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. 2020 Sep 9;19(1):34.
doi: 10.1186/s12942-020-00230-4.

Gridded population survey sampling: a systematic scoping review of the field and strategic research agenda

Dana R Thomson  1   2 , Dale A Rhoda  3 , Andrew J Tatem  4 , Marcia C Castro  5
Affiliations

Gridded population survey sampling: a systematic scoping review of the field and strategic research agenda

Dana R Thomson et al. Int J Health Geogr. .

Abstract

Introduction: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), household survey data are a main source of information for planning, evaluation, and decision-making. Standard surveys are based on censuses, however, for many LMICs it has been more than 10 years since their last census and they face high urban growth rates. Over the last decade, survey designers have begun to use modelled gridded population estimates as sample frames. We summarize the state of the emerging field of gridded population survey sampling, focussing on LMICs.

Methods: We performed a systematic scoping review in Scopus of specific gridded population datasets and "population" or "household" "survey" reports, and solicited additional published and unpublished sources from colleagues.

Results: We identified 43 national and sub-national gridded population-based household surveys implemented across 29 LMICs. Gridded population surveys used automated and manual approaches to derive clusters from WorldPop and LandScan gridded population estimates. After sampling, some survey teams interviewed all households in each cluster or segment, and others sampled households from larger clusters. Tools to select gridded population survey clusters include the GridSample R package, Geo-sampling tool, and GridSample.org. In the field, gridded population surveys generally relied on geographically accurate maps based on satellite imagery or OpenStreetMap, and a tablet or GPS technology for navigation.

Conclusions: For gridded population survey sampling to be adopted more widely, several strategic questions need answering regarding cell-level accuracy and uncertainty of gridded population estimates, the methods used to group/split cells into sample frame units, design effects of new sample designs, and feasibility of tools and methods to implement surveys across diverse settings.

Keywords: Census; Household survey; LMIC; LandScan; Survey design; WorldPop.

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Conflict of interest statement

DRT is the creator of the GridSample R and GridSample2.0 python algorithms, and formerly managed GridSample.org at Flowminder Foundation. AJT is the director of the WorldPop team at University of Southampton. DAR and MCC declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Systematic scoping review selection criteria
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Visualisation of approaches to derive a gridded population sample frame
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Strategic research agenda to determine when to use gridded population sampling
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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