Uncertain geographic context problem

In geography, public health, and other fields that study spatial relationships, the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP) is a methodological problem in which the geographic areas used in research to represent people's environments—such as neighborhoods, census tracts, administrative areas, or activity spaces—may differ from the places and periods that actually shape the phenomena being studied, potentially leading to misleading conclusions. For example, a study that measures the effect of a person's residential neighborhood on health outcomes may overlook environmental influences encountered while working, traveling, or engaging in activities elsewhere.

Source: Wikipedia — Uncertain geographic context problem (CC BY-SA 4.0)