Overcoming inefficiencies arising due to the impact of the modifiable areal unit problem on single-aggregation disease maps.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In disease mapping, fine-resolution spatial health data are routinely aggregated for various reasons, for example to protect privacy. Usually, such aggregation occurs only once, resulting in 'single-aggregation disease maps' whose representation of the underlying data depends on the chosen set of aggregation units. This dependence is described by the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). Despite an extensive literature, in practice, the MAUP is rarely acknowledged, including in disease mapping. Further, despite single-aggregation disease maps being widely relied upon to guide distribution of healthcare resources, potential inefficiencies arising due to the impact of the MAUP on such maps have not previously been investigated.

Results

We introduce the overlay aggre

SUBMITTER: Tuson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7532343 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature