Description
Book SynopsisGeographies of Health provides an accessible overview of the theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and research in the field of health geography.
Table of ContentsList of Figures ix
List of Tables xii
Preface xiv
Part I Describing and Explaining Health in Geographical Settings 1
Chapter 1 Introducing Geographies of Health 3
Health and Geography: Some Fundamental Concepts 6
Concepts of health 7
Geographical concepts 10
Geographies of Health: Five Case Studies 15
Neighborhoods and obesity in New York City 16
Public places after the introduction of “smoke free” legislation 18
The health of Aboriginal populations in Canada 19
Habitus and heart health: The collision of place, body, and health 21
Mental health in Australian immigration detention centers 23
Concluding Remarks 25
Chapter 2 Explaining Geographies of Health 29
Positivist Approaches to the Geography of Health 30
Positivist explanation 30
Further examples of positivist approaches 31
Social Interactionist Approaches to the Geography of Health 37
Social interactionist explanation 38
Further examples of social interactionist approaches 39
Structuralist Approaches to the Geography of Health 41
Structuralist explanation 42
Further examples of structuralist or conflict-based approaches 43
Structurationist Approaches to the Geography of Health 50
Structurationist explanation 50
Further examples of structurationist approaches 52
Post-structuralist Approaches to the Geography of Health 53
Post-structuralist explanation 54
Further examples of post-structuralist approaches 54
Concluding Remarks 59
Chapter 3 Quantitative Methods and Geographical Information
Systems (GIS) 65
Visualizing and Exploring Health Data in a Spatial Context 66
Modeling Health Data in a Spatial Setting 78
Geographical Information Systems and Health 86
Concluding Remarks 96
Chapter 4 Qualitative Approaches to Interpreting the Geography of Health 101
Interviews 102
Focus Groups 110
Other Qualitative Methods 112
Qualitative Data Analysis 113
Rigor in Qualitative Research 116
Concluding Remarks 117
Part II Health and the Social Environment 123
Chapter 5 Health Inequalities I: Global Patterns and Regional Contrasts 125
Health Inequalities in the Global South 126
Health inequalities: Africa 130
Health inequalities: The BRIC countries 132
Health Inequalities in the Global North 139
Regional divides in the global north 139
Explaining inequalities in health outcomes in the global north 145
Concluding Remarks 152
Chapter 6 Health Inequalities II: Neighborhoods and Health 157
A Chicago Story 159
Neighborhood Context or Social Composition? 161
The Obesogenic Neighborhood 163
Psychosocial Health and Well-being 167
Housing and Health 169
Infectious Disease 170
Neighborhoods and Access to Care 174
Concluding Remarks 178
Chapter 7 Systems of Health Care 184
Principles of Health Service Delivery 185
Levels and types of health care provision 185
Promoting health, preventing illness 186
Health Care Systems 190
Geographies of rationing 192
Efficiency and equity 193
The need for health care 195
Inequalities in the Provision of Health Services 196
Health care provision in the global south 196
Health care provision in the global north 202
Geographies of Care 205
Concluding Remarks 208
Chapter 8 Inequalities in the Utilization of Health Services 214
Use of Primary Health Care Services 215
Use of Secondary and Tertiary Health Care Services 226
Do Provision and Utilization Affect Outcome? 231
Concluding Remarks 238
Chapter 9 Ageing and Place 244
What is Age? 245
Ageing Populations: Global and Regional Perspectives 246
The Distribution of Ill-Health and Disability Among Older Adults 249
Health Inequalities in Older Adults 254
Healthy Ageing “In Place” 258
There’s No Place Like Home 264
Concluding Remarks 268
Chapter 10 People on the Move: Migration and Health 273
Migration, Disruption, and Health 274
Voluntary migration and mental health 274
Forced displacement 276
The Impact of Migration on the Spread of Disease 280
Migration and the Incidence of Disease and Ill-health 283
Direct effects 283
Longer-term health impacts of migration 285
Migration as a confounding variable 290
Impact of Health Status on Migration 295
The Relationship Between Migration and Access to Health Services 298
Concluding Remarks 301
Part III Health and Human Modification of the Environment 307
Chapter 11 On Airs, Waters, Places 309
Air 311
Area sources 314
Linear sources 320
Point sources 324
Water 329
Cholera 331
Schistosomiasis 334
Gastroenteritis 335
Chemicals in drinking water 337
Concluding Remarks 342
Chapter 12 Health Impacts of Global Environmental Change 349
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion 352
The Science of Climate Change and Its Role in Human Health 356
Health Impacts of Climate Change 358
Air quality 360
Contamination of food and water 360
Temperature extremes 363
Extreme weather events and natural hazards 364
Impacts on infectious vector-borne disease 367
Concluding Remarks 370
Chapter 13 Emerging, Re-emerging, and Neglected Infectious Diseases 375
Disease Transmission: The Role of Vectors 376
The Drivers of Emerging, Re-emerging, and Neglected Diseases 378
Ecosystem change 378
Political upheaval, conflict, and disaster 382
Mobilities of people and goods 385
Antimicrobial resistance 387
Socioeconomic determinants and consequences 388
Concluding Remarks 391
Index 395
