Revisiting the Uncertain Geographic Context Problem: Expanding Its Scope to Include Indoor Geographic Contexts and Dynamics in Environmental Health and Social Science Research

Yoo Min Park and Mei-Po Kwan

Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 2025, vol. 115, issue 5, 1055-1070

Abstract: Leveraging human mobility data has advanced the understanding of the effect of contextual factors on health and behaviors by mitigating the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP)––a source of inferential errors that occur due to the misspecification of a geographic context in which individuals interact with environmental factors and other people. Despite this advancement, a critical gap remains: the exclusion of indoor geographic contexts. This article argues that the UGCoP arises not only due to the neglect of human mobility but also due to uncertainties about whether a person is indoors or outdoors at a given geographic location and which environmental influences (indoor vs. outdoor factors) they are exposed to. It also occurs when a precise indoor location is unknown. Ignoring the indoor contextual effect can cause misleading findings because the environmental conditions in indoor and outdoor spaces could differ significantly due to unique indoor geographic and environmental characteristics. This article highlights indoor spaces as an essential geographic context that shapes individuals’ environmental exposure and social interactions. It suggests moving beyond both traditional residence-based and outdoor-focused approaches by leveraging various technologies for movement tracking, indoor–outdoor classification, indoor localization, and context-specific environmental monitoring to fully address the UGCoP.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/24694452.2025.2472974

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