5. Conclusion
This review has shown that the use of GPS to measure exposure to the food environment is still in its infancy and there are considerable variations in the methods and techniques used, with several issues related to data collection, accuracy, behaviour classification and analysis (Boruff et al., 2012) that need to be carefully considered. Very few food environment studies to date have used GPS, and this is especially so in children and outside the US. There are clearly also a number of outstanding methodological and practical issues associated with their application. However, GPS technology is improving, and the findings from the few studies that have attempted to use the technology illustrate the potential added value that can be obtained from being able to record and analyse patterns of mobility in the food environment.
Contributors
All authors had full access to the data and can take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analyses. AC performed data extraction and synthesis and wrote all drafts of the paper. AJ advised at all stages, cross-checked data quality and contributed to all drafts of the paper and approved the final version.
Funding
AC was funded by the lord Zuckerman Ph.D. scholarship. APJ was partially supported by the Centre for Diet and Activity Research, a UK Clinical Research Collaboration Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Department of Health, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged.
The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study or in the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data.
Conflict of interest
All authors have completed the conflict of interest form at http://elsevier6.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/3199579/0/filename/Example_Conflict+of+Interest+Form.pdf (available on request from the corresponding author) and declare that (1) Neither have support from any company for the submitted work; (2) neither have any relationships with companies that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; (3) their spouses, partners, or children have no financial relationships that may be relevant to the submitted work; and (4) Both have no non-financial interests that may be relevant to the submitted work.
Data sharing
Data sharing: no additional data available.
Appendix A. Supplementary material