Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 2001 Jul;91(7):1114–1116. doi: 10.2105/ajph.91.7.1114

On the wrong side of the tracts? Evaluating the accuracy of geocoding in public health research.

N Krieger 1, P Waterman 1, K Lemieux 1, S Zierler 1, J W Hogan 1
PMCID: PMC1446703  PMID: 11441740

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the accuracy of geocoding for public health databases. METHODS: A test file of 70 addresses, 50 of which involved errors, was generated, and the file was geocoded to the census tract and block group levels by 4 commercial geocoding firms. Also, the "real world" accuracy of the best-performing firm was evaluated. RESULTS: Accuracy rates in regard to geocoding of the test file ranged from 44% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 32%, 56%) to 84% (95% CI = 73%, 92%). The geocoding firm identified as having the best accuracy rate correctly geocoded 96% of the addresses obtained from the public health databases. CONCLUSIONS: Public health studies involving geocoded databases should evaluate and report on methods used to verify accuracy.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (67.4 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bouton P. B., Fraser M. Local health departments and GIS: the perspective of the National Association of County and City Health Officials. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1999 Jul;5(4):33–41. doi: 10.1097/00124784-199907000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chen F. M., Breiman R. F., Farley M., Plikaytis B., Deaver K., Cetron M. S. Geocoding and linking data from population-based surveillance and the US Census to evaluate the impact of median household income on the epidemiology of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. Am J Epidemiol. 1998 Dec 15;148(12):1212–1218. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a009611. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Daly L. Simple SAS macros for the calculation of exact binomial and Poisson confidence limits. Comput Biol Med. 1992 Sep;22(5):351–361. doi: 10.1016/0010-4825(92)90023-g. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Diez-Roux A. V., Nieto F. J., Caulfield L., Tyroler H. A., Watson R. L., Szklo M. Neighbourhood differences in diet: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999 Jan;53(1):55–63. doi: 10.1136/jech.53.1.55. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Krieger N., Chen J. T., Ebel G. Can we monitor socioeconomic inequalities in health? A survey of U.S. health departments' data collection and reporting practices. Public Health Rep. 1997 Nov-Dec;112(6):481–491. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Krieger N. Overcoming the absence of socioeconomic data in medical records: validation and application of a census-based methodology. Am J Public Health. 1992 May;82(5):703–710. doi: 10.2105/ajph.82.5.703. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Krieger N., Quesenberry C., Jr, Peng T., Horn-Ross P., Stewart S., Brown S., Swallen K., Guillermo T., Suh D., Alvarez-Martinez L. Social class, race/ethnicity, and incidence of breast, cervix, colon, lung, and prostate cancer among Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, 1988-92 (United States). Cancer Causes Control. 1999 Dec;10(6):525–537. doi: 10.1023/a:1008950210967. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. MacDorman M. F., Gay G. A. State initiatives in geocoding vital statistics data. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1999 Mar;5(2):91–93. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Moore D. A., Carpenter T. E. Spatial analytical methods and geographic information systems: use in health research and epidemiology. Epidemiol Rev. 1999;21(2):143–161. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.epirev.a017993. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. O'Campo P., Xue X., Wang M. C., Caughy M. Neighborhood risk factors for low birthweight in Baltimore: a multilevel analysis. Am J Public Health. 1997 Jul;87(7):1113–1118. doi: 10.2105/ajph.87.7.1113. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Richards T. B., Croner C. M., Rushton G., Brown C. K., Fowler L. Geographic information systems and public health: mapping the future. Public Health Rep. 1999 Jul-Aug;114(4):359–373. doi: 10.1093/phr/114.4.359. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rushton G. Methods to evaluate geographic access to health services. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1999 Mar;5(2):93–100. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Thrall G. I. The future of GIS in public health management and practice. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1999 Jul;5(4):75–82. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Thrall S. E. Geographic information system (GIS) hardware and software. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1999 Mar;5(2):82–90. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wilkinson S. L., Gobalet J. G., Majoros M., Zebrowski B., Olivas G. S. Lead hot zones and childhood lead poisoning cases, Santa Clara County, California, 1995. J Public Health Manag Pract. 1999 Mar;5(2):11–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES