Overcoming biases of individual level shopping history data in health research

Abstract

Novel sources of population data, especially administrative and medical records, as well as the digital footprints generated through interactions with online services, present a considerable opportunity for advancing health research and policymaking. An illustrative example is shopping history records that can illuminate aspects of population health by scrutinizing extensive sets of everyday choices made in the real world. However, like any dataset, these sources possess specific limitations, including sampling biases, validity issues, and measurement errors. To enhance the applicability and potential of shopping data in health research, we advocate for the integration of individual-level shopping data with external datasets containing rich repositories of longitudinal population cohort studies. This strategic approach holds the promise of devising innovative methodologies to address inherent data limitations and biases. By meticulously documenting biases, establishing validated associations, and discerning patterns within these amalgamated records, researchers can extrapolate their findings to encompass population-wide datasets derived from national supermarket chain. The validation and linkage of population health data with real-world choices pertaining to food, beverages, and over-the-counter medications, such as pain relief, present a significant opportunity to comprehend the impact of these choices and behavioural patterns associated with them on public health.