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Health Geography

Theories, Methods, and Case Studies

  • 1st Edition - January 1, 2027
  • Latest edition
  • Author: Peng Jia
  • Language: English

Health Geography: Theories, Methods, and Case Studies examines the interdisciplinary domain of health geography, systematically integrating geographical science with public health… Read more

Description

Health Geography: Theories, Methods, and Case Studies examines the interdisciplinary domain of health geography, systematically integrating geographical science with public health paradigms. The book provides an in-depth analysis of the theoretical foundations, methodological innovations, and practical implications of health geography. Special emphasis is placed on employing geo-spatial technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing to enhance disease prevention, health risk assessments, and healthcare resource allocation.

By fostering an integrative dialogue among geography, epidemiology, and advanced technological approaches, the book addresses contemporary public health challenges from local to global scales. The book includes over 50 international case studies addressing infectious and chronic diseases, and health resource allocation.

Key features

  • Includes a comprehensive overview of contemporary techniques (including spatial data acquisition through wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT), and survey methods)
  • Provides practical insights through detailed case studies that address critical global health issues, including infectious disease surveillance, chronic disease management, health risk assessments, and the optimization of healthcare resources
  • Discusses innovative frameworks, such as spatial life-course analysis and planetary health, offering readers exposure to pioneering research trends

Readership

Graduate students and advanced undergraduates specializing in health geography, medical geography, and public health

Table of contents

1. Introduction

1. Historical Development of Health Geography

2. Definition of Health Geography

3. Relationship Between Health Geography and Related Disciplines

3.1. Geography and Public Health

3.2. Relevant Interdisciplinary Fields

4. Summary


2. Foundations of Health Geography

5. Classical Theories

5.1. Fundamental Geographic Laws

5.2. Social Ecological Theory

6. Common Descriptions of Health Outcomes

6.1. Frequently Used Measurement Indicators

6.2. Intensity of Disease Transmission

6.3. Three-Dimensional Disease Distribution

7. Common Research Designs in Health Geography

7.1. Cross-sectional Studies

7.2. Ecological Studies

7.3. Cohort Studies

7.4. Case-Control Studies

7.5. Experimental Studies

8. Summary


3. Common Population Health Data in Health Geography

9. Traditional Health Data

9.1. Historical Records

9.2. Medical Records

9.3. Routine Surveillance Data

9.4. Questionnaire Survey Data

10. Health Big Data

10.1. Sources of Health Big Data

10.2. Application Domains of Health Big Data

10.3. Technological Support for Health Big Data

11. Ethical Issues Related to Health Data

12. Summary


4. Common Spatial Information Technologies and Data in Health Geography

13. Spatial Information Technologies

13.1. Remote Sensing

13.2. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)

13.3. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

14. Geospatial Data

14.1. Data Sources

14.2. Data Characteristics

14.3. Data Structures

14.4. Data Processing

14.5. Geospatial Data Analysis

15. Summary


5. Common Statistical Methods in Health Geography

16. Descriptive Statistics

16.1. Common Indicators

16.2. Variable Types

16.3. Tests for Differences

17. Linear Regression

17.1. General Linear Regression

17.2. Generalized Linear Models (GLMs)

17.3. Other Generalized Linear Models

18. Multilevel Statistical Models

18.1. Random Intercept Models

18.2. Random Slope Models

18.3. Spatial Multilevel Models

19. Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR)

19.1. Conventional Geographically Weighted Models

19.2. Other Geographically Weighted Models

20. Time Series Analysis

20.1. Traditional Time Series Models

20.2. Distributed Lag Models

21. Structural Equation Modeling

22. Survival Analysis

22.1. Parametric Survival Analysis

22.2. Nonparametric Estimation and Comparison

22.3. Semiparametric Methods and Cox Proportional Hazards Models

22.4. Other Survival Analysis Models

23. Summary


6. Artificial Intelligence in Health Geography

24. Artificial Intelligence Technologies

25. Common AI Methods

25.1. Machine Learning Algorithms

25.2. Knowledge Graphs

25.3. Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing

26. AI–Health Geography Industrial Chain

26.1. Foundational Layer of the AI–Health Geography Chain

26.2. Technological Layer of the AI–Health Geography Chain

26.3. Application Layer of the AI–Health Geography Chain

27. Summary


7. Complex Systems Models in Health Geography

28. Cellular Automata

28.1. Conceptual Framework

28.2. Model Components

28.3. Model Characteristics

28.4. Case Studies

28.5. Future Directions and Challenges

29. Agent-Based Models

29.1. Conceptual Framework

29.2. Model Components

29.3. Model Characteristics

29.4. Case Studies

29.5. Future Directions and Challenges

30. Complex Network Analysis

30.1. Conceptual Framework

30.2. Model Components

30.3. Model Characteristics

30.4. Case Studies

30.5. Future Directions and Challenges

31. System Dynamics Models

31.1. Conceptual Framework

31.2. Model Components

31.3. Model Characteristics

31.4. Case Studies

31.5. Future Directions and Challenges

32. Infectious Disease SEIR Model

32.1. Conceptual Framework

32.2. Model Components

32.3. Model Characteristics

32.4. Case Studies

32.5. Future Directions and Challenges

33. Summary


8. Health Risk Factors

34. Definition of Health Risk Factors

35. Types of Health Risk Factors

35.1. Individual Risk Factors

35.2. Environmental Risk Factors

36. Major Research Directions

37. Summary


9. Infectious Disease Research

38. Fundamental Concepts in Infectious Disease Research

38.1. Sources of Infection

38.2. Modes of Transmission

38.3. Susceptible Populations

39. Influence of Environmental Factors on Infectious Disease Dynamics

39.1. Natural Environmental Factors and Case Studies

39.2. Socioeconomic Factors and Case Studies

39.3. Comprehensive Factor Analysis and Case Studies

40. Summary


10. Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases Research

41. Overview of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases

42. Disease Burden 10.3 Common Types of Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases and Case Studies

42.1. Cardiovascular Diseases

42.2. Cancer

42.3. Respiratory Diseases

42.4. Diabetes

42.5. Mental Health Disorders

43. Summary


11. Healthcare Resource Allocation

44. Spatial Accessibility Analysis of Healthcare Resources

44..1 Direct Distance Method

44.2. Gravity Model Method

44.3. Mobile Search Method

44.4. Cost Distance Method

44.5. Isochrone Method

45. Healthcare Service Region Delimitation

45.1. Traditional Delimitation Methods

45.2. Huff Model-based Healthcare Delimitation

45.3. TTHA Algorithm-based Healthcare Delimitation

45.4. Census Data-based Healthcare Delimitation

46. Summary


12. Healthy Cities and Health Industry

47. Healthy Cities

47.1. Definition

47.2. Development History

47.3. Development of Healthy Cities in China

47.4. Evaluation Systems for Healthy Cities

48. Health Industry

48.1. Definition

48.2. Historical Development

48.3. Development of China's Health Industry

48.4. Challenges Facing China's Health Industry

49. Summary


13. Frontier Perspectives and Research in Health Geography

50. Health Geography from a Spatial Life-Course Perspective

50.1. Development of the Spatial Life-Course Perspective

50.2. Theoretical Foundations

50.3. Key Research Questions

51. Health Geography from a Planetary Health Perspective

51.1. Development of Planetary Health

51.2. Theoretical Foundations

51.3. Current Key Research Questions

52. Summary

Product details

  • Edition: 1
  • Latest edition
  • Published: January 1, 2027
  • Language: English

About the author

PJ

Peng Jia

Professor Peng Jia, based at Wuhan University in China, is a health geographer and spatial epidemiologist. He coined the disciplinary term “Spatial Lifecourse Epidemiology. He received his B.Eng. in environmental engineering from Nanjing Agricultural University (2007), M.S. in remote sensing and GIS from Chinese Academy of Sciences (2010), M.S. in spatial epidemiology from Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida (2012), and Ph.D. in health geography from Louisiana State University (2015). He was the recipient for the Outstanding Article of the Year Award from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2015), the IJERPH Young Investigator Award (2019), and the National Youth Geographical Science and Technology Award (2021) by the Geographical Society of China. His research has been funded by multiple national/regional agencies, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has published more than 270 SCI journal articles and invited commentaries, including in Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Lancet Global Health
Affiliations and expertise
Wuhan University, China