ABSTRACT
Spatial analyses of aggregated data may be subject to the Misaligned Data Problem which refers to a situation where the spatial data being analyzed are at a different scale than the one at which they were originally collected. For example, individual observations or small areas data may be aggregated to larger areas due to several reasons such as confidentiality or to match the scale of other data sources. The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) refers to the issue of how the results of spatial analyses may change if one aggregates the same underlying data to a different level of spatial aggregation. The MAUP consists of two interrelated effects, namely, the scale and zoning effects. The MAUP's scale effect occurs when the results of an analysis change because the geographic units used for analysis are aggregated or disaggregated. Ecological studies, also known as population-level studies, investigate relationships between exposure factors or interventions and health outcomes at the group or population level.
