Assessing and Maximizing the Acceptability of Global Positioning System Device Use for Studying the Role of Human Movement in Dengue Virus Transmission in Iquitos, Peru

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Valerie A. Paz-Soldan, Tulane University; Steven T. Stoddard, University of California; Gonzalo Vazquez Prokopec, Emory University; Amy C. Morrison, University of California; John P. Elder, San Diego State University; Tadeusz J. Kochel, U.S. Naval Medical Researcher Center Detachment; Uriel Kitron, Emory University; Thomas C. Scott, University of California
• Language: English
• Date: 2010-04
• Publisher: American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: ©The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• Final Published Version (URL): http://www.ajtmh.org/content/82/4/723
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• ISSN: 0002-9637
• Volume: 82
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: 723
• End Page: 730
• Grant/Funding Information: This study was supported by grant R01 AI069341-01 from the U.S. National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; the Research and Policy in Infectious Disease Dynamics Program of the Science and Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security; and the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health.
• Research Categories: Environmental Sciences

Abstract

As use of global positioning system (GPS) technology to study disease transmission increases, it is important to assess possible barriers to its use from the perspective of potential study participants. Fifteen focus group discussions stratified by sex, age, and motherhood status were conducted in 2008 in Iquitos, Peru. All participants said they would accept using a GPS unit for study purposes for 2–4 weeks. Participants’ main concerns included caring properly for the unit, whether the unit would audio/videotape them, health effects of prolonged use, responsibility for units, and confi- dentiality of information. A pilot study was then conducted in which 126 persons were asked to carry GPS units for 2–4 weeks; 98% provided consent. All persons used the units expressing minimal concerns, although 44% reported forgetting the device at least once. Our study is the first to highlight participant concerns related to use of GPS for long-term moni- toring of individual behavior in a resource-limited setting.