area analysis
  • Space-time clustering
  • Uncertainty

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