Abstract
The kernel density (KD) function estimates the intensity of events across a surface by calculating the overall number of cases situated within a given search radius from a target point. To form a continuous surface from individual observations, the KD technique does not require the presence of a parameter's value in a given location (e.g., the incidence rate of a disease). This feature of KD smoothing is especially beneficial for empirical studies in which individual observations are represented by geographic coordinates only and have no other attributes, required by more commonly used smoothing techniques, such as spline and kriging. In the present study, we illustrate the use of KD technique for a study of association between the geographical distributions of breast cancer cases and exposure to artificial illumination during nighttime (light-at-night or LAN) in the city of Haifa, Israel.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 55-63 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Computers, Environment and Urban Systems |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 2009 |
Keywords
- Breast cancer
- GIS
- Kernel density function
- Light-at-night
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development
- Ecological Modeling
- General Environmental Science
- Urban Studies