The epidemiologic case for urban health: conceptualizing and measuring the magnitude of challenges and potential benefits
File(s)
Author(s)
Garber, Michael D
Benmarhnia, Tarik
de Nazelle, Audrey
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark
Rojas-Rueda, David
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
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.
Date Issued
2025-03-17
Date Acceptance
2025-03-17
Citation
F1000Research, 2025, 13
ISSN
2046-1402
Publisher
F1000 Research Ltd
Start Page
950
End Page
950
Journal / Book Title
F1000Research
Volume
13
Copyright Statement
Copyright: © 2025 Garber MD et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/40110549
Subjects
Epidemiology
Global health
Policy evaluation
Public health surveillance
Urban health
Humans
Urban Health
Urban Population
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
England
Article Number
950
Date Publish Online
2025-03-17