An Introduction to the Geography of Health

In the third edition of An Introduction to the Geography of Health, Peter Anthamatten and Helen Hazen explore the ways in which geographic methods and approaches can inform our understanding of health. The book’s focus on a broad range of physical and social factors that drive health in places and spaces offers students and scholars an important holistic perspective on the study of health in the modern era. Beginning with thematic materials, the authors capture student interest with engaging case studies before guiding the reader through some common methodological and theoretical approaches, always reinforcing the idea that theory is most useful when applied to specific, real-world problems. In contrast to many of the currently available texts, the book covers the breadth of the discipline, giving equal weight to ecological and social approaches to the topic, as well as empirical and post-positivist methodologies. The text is global in scope, emphasizing that many health problems require international attention in our increasingly interconnected world, and that the theories and methods of geography can be applied to health issues in a variety of contexts. The new edition has been updated to reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes new and expanded sections on mental health, PFAS, climate change, coercive pronatalism, and health misinformation. The book is designed to be used as the core text for a health geography course for undergraduate and lower-level graduate students and is relevant to students of biology, medicine, social science, urban planning, and public health. Included with the text are updated online supplemental materials for faculty use including PowerPoint Slides and eGlossaries for each chapter, available at www.routledge.com/9781041013006