Abstract
Background
Google Street View (GSV) is an increasingly used data collection method for objectively measuring observable features of the environment as detailed in a recent review.1 But as its overall potential for studying tobacco control-related issues to date has never been considered, we aimed to perform a brief review of this potential.
Methods
Searches were conducted using PubMed for articles using the term ‘Google Street View’ (to January 2017). From these articles, additional ones involving GSV were identified in bibliographies. Articles were excluded from further analysis if they focused on the non-human environment (n=3 excluded, ie, bird nests, insects with silk nests and invasive plants) or if they did not cover any of the following: signage/advertising, retail outlets/stores or bars/pubs, or tobacco content (n=15 excluded).
Results
We identified 23 relevant Medline-indexed studies relating to GSV and one review. A total of four tobacco-related issues were specifically covered in this body of research:
smokefree signage at school grounds which reported that GSV was efficient and had high specificity (97%) but modest sensitivity (44%)2
hospital grounds’ smokefree signage (100% sensitivity and specificity but for a small sample)3 (see online supplementary figure A1 for an example)
tobacco litter (0% sensitivity, specificity not reported)4
‘tobacco or alcohol billboard’ (0% sensitivity but a small sample).4
Google Street View (GSV) is an increasingly used data collection method for objectively measuring observable features of the environment as detailed in a recent review.1 But as its overall potential for studying tobacco control-related issues to date has never been considered, we aimed to perform a brief review of this potential.
Methods
Searches were conducted using PubMed for articles using the term ‘Google Street View’ (to January 2017). From these articles, additional ones involving GSV were identified in bibliographies. Articles were excluded from further analysis if they focused on the non-human environment (n=3 excluded, ie, bird nests, insects with silk nests and invasive plants) or if they did not cover any of the following: signage/advertising, retail outlets/stores or bars/pubs, or tobacco content (n=15 excluded).
Results
We identified 23 relevant Medline-indexed studies relating to GSV and one review. A total of four tobacco-related issues were specifically covered in this body of research:
smokefree signage at school grounds which reported that GSV was efficient and had high specificity (97%) but modest sensitivity (44%)2
hospital grounds’ smokefree signage (100% sensitivity and specificity but for a small sample)3 (see online supplementary figure A1 for an example)
tobacco litter (0% sensitivity, specificity not reported)4
‘tobacco or alcohol billboard’ (0% sensitivity but a small sample).4
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 339-340 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Journal | Tobacco Control |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- advertising and promotion
- environment
- surveillance and monitoring