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The bottom line of welfare on our planet and its people is not only dependent on traditional economic measures, but also on knowledge and education and - last but not least - on human health. Human health is a critical factor for the welfare and prosperity of society. Many parameters appear to play a role in a health equation, even though the empirical measurement of health is fraught with many conceptual and empirical problems. As a consequence, we observe many disparities in empirical health conditions in a heterogeneous society; an appropriate definition and measurement of 'good health' are far from easy. Next to health disparities caused by a heterogeneity among the population, there is also an important geographical component in the spread of health patterns of the population as a result of differences in environmental quality-of-life, spatial density, quality of and access to health care facilities, and social stress conditions. From this perspective, geography matters in the field of human health. Although geographic differences in health conditions are not the only reason for people to reside or stay in a certain place, they are certainly an important decision parameter, often in combination with wellness conditions and environmental quality conditions. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the geography of health and wellness, while the study is concluded with some lessons for research and policy. Purpose: The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the geography of health and wellness. Methodology/Approach: Literature review. We will outline the geography of human health, through a concise literature survey of the geographical patterns in human health outcomes to address the general research findings on spatial differences in health in relation to urban-rural patterns of life. Findings: The measurement of human health is fraught with many difficulties, as it is often not clear whether a, QC 20171117

The bottom line of welfare on our planet and its people is not only dependent on traditional economic measures, but also on knowledge and education and – last but not least – on human health. Human health is a critical factor for the welfare and prosperity of society. Many parameters appear to play a role in a health equation, even though the empirical measurement of health is fraught with many conceptual and empirical problems. As a consequence, we observe many disparities in empirical health conditions in a heterogeneous society; an appropriate definition and measurement of 'good health' are far from easy. Next to health disparities caused by a heterogeneity among the population, there is also an important geographical component in the spread of health patterns of the population as a result of differences in environmental quality-of-life, spatial density, quality of and access to health care facilities, and social stress conditions. From this perspective, geography matters in the field of human health. Although geographic differences in health conditions are not the only reason for people to reside or stay in a certain place, they are certainly an important decision parameter, often in combination with wellness conditions and environmental quality conditions. The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the geography of health and wellness, while the study is concluded with some lessons for research and policy. _Purpose:_ The aim of the present paper is to provide an overview of the literature on the geography of health and wellness. Methodology/Approach: Literature review. We will outline the geography of human health, through a concise literature survey of the geographical patterns in human health outcomes to address the general research findings on spatial differences in health in relation to urban-rural patterns of life. _Findings:_ The measurement of human health is fraught with many difficulties, as it is often not clear whethe

THE UNNATURAL HISTORY OF DISEASE The health problems Native Americans are confronting today did not arise out of an historical vacuum. Diseases and ill health have a history. Health levels are linked to the social, political, and economic forces present at any historical moment. Thus, in order to understand some of the present day factors determining Native American health levels, it is imperative to examine the historical context from which these health patterns emerged. The medical history of Native Americans since European contact can be characterized as an “unnatural history of disease’’-unnatural because the epidemiology of Native American people changed under the hegemony of European contact. Native Americans, from the sixteenth through the mid-twentieth century, experienced a new set of afflictions which decimated their populations. Epidemics such as smallpox, rubella, influenza, malaria, yellow fever, and cholera ravaged Native American societies, creating societal disorganization. It is not surprising that these epidemic episodes coincided with European expansion and development of the frontier.