Case Studies
13/3/2023
Tools : Survey tool with geospatial and social network analysis functions
Launched in 2017, INTERACT is a pan-Canadian collaborative project of researchers, citizens and institutional partners working on cities, health and equity funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Co-directed by three Canadian researchers, Prof. Yan Kestens of Université de Montréal, Meghan Winters of Simon Fraser University, and Daniel Fuller of the University of Saskatchewan, INTERACT creates evidence to support the development of cities that contribute to population health and equity1.
« Creating evidence guiding interventions that transform our cities. »
In order to understand urban dynamics and their impact on health, INTERACT has set up cohorts of citizens in four Canadian cities, in Victoria, Vancouver, Saskatoon and Montreal2. A battery of questionnaires is used to collect longitudinal data on lifestyle, social interactions, health and well-being. Some 3000 participants have participated so far. These receive questionnaires every two years, including geospatial and social network questions, to understand daily mobility and social interactions. By linking these individual data with information on environmental contexts, the INTERACT team generates evidence about how the changing city impacts health and health equity.
« Collect longitudinal data on lifestyle, social interactions, health and well-being. »
Polygon was asked to develop the survey platform in four cities, in English and French. One of the special features of our GSI* population research tool is that it offers optimized functionalities for collecting rich data on places visited and social contacts, using modules specifically developed to facilitate participants’ reporting of activity activity locations and social network information. In fact, this is how Polygon was born, working in 2011 on the development of the VERITAS3 questionnaire, as part of the RECORD4 study through funding obtained in a ‘Methods and Tools’ competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Polygon has since provided the VERITAS solution to several studies looking at the links between city, mobility, social interactions5 and health. With Polygon's GSI* and ASI* tools, INTERACT is able to facilitate the participant’s experience, generating a rich database combining information on lifestyle, mobility, social interactions, and health.
Credits :
INTERACT study website: click here
References :
1) Kestens, Y., Winters, M., Fuller, D. et al. INTERACT : A comprehensive approach to assess urban form interventions through natural experiments. BMC Public Health 19, 51 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6339-z
2) Fuller D, Bell S, Firth CL, Muhajarine N, Nelson T, Stanley K, Sones M, Smith J, Thierry B, Laberee K, Stephens ZP, Phillips K, Kestens Y, Winters M. Wave 1 results of the INTerventions, Research, and Action in Cities Team (INTERACT) cohort study : Examining spatio-temporal measures for urban environments and health. Health Place. 2023 Jan;79:102646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102646
3) Chaix B, Kestens Y, Perchoux C, Karusisi N, Merlo J, Labadi K. An interactive mapping tool to assess individual mobility patterns in neighborhood studies. Am J Prev Med. 2012 Oct;43(4):440-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2012.06.026. PMID: 22992364.
4) Chaix B, Kestens Y, Bean K, Leal C, Karusisi N, Meghiref K, Burban J, Fon Sing M, Perchoux C, Thomas F, Merlo J, Pannier B. Cohort profile: residential and non-residential environments, individual activity spaces and cardiovascular risk factors and diseases--the RECORD Cohort Study. Int J Epidemiol. 2012 Oct;41(5):1283-92. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyr107. Epub 2011 Jul 7. PMID: 21737405.
5) Naud A., Sueur C., Chaix B, Kestens Y. Combining social network and activity space data for health research: tools and methods. Health Place. 2020 Nov;66:102454. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102454. Epub 2020 Oct 5. PMID: 33032243; PMCID: PMC7534796.
Tools & support solutions
Geospatial & Social network Infrastructure (GSI*)
Service Design
Logistics & study management
