Promoting GIS Applications in Tobacco Research Workshop
Sponsors:
Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health. International Tobacco and Health Research and Capacity Building Program. (R01 TW05955-02)
Gary King, Ph.D. Principal Investigator
Population Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University
University of Cape Town, Department of Environmental & Geographical Science
Location: Department of Environmental & Geographical Science, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
Dates: June 23-25, 2004
Organizer: Stephen A. Matthews, The Pennsylvania State University (matthews@pop.psu.edu)
Workshop Description: The main goals of this three-day workshop are to expose tobacco researchers to the vast array of geospatial data that are available, encourage them to think critically and creatively about how different forms of geospatial data can be integrated in their research, and introduce them to spatial analytical methods increasingly encountered in social and health science applications. Hands-on exercises and demonstrations will cover issues associated with geospatial data handling (e.g., address-matching, deriving new variables, integrating different types of contextual data as well as using spatial analysis tools within a GIS for data visualization and modeling). Many questions of concern to tobacco researchers can be informed through a spatial or GIS perspective. The workshop will focus on tobacco-related applications (e.g., mapping tobacco outlets in relation to schools, retail outlets selling NRT, variations in tobacco dollar expenditures, and health outcomes) as well as GIS and spatial analysis-related methodological issues (e.g., spatial autocorrelation, the modifiable areal unit problem, and scale issues in developing contextual databases). All workshop lab exercises will be based on demographic, socio-economic and health-related data. Throughout the workshop attendees will be introduced to the basic functionality of ArcGIS (ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcTools) with exposure to extensions such as Spatial Analyst and GeoStatistical Analyst as well as to other spatial analysis packages (e.g., GeoDa). All participants will be given a CD-ROM containing all materials, and numerous additional resources related to GIS applications in health and demographic research. The workshop will be mixed format, including short presentations, demonstrations, hands-on lab sessions and ample time for both formal and informal discussion.
In summary, this workshop will provide an overview of conceptual, methodological and analytical issues associated with the use of geospatial information science (GIS) technologies for tobacco research.
Presenters
Stephen A. Matthews is an Associate Professor of Geography, Demography and Sociology and Director of the Geographic Information Analysis Core within the Population Research Institute (PRI) and Social Science Research Institute at Penn State. He has coordinated GIS workshops for the Population Association of America (1998-2003), the Center for Spatially Integrated Social Science (2003), and the Family Research Consortium (2000, 2002, 2004). His research focuses on studies of health inequality and wellbeing among vulnerable populations (low-income families) and on using GIS in population science. Dr. Matthews is also a co-investigator of this FIC grant.
Michelle Zeiders is a GIS Analyst at PRI/SSRI. Michelle received a Masters in Geoenvironmental Studies from Shippensburg University, Pennsylvania in 1995 and has worked for MapQuest and the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at NC State. Michelle has research interests in GIS service applications for state and local governments and GIS applications in environmental management.
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