The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]
We discuss how epidemiology has been and can continue to be used to advance understanding of the links between urban areas and health informed by an existing urban-health conceptual framework. This framework considers urban areas as contexts for health, determinants of health and modifiers of health...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://f1000research.com/articles/13-950/v2 |
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| author | David Rojas-Rueda Mark Nieuwenhuijsen Audrey de Nazelle Michael D. Garber Tarik Benmarhnia |
| author_facet | David Rojas-Rueda Mark Nieuwenhuijsen Audrey de Nazelle Michael D. Garber Tarik Benmarhnia |
| author_sort | David Rojas-Rueda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We discuss how epidemiology has been and can continue to be used to advance understanding of the links between urban areas and health informed by an existing urban-health conceptual framework. This framework considers urban areas as contexts for health, determinants of health and modifiers of health pathways, and part of a complex system that affects health. We highlight opportunities for descriptive epidemiology to inform the context of urban health, for example, by characterizing the social and physical environments that give rise to health and the actions that change those conditions. We then describe inferential tools for evaluating the impact of group-level actions (e.g., interventions, policies) on urban health, providing some examples, and describing assumptions and challenges. Finally, we discuss opportunities and challenges of applying systems thinking and methods to advance urban health. While different conceptual frames lead to different insights, each perspective demonstrates that urban health is a major and growing challenge. The effectiveness of urban health knowledge, action, and policy as the world continues to urbanize can be informed by applying and expanding upon research and surveillance methods described here. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d61a622868bb45de88155db01ac5a7fe |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2046-1402 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | F1000Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-d61a622868bb45de88155db01ac5a7fe2025-08-20T03:02:55ZengF1000 Research LtdF1000Research2046-14022025-03-011310.12688/f1000research.154967.2178856The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations]David Rojas-Rueda0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5854-2484Mark Nieuwenhuijsen1Audrey de Nazelle2Michael D. Garber3Tarik Benmarhnia4Department of Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USABarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, SpainImperial College London Centre for Environmental Policy, London, England, UKScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USAScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USAWe discuss how epidemiology has been and can continue to be used to advance understanding of the links between urban areas and health informed by an existing urban-health conceptual framework. This framework considers urban areas as contexts for health, determinants of health and modifiers of health pathways, and part of a complex system that affects health. We highlight opportunities for descriptive epidemiology to inform the context of urban health, for example, by characterizing the social and physical environments that give rise to health and the actions that change those conditions. We then describe inferential tools for evaluating the impact of group-level actions (e.g., interventions, policies) on urban health, providing some examples, and describing assumptions and challenges. Finally, we discuss opportunities and challenges of applying systems thinking and methods to advance urban health. While different conceptual frames lead to different insights, each perspective demonstrates that urban health is a major and growing challenge. The effectiveness of urban health knowledge, action, and policy as the world continues to urbanize can be informed by applying and expanding upon research and surveillance methods described here.https://f1000research.com/articles/13-950/v2Urban health Epidemiology Global health Policy evaluation Public health surveillanceeng |
| spellingShingle | David Rojas-Rueda Mark Nieuwenhuijsen Audrey de Nazelle Michael D. Garber Tarik Benmarhnia The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] F1000Research Urban health Epidemiology Global health Policy evaluation Public health surveillance eng |
| title | The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_full | The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_fullStr | The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_full_unstemmed | The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_short | The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations] |
| title_sort | epidemiologic case for urban health conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits version 2 peer review 1 approved 2 approved with reservations |
| topic | Urban health Epidemiology Global health Policy evaluation Public health surveillance eng |
| url | https://f1000research.com/articles/13-950/v2 |
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