Background 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.
Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America;Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action, and Research, Mumbai, India;Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action, and Research, Mumbai, India;Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action, and Research, Mumbai, India;Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action, and Research, Mumbai, India;Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America;Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston Massachusetts, United States of America;Partners for Urban Knowledge, Action, and Research, Mumbai, India
Recommended Citation:
Dana R. Thomson,Shrutika Shitole,Tejal Shitole,et al. A System for Household Enumeration and Re-identification in Densely Populated Slums to Facilitate Community Research, Education, and Advocacy[J]. PLOS ONE,2014-01-01,9(4)