LifeSpace

To evaluate how environmental conditions influence health, we have developed a novel measure of the space within which individuals live and move. Our mobile application, built with the CardinalKit framework, creates individual life-space maps using Global Positioning System (GPS)-based methods.

There are ample data on the influence of the environment on health, but the majority of studies have examined residential address as the primary environment. Our study will advance this research by including data on where people spend their time. By mapping the space within which individuals live and move, we can study features of the social and built environment that support health, and identify opportunities for intervention to protect disadvantaged communities.

LifeSpace is conducted in partnership with the REGARDS study (REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke - https://www.uab.edu/soph/regardsstudy/) sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) which has followed participants for over a decade to understand why Southerners and Black Americans have higher rates of stroke and related diseases that affect brain health.

LifeSpace is available to study participants on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/cardinal-lifespace/id1624979277

Team
Michelle Odden, PhD
Annabel X. Tan, MPH
Vishnu Ravi, MD

For more information, visit the Odden Research Lab at https://michelleodden.com/.