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The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic impact on the course of everyday life for much of the world's population and many people have experienced an unprecedented increase in anxiety and depression while their access to a range of coping mechanisms has been reduced. For those privileged enough to have nearby and safe access to natural environments, green and blue spaces have become an important enabler of everyday wellbeing. In this paper we explore the role of everyday interactions with nature for the maintenance of wellbeing, during the first and second 'wave' of infections in the Netherlands. Based on qualitative interviews with 30 participants in spring/summer and autumn of 2020, we detail how relationships with nature in the local surroundings and in the home qualitatively and effectively changed in response to COVID-19 induced confinement, resulting in the becoming-therapeutic of everyday micro-geographies. Amongst our participants, the conditions of semi-lockdown gave rise to increased interactions with nature, both in their outdoor surroundings and in the home. These increased interactions also led to intensified emotional and sensory experiences with nature and a greater sense of familiarity with their surroundings, which strengthened place-attachments and contributed to an increased sense of wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organisation declared the 2022 Monkeypox outbreak a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern', following the rapid spread of infections in non‐endemic countries. Unlike its usual epidemiology in Africa, most cases reported since May 2022 have been among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). This commentary provides an overview of the current Monkeypox outbreak and public health responses to it, drawing out their uneven geographies and the contribution geographers could make to understanding this. The empirical focus is on Monkeypox in England, but the challenges posed are relevant to the dynamics of the outbreak in the USA and Europe. The commentary concludes by challenging geographers to collaborate across sub‐disciplinary boundaries to undertake research that can understand and explain not only the specific dynamics of Monkeypox but also broader geographical aspects of GBMSM's lives that could underpin effective public health work with these populations. This commentary provides an overview of the 2022 global Monkeypox outbreak and public health responses to it, drawing out their uneven geographies and the contribution geographers could make to understanding this. The empirical focus is on Monkeypox in England, but the challenges posed are relevant to the dynamics of the outbreak in the USA and Europe. The commentary concludes by challenging geographers to collaborate across sub‐disciplinary boundaries to undertake research that can understand and explain not only the specific dynamics of Monkeypox, but also broader geographical aspects of gay and bisexual men's lives that could underpin effective public health work with these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work aims to give an overview on the international scientific papers related to the territorial spreading of SARS-CoV-2, with a specific focus upon applied quantitative geography and territorial analysis, to define a general structure for epidemiological geography research. The target publications were based on GIS spatial analysis, both in the sense of topological analysis and descriptive statistics or lato sensu geographical approaches. The first basic purpose was to organize and enhance the vast knowledge developments generated hitherto by the first pandemic that was studied "on-the-fly" all over the world. The consequent target was to investigate to what extent researchers in geography were able to draw scientifically consistent conclusions about the pandemic evolution, as well as whether wider generalizations could be reasonably claimed. This implied an analysis and a comparison of their findings. Finally, we tested what geographic approaches can say about the pandemic and whether a reliable spatial analysis routine for mapping infectious diseases could be extrapolated. We selected papers proposed for publication during 2020 and 209 articles complied with our parameters of query. The articles were divided in seven categories to enhance existing commonalities. In some cases, converging conclusions were extracted, and generalizations were derived. In other cases, contrasting or inconsistent findings were found, and possible explanations were provided. From the results of our survey, we extrapolated a routine for the production of epidemiological geography analyses, we highlighted the different steps of investigation that were attained, and we underlined the most critical nodes of the methodology. Our findings may help to point out what are the most critical conceptual challenges of epidemiological mapping, and where it might improve to engender informed conclusions and aware outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Dengue is a viral disease whose number of cases has increased in Brazil. This study aimed to characterize the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the reported dengue infection cases in the state of Alagoas (AL), Northeastern Brazil (NEB). The data of the officially reported dengue cases from 2000 to 2015 was retrieved from the State Health Secretariat of Alagoas (SESAL), which captures national demographic and health data from the System for the Reporting of Notifiable Conditions (SINAN). After applying the Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) function, maps were generated based on the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation method. By using the clusters analysis (CA) technique, three homogeneous groups of dengue in AL were determined. Next, the LN (Lognormal), GUM (Gumbel) and GEV (Generalized Extreme Value) probability distributions were applied to monthly model dengue case data in AL, with the LN continuous probability distribution standing out. Maceió and Arapiraca have a higher number of dengue cases than other cities, being the main reason for their interpretation as separate groups. The coefficients of determination (R2) of dengue cases analysis as a function of month of each year for the studied years were low (between 0.03 and 0.63) and many regression slopes were not significant. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) between dengue and the Human Development Index (HDI) of LA was considered moderate (0.53) and the correlation between dengue and demographic density was high (0.76). The importance of constant monitoring and assistance for these areas is reinforced.

Although food insecurity continues to be widely researched, the body of literature examining its relationship with disability remains under-studied. To advance this area, the present study investigated the spatial prevalence of food insecurity and disability by examining the Southeast region of the United States (i.e., Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee), an area with disproportionately high levels of both conditions. After collecting records from multiple sources to create a dataset containing health-oriented and physical environment variables, an exploratory mapping analyses was conducted. Results showed distinct high and low value patterns for both food insecurity and disability and the test of local coefficients confirmed geographic variability. To account for this spatial non-stationarity, geographically weighted regression (GWR) was implemented with the county as the unit of analysis. GWR estimates revealed that disability was positively associated with food insecurity but the association varied in magnitude across the Southeast region.

We aimed to update the prevalence estimates of hearing loss in older adults in England using a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50 years old and older. A comparative cross-sectional study design was implemented. Hearing loss was defined as ≥35 dB HL at 3.0 kHz, as measured via Hearcheck in the better-hearing ear. We compared the estimates based on the English census in 2015 to estimates from psychoacoustic hearing data available for 8,263 participants in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) Wave 7 (2014–2015). Marked regional variability in hearing loss prevalence was revealed among participants with similar age profiles. The regional differences in hearing outcomes reached up to 13.53% in those belonging to the 71–80 years old group; the prevalence of hearing loss was 49.22% in the North East of England (95%CI 48.0–50.4), versus 35.69% in the South East (95%CI 34.8–36.50). A socio-spatial approach in planning sustainable models of hearing care based on the actual populations' needs and not on age demographics might offer a viable opportunity for healthier lives. Regular assessment of the extent and causality of the population's different audiological needs within the country is strongly supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the discordant approaches on the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic and physical, social and economic attributes of urban areas, the proposed research contributes to the advance in the clarification of an issue that proves to be cardinal for the planning of human settlements in the future, as it was investigated the relationship between transmission, hospitalization and deaths indicators with sociodemographic, socioeconomic and urban indicators in all municipalities in the state of Mato Grosso (Brazil), from the moment the first case was confirmed in the state - 16 March 2020 - until 31 December 2021. To this aim, regression analyses were performed and local spatial patterns were examined, before which the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique was used in order to identify the most significant explanatory variables. Significant positive correlations were found between variables associated with Diffusion and variables associated with socioeconomic factors, as well as between Diffusion and Importance of the municipality and indicators related to Morbidity (Mortality and Lethality). These, on the other hand, were negatively correlated with socioeconomic and density variables (with regard to intradomiciliary agglomeration). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data geoprocessing and spatial analysis are important tools for the study of phenomena such as the spread of diseases across the territory and over time. The aim of this study is to analyze, using Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA), changes in the geographic distribution patterns of Covid-19 in Brazil in two distinct periods of the pandemic: (i) between April and August 2020; and (ii) between November 2020 and March 2021. For this purpose, Moran's I and LISA were applied to data referring to three epidemiological indicators: accumulated cases, new cases and lethality of the disease. The results found and the visualizations proposed present a broad perspective on the variation of Covid-19 cases in Brazilian regions and contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiological dynamics in Brazil in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this text was to analyze the processes of structuring of health services in Presidente Prudente, SP in the light of the tensions caused by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in its historical course. To this end, we sought methodological support by means of a narrative bibliographical review on the central themes, as well as efforts to elaborate cartographic products about the organization of health services. Thus, we evaluate that the construction of the health services aimed at HIV/AIDS in Presidente Prudente has presented excellent results and has also put countless efforts in terms of service and efficacy. However, they still present some difficulties in acting beyond the hospital-centric-curative and assistencialist model. Faced with this, we recommend that specialized health services transcend the vision of overflying so that they can access people and immerse themselves in everyday life, because it is in this dimension that the social expression of the disease is organized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colonially imposed jurisdictional boundaries that have little meaning to Indigenous peoples in Canada may confound tuberculosis (TB) prevention and care activities. This study explores how inter-jurisdictional mobility and the current accommodation of mobility through policies and programming sustain a regional TB epidemic in northwestern Saskatchewan, and northeastern Alberta. Methods: A qualitative instrumental case study was performed using a community based participatory approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with First Nations peoples from a high-incidence community in Canada including community-based healthcare workers. These interview data are presented in the context of a multi-level document analysis of TB program guidelines. Results: The location of the community, and related lack of access to employment, services and care, necessitates mobility across jurisdictional boundaries. There are currently no formal federal or provincial guidelines in place to accommodate highly mobile patients and clients within and across provincial TB prevention and care programs. As a result, locally developed community-based protocols, and related ad-hoc strategies ensure continuity of care. Conclusion: Indigenous peoples living in remote communities face unique push/pull factors that motivate mobility. When these motivations exist in communities with increased risk of contagion by communicable infectious diseases such as TB, public health risks extend into increasingly large areas with competing jurisdictional authority. Such mobility poses several threats to TB elimination. We have identified a gap in TB services to systematically accommodate mobility, with specific implications for Indigenous peoples and reconciliation. We recommend clearly defined communication paths and inter-jurisdictional coordination to ensure maintenance of care for mobile populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how everyday encounters with kidney disease treatment in Sri Lanka's dry zone generate distinct space‐times of liminality. Building on work that explores the alternative coordinates of biopolitical intervention, I argue that health improvement schemes in the dry zone yield complex materialisations of "living death" in conditions of austerity, poverty, and aridity. Specifically, I illustrate how intervention reconfigures body‐ecologies, dismantles infrastructures of liveability, and re‐works relations between life and time in order to stabilise liminal forms of existence. Drawing on 15 months of ethnographic data, I describe two space‐times of liminality that emerge through experiences of treatment: the "zombie" and "life in the bubble". As part of my analysis, I document how these bodily states are ambiguously configured by experiences of care. Across these encounters, I illustrate how patients toggle back and forth between states of debility and capacity in ways that blur boundaries between life/death and bodies/environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to examine associations between ultraviolet (UV) exposure and mortality among older adults in the United Kingdom (UK). We used data from UK Biobank participants with two UV exposures, validated with measured vitamin D levels: solarium use and annual average residential shortwave radiation. Associations between the UV exposures, all-cause and cause-specific mortality were examined as adjusted hazard ratios. The UV exposures were inversely associated with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. Solarium users were also at a lower risk of non-CVD/non-cancer mortality. The benefits of UV exposure may outweigh the risks in low-sunlight countries. • Evidence suggests benefits of ultraviolet (UV) exposure for several health outcomes. • Associations between behavioural and geographic UV exposures and mortality were assessed. • Higher UV exposures were associated with lower all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. • Higher behavioural UV exposure was also associated with lower non-CVD/non-cancer mortality. • Public health messaging on sunlight exposure may need reconsideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary research on the exposome, i.e. the sum of all the exposures an individual encounters throughout life and that may influence human health, bears the promise of an integrative and policy-relevant research on the effect of environment on health. Critical analyses of the first generation of exposome projects have voiced concerns over their actual breadth of inclusion of environmental factors and a related risk of molecularization of public health issues. The emergence of the European Human Exposome Network (EHEN) provides an opportunity to better situate the ambitions and priorities of the exposome approach on the basis of new and ongoing research. We assess the promises, methods, and limitations of the EHEN, as a case study of the second generation of exposome research. A critical textual analysis of profile articles from each of the projects involved in EHEN, published in Environmental Epidemiology, was carried out to derive common priorities, innovations, methodological and conceptual choices across EHEN and to discuss it. EHEN consolidates its integrative outlook by reinforcing the volume and variety of data, its data analysis infrastructure and by diversifying its strategies to deliver actionable knowledge. Yet data-driven limitations severely restrict the geographical and political scope of this knowledge to health issues primarily related to urban setups, which may aggravate some socio-spatial inequalities in health in Europe. The second generation of exposome research doubles down on the initial ambition of an integrative study of the environmental effects of health to fuel better public health interventions. This intensification is, however, accompanied by significant epistemological challenges and doesn't help to overcome severe restrictions in the geographical and political scope of this knowledge. We thus advocate for increased reflexivity over the limitations of this conceptually and methodologically integrative approach to public and environmental health. • The EHEN broadens the scope and intensify data collection over previous exposome studies. • EHEN aims to provide actionable knowledge addressing various public health issues. • Fluctuating availability and quality of data reduces the spatial coverage of EHEN studies. • EHEN promotes an evidence-based approach to the design of healthier urban environments. • The exposome approach could reinforce some spatial inequalities of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With so many college students experiencing disengagement, the physical design of a college and the connection to its natural surroundings has the potential for profound change. Natural environments, even viewing pictures of them, have the potential to positively impact parasympathetic nervous systems, increase cognitive functioning, and improve attention. This study investigated college student perceptions of their personal well-being with attention to coping, self-esteem, and physical health in a residential academic setting in the northeastern United States. Female students reported less resiliency, lower self-esteem, and a decreased ability to choose positive health behaviors than male students. Findings point to the potential for the built environment on a college campus to be designed with biophilic elements to support and nurture students all year long.

As Andrews et al. (2012) make clear, these emerging 21 SP st sp -century health issues - an aging population, health system strains, resource limitations, and widening health inequalities - are underexamined, yet demand critical sub-disciplinary consideration and translational engagement. Despite the potential of iKT to actually I do i something about health inequalities, health geography iKT uptake is rare. Building on these insights underscores why future iKT work must ensure "all people (individuals, groups and communities) have a fair chance to reach their full health potential and are not disadvantaged by social, economic and environmental conditions", that is, a fair chance to attain health equity (National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health 2015). Walking the health geographers' talk: Aging and health inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa Keywords: health geography; inequality; aging; integrated knowledge translation; sub-Saharan Africa; géographie de la santé; inégalités; vieillissement; application des connaissances intégrées; Afrique subsaharienne EN health geography inequality aging integrated knowledge translation sub-Saharan Africa FR géographie de la santé inégalités vieillissement application des connaissances intégrées Afrique subsaharienne 497 511 15 09/12/22 20220901 NES 220901 Introduction Inequalities in the production, distribution, and determinants of health and well-being are a central focus in health geography and geography writ large (see Andrews et al. 2012; Brown and Moon 2012; Hopkins 2021). [Extracted from the article]

Indeed, health geography scholars are in high demand for their capacity to think spatially and to acknowledge the broader determinants of health; the emphases on health, well-being, environments, and place mean that health geographers can deviate and pivot their acquired knowledge and skills to various career options and settings. Keywords: health geography; Canadian Association of Geography (CAG); Canada; géographie de la santé; Association canadienne des géographes (ACG) EN health geography Canadian Association of Geography (CAG) Canada FR géographie de la santé Association canadienne des géographes (ACG) 512 523 12 09/12/22 20220901 NES 220901 Introduction As a sub-discipline of human geography, health geography evolved from its initial construct of "medical geography", which focused on ecological perspectives of disease and in doing so, employed a heavily positivist approach. Given the diverse and evolving substantive, methodological, and theoretical approaches within health geography, this study explores the career aspirations and experiences of health geography graduates in relation to employment within this sub-discipline and aims to help inform the future direction of health geography. Other (25%) related fields that were identified include Indigenous health, immigrant health, climate change and health, non-communicable disease, injury, epidemiology, education, and determinants of health. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Background The individual factors associated to Frequent Users (FUs) in Emergency Departments are well known. However, the characteristics of their geographical distribution and how territorial specificities are associated and intertwined with ED use are limited. Investigating healthcare use and territorial factors would help targeting local health policies. We aim at describing the geographical distribution of ED’s FUs within the Paris region. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all ED visits in the Paris region in 2015. Data were collected from the universal health insurance’s claims database. Frequent Users (FUs) were defined as having visited ≥3 times any ED of the region over the period. We assessed the FUs rate in each geographical unit (GU) and assessed correlations between FUs rate and socio-demographics and economic characteristics of GUs. We also performed a multidimensional analysis and a principal component analysis to identify a typology of territories to describe and target the FUs phenomenon. Results FUs accounted for 278,687 (11.7%) of the 2,382,802 patients who visited the ED, living in 232 GUs. In the region, median FUs rate in each GU was 11.0% [interquartile range: 9.5–12.5]. High FUs rate was correlated to the territorial markers of social deprivation. Three different categories of GU were identified with different profiles of healthcare providers densities. Conclusion FUs rate varies between territories and is correlated to territorial markers of social deprivation. Targeted public policies should focus on disadvantaged territories.

Abstract Background Geographic information systems (GIS) are often used to examine the association between both physical activity and nutrition environments, and children’s health. It is often assumed that geospatial datasets are accurate and complete. Furthermore, GIS datasets regularly lack metadata on the temporal specificity. Data is usually provided ‘as is’, and therefore may be unsuitable for retrospective or longitudinal studies of health outcomes. In this paper we outline a practical approach to both fill gaps in geospatial datasets, and to test their temporal validity. This approach is applied to both district council and open-source datasets in the Taranaki region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Methods We used the ‘streetview’ python script to download historic Google Street View (GSV) images taken between 2012 and 2016 across specific locations in the Taranaki region. Images were reviewed and relevant features were incorporated into GIS datasets. Results A total of 5166 coordinates with environmental features missing from council datasets were identified. The temporal validity of 402 (49%) environmental features was able to be confirmed from council dataset considered to be ‘complete’. A total of 664 (55%) food outlets were identified and temporally validated. Conclusions Our research indicates that geospatial datasets are not always complete or temporally valid. We have outlined an approach to test the sensitivity and specificity of GIS datasets using GSV images. A substantial number of features were identified, highlighting the limitations of many GIS datasets.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a complex infection that is caused by different species of Leishmania and affects more than 2 million people in 88 countries. Identifying the environmental factors affecting the occurrence of cutaneous leishmaniasis and preparing a risk map is one of the basic tools to control and manage this disease. The aim of this study was a spatial prediction of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Isfahan province, Iran using three machine learning algorithms (decision tree (DT), support vector regression (SVR), and linear regression (LR)). The spatial database was created using data collected on the number of diseases in Isfahan province from 2011 to 2018, as well as ten environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, rainfall, altitude, slope, wind speed, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), number of sunny days, number of frosty days, and distance to stream) that affect the incidence of leishmaniasis. Furthermore, the fuzzy method was employed in this study to reduce uncertainty and evaluate the effect of environmental factors on disease prevalence. Using the holdout method and 70:30 ratios, the data were used to model and prepare a leishmaniasis prediction map and evaluate the results, respectively. The accuracy of the maps satisfied with the DT, SVR, and LR algorithms was 0.951, 0.934, and 0.914, respectively, according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC). Furthermore, the eastern and southern parts of the province have the lowest risk of leishmaniasis. The result of this issue is the identification of high-risk areas of the disease and increase life and peace for people in the community.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, places of public encounter were effectively inhibited by lockdown regulations. In addition to several quantitative studies of the impact of the ongoing pandemic on society, little is known about the use of one’s spatial environment on individual coping strategies mitigating physical isolation. Through an explorative qualitative study we derived a typology of coping strategies that helped participants to balance responsible action and the urgent need for social contact.Our approach aligns with well-known theory in the field of place (Cresswell 2020) and place-bound sociality (cf. Schatzki 2002) in the context of phenomenology (Sloan & Bowe 2014, Rehorick 1991, Seamon 1979). Sixteen participants were selected reflecting diverse conceptualisation of community and representing socioeconomic and gender diversity in both urban and rural areas of the German state of Bavaria. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 restrictions from the end of November 2020 to early December, to reflect expectations and early routines associated with the isolation. In addition to social and individual, a variety of environment-related coping strategies can be observed. We (1) interpret those coping strategies, (2) discuss the essential function of places for the coordination and negotiation of social activities, and (3) relate the importance of public spaces to weak social ties (Granovetter1973) emphasising their outstanding value for individual wellbeing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we evaluated the relationship between obesity rates and altitude using a cross-county study design. We applied a geographically weighted regression (GWR) to examine the spatially varying association between adult obesity rates and altitude after adjusting for four predictor variables including physical activity. A significant negative relationship between altitude and adult obesity rates were found in the GWR model. Our GWR model fitted the data better than OLS regression (R2 = 0.583), as indicated by an improved R2 (average R2 = 0.670; range: 0.26–0.77) and a lower Akaike Information Criteria (AIC) value (14,736.88 vs. 15,386.59 in the OLS model). These approaches, evidencing spatial varying associations, proved very useful to refine interpretations of the statistical output on adult obesity. This study underscored the geographic variation in relationships between adult obesity rates and mean county altitude in the United States. Our study confirmed a varying overall negative relationship between county-level adult obesity rates and mean county altitude after taking other confounding factors into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may vary by age, biological, socioeconomic, behavioural and logistical reasons may be attributed to these variations. In Toronto, Canada, the aging population has been severely impacted, accounting for 92% of all COVID-19 deaths. Four age groups: 60-69 years, 70-79 years, 80-89 years and ≥90 years in Toronto neighbourhoods were investigated for clustering tendencies using space-time statistics. Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was computed to assess variations in risk by neighbourhood between different age groups. The findings suggest that knowledge of health risks and health behaviour varied by age across neighbourhoods in Toronto. Therefore, understanding the socioecological context of the communities and targeting age-appropriate intervention strategies is important for planning an effective mechanism for controlling the disease.

Following the progressive rationalization of hospital care in France, progress in cancer care over the past several decades has led to a significant improvement in patient survival but has also favored the centralization of care in specialized facilities. Based on hospital data, we offer a geographical analysis of the evolution of spatial accessibility of cancer care and surgical activity. The average time to access the nearest surgical center increased by 5 minutes between 2005 and 2018, with 2.1 % of the French population affected by an increase of more than 30 minutes. While cancer surgery activity between 2005 and 2012 increased by 9.1 % in urban areas equipped with a University Hospital or Cancer Center, it decreased very slightly (-0.3 %) in other French municipalities. This strong dynamic of spatial concentration of cancer surgery activity since the beginning of the 2000s confirms the hypothesis of a metropolization of cancer care, since the largest urban areas in metropolitan France now provide the instruction and expertise functions specific to metropolitan areas in the case of cancer care. These results also reflect the increasing use of specialized centers, of which the effects on patients and their home territories should be more widely evaluated.

Computer vision-based analysis of street view imagery has transformative impacts on environmental assessments. Interactive web services, particularly Google Street View, play an ever-important role in making imagery data ubiquitous. Despite the technical ease of harnessing millions of Google Street View images, this article questions the current practices in using this proprietary data source from a European viewpoint. Our concern lies with Google's terms of service, which restrict bulk image downloads and the generation of street view image-based indices. To reconcile the challenge of advancing society through groundbreaking research while maintaining data license agreements and legal integrity, we believe it is crucial to 1) include an author's statement on using proprietary street view data and the directives it entails, 2) negotiate academic-specific license to democratize Google Street View data access, and 3) adhere to open data principles and utilize open image sources for future research. • Street view imagery is a transformative data source. • We caution against the uncritical use of proprietary street view imagery including Google. • Google's terms of service constrain the use of street view imagery in the European Union, despite lawful access. • We call for an author's statement, a license for academic use, open and FAIR-compliant street view images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applied research in healthy cities is often based on empirical investigations of the association between the built environment and health outcomes using spatial analysis. We investigated the influence of proximity to urban facilities on the occurrence of early deaths from myocardial infarction (age <60 years) in the city of São Paulo, with cause of death determined by autopsy. The study data were extracted from interviews applied to relatives/caregivers of 458 deceased autopsied at the Death Verification Service, collecting information on demographic characteristics, residential address, life habits and previous health conditions. After geocoding the residential addresses of the deceased, the distances to different urban facilities were calculated. The existence of an association between the odds of death from myocardial infarction aged <60 years versus ≥60 years and distance to urban facilities was assessed by fitting logistic regression models. The results showed a significant association between these distances and the odds of early death from infarction. More specifically, when distances to different facilities were halved, the odds of death at <60 years were reduced by a factor of 0.78 (−22 %) for community clubs; 0.73 (−27 %) for sports centers; and by 0.80 (20 %) for cycle paths). These results indicate the potential of interventions to benefit human health through the formulation of spatially-integrated public policies in cities. • Myocardial infarction risk is influenced by uneven spatial distribution of urban infrastructure. • Living near sports centers and cycle routes can reduce chance of death from myocardial infarction. • The geocoding of autopsy data provides arguments for implementing urban interventions. • The results call for integrating health in urban and territorial planning actions and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from confirmed COVID-19 cases in Aragón (Spain), aggregated in 123 Basic Health Areas over 50 consecutive weeks, were used to identify, measure and characterise the spatio-temporal patterns of the pandemic. This was done using spatial and temporal autocorrelation measures, obtained from the data through the application of spatial statistics procedures (global and local Moran's I). The spatial and temporal incidence of COVID-19 in Aragón was neither homogeneous nor random, showing a certain overall regularity and notable local variability. This model can be explained by a process of spatial diffusion modified by long-distance contagions and restricted by measures implemented to control the pandemic. The information obtained is of great utility for public health decision-making relating to the organisation of healthcare resources and future measures to prevent and control the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's active school travel can provide a daily source of physical activity, yet the number of children walking or biking to school is decreasing worldwide. This study analyses children's active school travel, its individual, family, socioeconomic and environmental determinants and spatial pattern in Leipzig, Germany. We evaluated the school travel behaviour of 217 eight-year-olds from a prospective birth cohort study called LINA (Lifestyle and Environmental Factors and their Influence on Newborns Allergy Risk). Variables from the LINA questionnaire were combined with data from administrative bodies. We applied logistic regressions to identify the determinants of active travel. Our results show that active school travel decreases from city centre to suburban areas, and that route length, perceived traffic and the residential environment have the greatest influence on which mode of travel is selected. Our findings enable us to suggest improvements in school district delineation in suburban areas that would facilitate active travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, account for many of the diseases in today's society. Many authors over time have shown the influence of climatic elements on population health. In this sense, the objective of this article is to investigate the impact of climatic elements on the records of daily hospital admissions for pneumonia in Balneário Camboriú, Santa Catarina, and Erechim, Rio Grande do Sul, individually and comparatively. Through graphical and statistical analyzes, based on the Spearman's correlation (a = 5%), it was concluded that the decreasing air temperature (cooling) has a statistically significant impact on the hospitalization rate, pointing out higher peaks for pneumonia registries in winter, as well as in the transition seasons (spring and autumn). In Erechim occurred higher hospitalization records, proportionally, when compared to the locality of Santa Catarina. These results are justified by the more evident records of lower temperatures in Erechim. In addition, it is suggested that the lower socioeconomic conditions of the sul-rio-grandense location, as compared to the catarinense, have a more evident impact on the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health inequalities—systematic differences in health outcomes between social groups and across spatial units—are ubiquitous, but not necessarily inevitable. They are the product of a complex interplay of social and economic processes operating at various scales. The unequal pattern of infection and death seen in the Covid‐19 pandemic has served to highlight the stark social gradient in health that exists within many European countries. Although the complex social determinants of health have been studied for many decades, there is still a great deal of work to do to elucidate explanations for health inequalities across time and space. To rise to the challenge, we need high‐quality, representative data capable of capturing multi‐scalar longitudinal processes. This special issue brings together eight new studies which all use national population register data linked with various other sources of administrative data (e.g., residence, tax and health records) to investigate different vectors of inequalities in health and mortality, covering spatial, socioeconomic, ethnic and migrant status. This editorial outlines their contributions, argues for the invaluable role of population register data to understand health inequalities and suggests promising future research avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the summer of 2009 the city of Key West saw the first outbreak of dengue fever in the southeastern United States in nearly 70 years. The outbreak was set amidst a growing trend of increased global incidence and distribution, and required an integrated effort amongst local residents and numerous agencies tasked with managing viruses, vectors, and ecological habitats. By using semi-structured interviews with residents and local health and vector control officials, this paper examines the control of the mosquito and tensions surrounding dengue fever on the island more generally. While local agencies view residents as not taking enough action around their properties to clear breeding sites, this research suggests that residents are taking extensive action by not only being aware of sites in their yards, but actively surveilling and intervening in their neighbors' spaces. Further, important socio-environmental factors were identified that limit residents' abilities to take recommended control actions. Such research is important for the southern US, which has seen a growing increase in dengue and other similar diseases in recent years, as mosquitoes that were previously only annoyances now vector infectious agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological evidence: In Taiwan, herbal tea is considered a traditional medicine and has been consumed for hundreds of years. In contrast to regular tea, herbal teas are prepared using plants other than the regular tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. Bitter tea (kǔ-chá), a series of herbal teas prepared in response to common diseases in Taiwan, is often made from local Taiwanese plants. However, the raw materials and formulations have been kept secret and verbally passed down by store owners across generations without a fixed recipe, and the constituent plant materials have not been disclosed. Aim of the study: The aim was to determine the herbal composition of bitter tea sold in Taiwan, which can facilitate further studies on pharmacological applications and conserve cultural resources. Materials and methods: Interviews were conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire. The surveyed respondents were traditional sellers of traditional herbal tea. The relevant literature was collated for a systematic analysis of the composition, characteristics, and traditional and modern applications of the plant materials used in bitter tea. We also conducted an association analysis of the composition of Taiwanese bitter tea with green herb tea (qing-cao-cha tea), another commonly consumed herbal tea in Taiwan, as well as herbal teas in neighboring areas outside Taiwan. Results: After visiting a total of 59 stores, we identified 32 bitter tea formulations and 73 plant materials. Asteraceae was the most commonly used family, and most stores used whole plants. According to a network analysis of nine plant materials used in high frequency as drug pairs, Tithonia diversifolia and Ajuga nipponensis were found to be the core plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea. Conclusion: Plant materials used in Taiwanese bitter tea were distinct, with multiple therapeutic functions. Further research is required to clarify their efficacy and mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human mobility triggers how fast and where infectious diseases spread and modelling community flows helps assess the impact of social distancing policies and advance our understanding of community behaviour in such circumstances. This study investigated the relationship between human mobility and the surging incidence of COVID‐19 in India. We performed a generalised estimating equation with a Poisson log‐linear model to analyse the daily mobility rate and new cases of COVID‐19 between 14 March and 11 September 2020. We found that mobility to grocery and retail locations was significantly associated (p < 0.01) with the incidence of COVID‐19, these being crowded and unorganised in most parts of India. In contrast, visits to parks, workplaces, and transit stations did not considerably affect the changing COVID‐19 cases over time. In particular, workplaces equipped with social distancing protocols or low‐density open spaces are much less susceptible to the spread of the virus. These findings suggest that human mobility data, geographic information, and health geography modelling have significant potential to inform strategic decision‐making during pandemics because they provide actionable knowledge of when and where communities might be exposed to the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural safety means transforming systems and practices to enable different ways of knowing, providing a shift in our lens of inquiry – so that it includes privilege and advantage as well as the more common foci of disadvantage and exclusion. It is almost three decades since Isabel Dyck and Robin Kearns asserted the need to address these issues in health geography. Given the length of time that has passed since their suggestion, in this report, I pick up their challenge around cultural safety in relation to health geographies and explore how far we have come. In doing so, I highlight recent health geography work which exemplifies this individually and systemically transformative approach. I focus on how understanding and addressing privilege offers a helpful sensitising framework for health geographies and point to the barriers and the opportunities embracing this approach offer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]