scholarly journals Conducting Household Surveys on Reproductive Health in Urban Settings: Lessons From Karachi, Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Baz Khan ◽  
Sidrah Nausheen ◽  
Imtiaz Hussain ◽  
Kristy Hackett ◽  
Zahra Kaneez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Household Surveys ◽  
Technical Problems

Abstract Background: Data collection is the most critical stage in any population health study and correctly implementing fieldwork enhances the quality of collected information. However, even the most carefully planned large-scale household surveys can encounter many context-specific issues. This paper reflected on our research team’s recent experiences of conducting surveys for a quasi-experimental evaluation of a reproductive health program in urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: The study followed a three-stage random sampling design. Result: This paper has described the issues that were encountered around technical problems related to geographical information system (GIS) usage and computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI), household listing, interviewing respondents on sensitive topics and their expectations, and other field related concerns such as ensuring privacy etc. during the survey.Conclusion: The papers has also underscored on lessons learned from this process and presented some potential solutions for conducting future household surveys in similar urban environments.

scholarly journals Conducting household surveys on reproductive health in urban settings: lessons from Karachi, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Baz Khan ◽  
Sidrah Nausheen ◽  
Imtiaz Hussain ◽  
Kristy Hackett ◽  
Kaneez Zehra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Recent Experience ◽  
Household Surveys ◽  
Technical Problems

Abstract Background Data collection is the most critical stage in any population health study and correctly implementing fieldwork enhances the quality of collected information. However, even the most carefully planned large-scale household surveys can encounter many context-specific issues. This paper reflected on our research team’s recent experience conducting surveys for a quasi-experimental evaluation of a reproductive health program in urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan. We aim to describe the issues encountered and lessons learned from this process, and present some potential solutions for conducting future household surveys in similar urban environments. Methods The study followed a three-stage random sampling design. Initially, a Geographical Information System (GIS) was used to construct the sampling frame with union council (UC) area mapping and cluster demarcation followed by random selection of clusters in the selected UCs within the intervention and control sites. The second stage involved a complete household listing in selected clusters and the final stage was a random sampling of households with eligible women. Result This paper describes the issues that were encountered including technical problems related to GIS demarcation of cluster boundaries and hand-held devices for computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI), household listing, interviewing respondents on sensitive topics and their expectations, and ensuring privacy during the survey. Conclusion This study identifies a number of unique barriers to conducting household surveys in Karachi and highlights some key lessons for survey research in urban settlements. GIS mapping technology is a cost-effective method for developing sampling frames in resource-constrained settings. Secondly, the strategy of interviewing women immediately after the cluster is listed may be applied to make it easier to re-locate selected respondents and to reduce loss-to-follow up. Understanding local norms and developing culturally appropriate strategies to build trust with communities may significantly improve survey participation. Researchers should hire experienced female enumerators and provide continuous training on best practices for interviewing women on sensitive reproductive health topics in urban communities.

The Use of Social Media for Urban Planning

2019 ◽  
pp. 1049-1070
Author(s):  
Fabian Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Data Systems ◽  
User Management ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
User Data ◽  
Use Of Social Media

User data created in the digital context has increasingly been of interest to analysis and spatial analysis in particular. Large scale computer user management systems such as digital ticketing and social networking are creating vast amount of data. Such data systems can contain information generated by potentially millions of individuals. This kind of data has been termed big data. The analysis of big data can in its spatial but also in a temporal and social nature be of much interest for analysis in the context of cities and urban areas. This chapter discusses this potential along with a selection of sample work and an in-depth case study. Hereby the focus is mainly on the use and employment of insight gained from social media data, especially the Twitter platform, in regards to cities and urban environments. The first part of the chapter discusses a range of examples that make use of big data and the mapping of digital social network data. The second part discusses the way the data is collected and processed. An important section is dedicated to the aspects of ethical considerations. A summary and an outlook are discussed at the end.

scholarly journals Assessment of Switchgrass-Based Bioenergy Supply Using GIS-Based Fuzzy Logic and Network Optimization in Missouri (U.S.A.)

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 4516
Author(s):  
Huynh Truong Gia Nguyen ◽  
Erik Lyttek ◽  
Pankaj Lal ◽  
Taylor Wieczerak ◽  
Pralhad Burli
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Network Optimization ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Analytical Approaches

Bioenergy has been globally recognized as one of the sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. An assured supply of biomass feedstocks is a crucial bottleneck for the bioenergy industry emanating from uncertainties in land-use changes and future prices. Analytical approaches deriving from geographical information systems (GIS)-based analysis, mathematical modeling, optimization analyses, and empirical techniques have been widely used to evaluate the potential for bioenergy feedstock. In this study, we propose a three-phase methodology integrating fuzzy logic, network optimization, and ecosystem services assessment to estimate potential bioenergy supply. The fuzzy logic analysis uses multiple spatial criteria to identify suitable biomass cultivating regions. We extract spatial information based on favorable conditions and potential constraints, such as developed urban areas and croplands. Further, the network analysis uses the road network and existing biorefineries to evaluate feedstock production locations. Our analysis extends previous studies by incorporating biodiversity and ecologically sensitive areas into the analysis, as well as incorporating ecosystem service benefits as an additional driver for adoption, ensuring that biomass cultivation will minimize the negative consequences of large-scale land-use change. We apply the concept of assessing the potential for switchgrass-based bioenergy in Missouri to the proposed methodology.

Development of Urban Disaster Prevention Systems in Japan – from the Mid-1980s

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Itsuki Nakabayashi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Disaster Prevention ◽  
Earthquake Disaster ◽  
Tokyo Metropolitan ◽  
Metropolitan Government

This treatise outlines developments in disaster management focusing on earthquake disaster measures taken by the Japanese and Tokyo Metropolitan Governments since the 1980s. The 1978 Large-Scale Earthquake Measures Special Act on conditions for predicting the Tokai Earthquake significantly changed the direction of earthquake disaster measures in Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government undertook its own earthquake disaster measures based on lessons learned from the 1964 Niigata Earthquake. In the 1980s, it began planning urban development disaster management programs for upgrading areas with high wooden houses concentration - still a big problem in many urban areas of Japan - which are most vulnerable to earthquake disasters. The 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in Kobe brought meaningful insight into both to earthquake disaster measures by the Japanese Government and by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other local governments nationwide. Long-term predictions concerning possible earthquake occurrence have been conducted throughout Japan and new earthquake disaster measures have been adopted based on this long-term prediction. The Tokyo Government has further completely revised its own earthquake disaster measures. As a review of measures against foreseeable earthquake disasters based on developments in disaster management measures, this treatise provides invaluable insights emphasizing urban earthquake disaster prevention developed in Japan over the last 30 years that readers are sure to find both interesting and informative in their own work.

scholarly journals May telephone surveys provide reliable public health surveillance data for municipalities? Mode effects differ between categories of questions. The HUNT Study, Norway

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattias Tagseth ◽  
Erik R. Sund ◽  
Göran T.A. Hallman ◽  
Jostein Holmen ◽  
Kyrre Kvistad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Telephone Survey ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Mode Effects ◽  
Telephone Interviews

Background: Availability of data on health and its determinants at the local area level is a prerequisite for developing interventions and public health campaigns locally. Collecting self-reported data by means of telephone interviews may rapidly provide relevant data. The reliability of such data may be questioned. In this study, we sought to compare exact similar questions addressed by a recent telephone survey with a previous large scale and very comprehensive population health survey (The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 2006-08 – HUNT3), conducted a few years earlier in the same geographical region. This was done in order to examine the reliability of telephone interviews as a method to provide data on health and determinants to enable municipal authorities to get a sufficient overview.Methods: One rural and one urban municipality covered by HUNT3 using paper questionnaires were resurveyed through computer assisted telephone interviews. The weighted results for 34 dichotomized variables were compared using chi square tests.Results: The comparison of results between the rural and the urban samples and HUNT3 involved 68 chi square tests, 25 of which (38%) displayed significant differences. The ability of the telephone survey to replicate the results from HUNT3 was only moderate, but with differences between survey themes. Comparability was poor for adverse life events and mental health factors, fair for behavioural and risk factors, and skewed for general health and life satisfaction. The replication was good for reports on the less sensitive and subjective theme of cultural participation.Conclusion: The comparability of the data differed between themes. The differences may be ascribed to mode effects and to some extent the time lag between the surveys. Because replicability on issues that may be more embarrassing or stressful to recall appears to be poorer, and the more subjective self-assessments of health and well-being appear skewed, it is reasonable to conclude that there is an interviewer effect in the telephone survey. The use of a questionnaire through mail or web to monitor public health in municipalities should be considered as an alternative.

scholarly journals Die Erfassung von städtischen Oberflächen mittels EDV-gestützter Luftbildauswertung : ein Beitrag zur klimatologischen und luftklimatischen Bewertung von städtischen Teilflächen

1998 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Sandtner
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Environmental Aspects ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Private Interests ◽  
Computer Aided

Abstract. The article shows that the computer-aided, analogous-visual, stereometric interpretation of large-scale colour-infrared (CIR) aerial photographs and subsequent data processing in a Geographical Information System (GIS) can provide fundamental data necessary to describe aspects of urban ecology in a scale relevant for city-planning. This is exemplified by an evaluation of urban areas concerning their climates and airpollution using maps of urban surfaces (scale1:2500). An argumentation relying on such detailed and current basic data can stress the importance of environmental aspects in contrast to competing public and private interests in the process of city planning.

scholarly journals A VOXEL-BASED METADATA STRUCTURE FOR CHANGE DETECTION IN POINT CLOUDS OF LARGE-SCALE URBAN AREAS

2018 ◽  
Vol IV-2 ◽  
pp. 97-104
Author(s):  
J. Gehrung ◽  
M. Hebel ◽  
M. Arens ◽  
U. Stilla
Keyword(s):  
Change Detection ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Planar Surfaces ◽  
Occupancy Grids ◽  
Speed Up

Mobile laser scanning has not only the potential to create detailed representations of urban environments, but also to determine changes up to a very detailed level. An environment representation for change detection in large scale urban environments based on point clouds has drawbacks in terms of memory scalability. Volumes, however, are a promising building block for memory efficient change detection methods. The challenge of working with 3D occupancy grids is that the usual raycasting-based methods applied for their generation lead to artifacts caused by the traversal of unfavorable discretized space. These artifacts have the potential to distort the state of voxels in close proximity to planar structures. In this work we propose a raycasting approach that utilizes knowledge about planar surfaces to completely prevent this kind of artifacts. To demonstrate the capabilities of our approach, a method for the iterative volumetric approximation of point clouds that allows to speed up the raycasting by 36 percent is proposed.

The Use of Social Media for Urban Planning

2014 ◽  
pp. 113-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Data Systems ◽  
User Management ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
User Data ◽  
Use Of Social Media

User data created in the digital context has increasingly been of interest to analysis and spatial analysis in particular. Large scale computer user management systems such as digital ticketing and social networking are creating vast amount of data. Such data systems can contain information generated by potentially millions of individuals. This kind of data has been termed big data. The analysis of big data can in its spatial but also in a temporal and social nature be of much interest for analysis in the context of cities and urban areas. This chapter discusses this potential along with a selection of sample work and an in-depth case study. Hereby the focus is mainly on the use and employment of insight gained from social media data, especially the Twitter platform, in regards to cities and urban environments. The first part of the chapter discusses a range of examples that make use of big data and the mapping of digital social network data. The second part discusses the way the data is collected and processed. An important section is dedicated to the aspects of ethical considerations. A summary and an outlook are discussed at the end.

scholarly journals Design and Field Methods of the ARISE Network COVID-19 Rapid Monitoring Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena C. Hemler ◽  
Michelle L. Korte ◽  
Bruno Lankoande ◽  
Ourohiré Millogo ◽  
Nega Assefa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Mobile Telephone ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Attitudes And Practices ◽  
The Impact

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significant health and economic ramifications across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Data regarding its far-reaching impacts are severely lacking, thereby hindering the development of evidence-based strategies to mitigate its direct and indirect health consequences. To address this need, the Africa Research, Implementation Science, and Education (ARISE) Network established a mobile survey platform in SSA to generate longitudinal data regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to COVID-19 prevention and management and to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on health and socioeconomic domains. We conducted a baseline survey of 900 healthcare workers, 1,795 adolescents 10 to 19 years of age, and 1,797 adults 20 years or older at six urban and rural sites in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Households were selected using sampling frames of existing Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems or national surveys when possible. Healthcare providers in urban areas were sampled using lists from professional associations. Data were collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews from July to November 2020. Consenting participants responded to surveys assessing KAP and the impact of the pandemic on nutrition, food security, healthcare access and utilization, lifestyle, and mental health. We found that mobile telephone surveys can be a rapid and reliable strategy for data collection during emergencies, but challenges exist with response rates. Maintaining accurate databases of telephone numbers and conducting brief baseline in-person visits can improve response rates. The challenges and lessons learned from this effort can inform future survey efforts during COVID-19 and other emergencies, as well as remote data collection in SSA in general.

scholarly journals Assessing trends in rat populations in urban and non-urban environments in the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Maas ◽  
Tamara Helsloot ◽  
Katsuhisa Takumi ◽  
Joke van der Giessen
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Local Municipalities ◽  
Term Monitoring ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Large Municipality

Abstract Rats in urban areas pose health risks as they can transmit various zoonotic pathogens. Monitoring rat populations in urban areas is therefore a key determinant in risk assessments for taking adequate control and preventive measures. However, large-scale and long-term monitoring of rat populations is labor-intensive and time consuming. The aim of this study was to develop a low-cost and low-time- consuming method to gain insight into the trends of rat populations in urban and non-urban environments in the Netherlands, and to identify potential drivers of these trends. From 2014 to 2018, local municipalities or their pest control organizations voluntarily submitted quarterly overviews of rat nuisance reports in urban areas. For non-urban areas, a nationwide record of reported bycatch species from the muskrat control was used to assess a potential trend. To identify potential drivers of observed trends, employees of nine municipalities were interviewed. Rat nuisance reports from 25 municipalities were analyzed. An increasing trend in rat nuisance reports was observed in 12, a decreasing trend in 3 and no trend in 10 municipalities. In non-urban areas, no trend in the bycatch of rats was detected. The increase in rat nuisance reports was associated with a large municipality resident size. No consistent drivers could be identified, but potential drivers were discussed in the interviews. Although it was not possible to quantify their influence on the rat population trends seen, they provide direction for future studies on drivers of rat populations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document