GEST-DC: Unifying Transportation and Air Quality Information in an mHealth Application

Several mobile applications exist to inform users about air quality conditions for Android in Google Play and for iOS in iTunes. Many dedicated applications also exist to inform users about traffic routes, considering tolls, and transportation means. Air quality and transportation are relevant for users in their daily lives in general, and especially important for vulnerable populations, including older adults, pregnant women and individuals with respiratory diseases. Despite its importance, there is no mobile application that combines information about pollution and transportation. For vulnerable populations, this information enables them to avoid environments that exacerbate their conditions and pose health risks. From a visualization perspective little has been done to assess graphic representations for user interfaces that convey information about pollution levels in geographic information systems. To address these challenges, this paper presents the design, development and evaluation of GEST-DC, an mHealth app that informs air quality levels for commuting routes.