Improving the measurement of neighbourhood characteristics through systematic
observation: Inequalities in smoking as a case study
Systematic observation is increasingly used as a method to measure neighbourhood        characteristics thought to influence health inequalities. This article reports on       the theory-driven development of a new observation tool composed of reflective       indicators of neighbourhood characteristics believed to influence inequalities in       smoking. We also report the results of generalisability analyses conducted to       estimate the reliability (inter-rater reliability and temporal stability) of the        observation tool. We use the reliability results to reflect on the quality of the       measures and on the theoretical anchors of the tool. We conclude by making       recommendations to improve measures collected through systematic observation.
Neighborhood Systematic observation Reliability Social inequality Smoking