A System for Household Enumeration and Re-identification in Densely Populated Slums to Facilitate Community Research, Education, and Advocacy

Thomson, Dana R.Shitole, ShrutikaShitole, TejalSawant, KiranSubbaraman, RamnathBloom, DavidPatil-Deshmukh, Anita2014-05-062014Thomson, Dana R., Shrutika Shitole, Tejal Shitole, Kiran Sawant, Ramnath Subbaraman, David E. Bloom, and Anita Patil-Deshmukh. 2014. “A System for Household Enumeration and Re-identification in Densely Populated Slums to Facilitate Community Research, Education, and Advocacy.” PLoS ONE 9 (4): e93925. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093925. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093925.1932-6203http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:12152837Background: We devised and implemented an innovative Location-Based Household Coding System (LBHCS) appropriate to a densely populated informal settlement in Mumbai, India. Methods and Findings: LBHCS codes were designed to double as unique household identifiers and as walking directions; when an entire community is enumerated, LBHCS codes can be used to identify the number of households located per road (or lane) segment. LBHCS was used in community-wide biometric, mental health, diarrheal disease, and water poverty studies. It also facilitated targeted health interventions by a research team of youth from Mumbai, including intensive door-to-door education of residents, targeted follow-up meetings, and a full census. In addition, LBHCS permitted rapid and low-cost preparation of GIS mapping of all households in the slum, and spatial summation and spatial analysis of survey data. Conclusion: LBHCS was an effective, easy-to-use, affordable approach to household enumeration and re-identification in a densely populated informal settlement where alternative satellite imagery and GPS technologies could not be used.en-USBiology and Life SciencesPaleontologyPaleogeographySettlement PatternsComputer and Information SciencesGeoinformaticsGeographic Information SystemsRemote Sensing ImagerySpatial AnalysisEarth SciencesGeographyHuman GeographySocial GeographyCartographyMedicine and Health SciencesEpidemiologySpatial EpidemiologyHealth CareSocioeconomic Aspects of HealthPublic and Occupational HealthGlobal HealthSurvey ResearchSurvey MethodsA System for Household Enumeration and Re-identification in Densely Populated Slums to Facilitate Community Research, Education, and AdvocacyJournal Article2014-05-0610.1371/journal.pone.0093925