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Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Earth Science and Medical Geology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 17750

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Dr. Yong Wang

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Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: spatial analysis and modeling & public health; patient mobility analysis; ecological environment analysis; software engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human health has always been influenced intricately by the environment (including the earth, water, soil and air), and socioeconomic conditions (such as influencing the patient's choice of medical treatment). In recent years, the interdisciplinary integration of geography has provided a new track for elucidating the health problems related to the natural and social environment. Combining the technical advantages of remote sensing, geographic information system, global positioning system, big data, artificial intelligence and other fields, geo-environment and geo-health research can achieve vertical extension and in-depth service to society. For example, acquiring, storing and managing remote sensing data in real time, getting and analyzing distribution and dissemination of epidemic and disaster situation, analyzing the patterns of patients’ mobility, 3D digital simulating for resource information, etc. This provides a rich foundation for understanding how health outcomes are interwoven with various external and internal causes, and will bring about the integration and reform of related fields. We will accept manuscripts about multidisciplinary environmental health research for this Special Issue. Here are some recommended topics, though other topics are also welcome:

Spatial analysis technology and human health.
Technology integration in environmental health research.
Environmental pollution and ecological risks.
Interdisciplinary research on environmentally associated diseases.
Health risk prediction.
Characteristics of patients’ mobility for seeking medical care.
Tracking major public health emergencies.
3D simulation of geographic entity and non-geographic entity of resources and environment.
Ecological health evaluation system.
Disaster monitoring and assessment.

Dr. Yong Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

health outcome
resources and environment
public health
patient mobility
spatial statistics
risk assessment

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Pedestrian Environment on Ambulation with a Walking Frame in Elderly Individuals: A Survey and Experimental Study

by Jiemeng Yang, Chen He, Zhongjun Mo, Junchao Guo, Run Ji, Yu Wang, Chunjing Tao and Yubo Fan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9327; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159327 - 30 Jul 2022

Viewed by 2336

Abstract

Understanding the effects of sloped roads in the pedestrian environment on the body during ambulation with a walking frame can help design friendlier living environments for elderly individuals. A survey of the characteristics of walking frames used in different pedestrian environments was investigated in five communities, and a controlled study of the effects of a sloped road on a subject with different walking frames was carried out as foundational research in the laboratory. A synchronous acquisition system consisting of a wireless motion capture module and a physiological information recording module was applied to collect data on the motion of the shoulder joint and skin conductance response (SCR) of fingers in one participant. Force data were collected from sensors placed on the four legs of the walking frame. The experimental data obtained during different tasks were quantitatively analyzed. Compared to flat ground, the shoulder joint rotated in the opposite direction in horizontal and internal/external planes when using a wheeled walking frame on an uphill road, and the supportive force decreased on both uphill and downhill roads. The range of motion of the shoulder joint reduced and the direction of the shoulder joint motion changed when using a footed walking frame on both uphill and downhill roads. Additionally, the peak value of the supportive force on the uphill road appeared in the first 50% of the gait cycle, which was earlier than in the other cases. In addition, walking on the uphill road with a walking frame had a maximum SCR value, which means a greater impact of psychological arousal. Biomechanics of the shoulder joint and psychological arousal are closely related to the ease of walking on a sloped road with a walking frame. These findings are beneficial for designing more appropriate environments for elderly individuals who walk with aids. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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13 pages, 3286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal and Spatial Evolution of the African Swine Fever Epidemic in Vietnam

by Qihui Shao, Rendong Li, Yifei Han, Dongfeng Han and Juan Qiu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8001; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138001 - 29 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2190

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) is a severe infectious disease affecting domestic and wild suids. Spatiotemporal dynamics analysis of the ASF is crucial to understanding its transmission. The ASF broke out in Vietnam in February 2019. The research on the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of ASF in Vietnam is lacking. Spatiotemporal statistical methods, including direction analysis, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and spatiotemporal scan statistics were used to reveal the dynamics of the spatial diffusion direction and spatiotemporal aggregation characteristics of ASF in Vietnam. According to the cessation of the epidemic, it was divided into three phases: February to August 2019 (phase 1), April to December 2020 (phase 2), and January 2021 to March 2022 (phase 3). The ASF showed a significant spread trend from north to south in phase 1. The occurrence rate of the ASF aggregated spatially in phase 1 and became random in phases 2 and 3. The high−high ASF clusters (the province was a high cluster and both it and its neighbors had a high ASF occurrence rate) were concentrated in the north in phases 1 and 2. Four spatiotemporal high-risk ASF clusters were identified with a mean radius of 121.88 km. In general, there were significant concentrated outbreak areas and directional spread in the early stage and small-scale, high-frequency, and randomly scattered outbreaks in the later stage. The findings could contribute to a deeper understanding of the spatiotemporal spread of the ASF in Vietnam. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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20 pages, 2496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Built Environment Assessment of Residential Areas in Wuhan during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak

by Heli Lu, Menglin Xia, Ziyuan Qin, Siqi Lu, Ruimin Guan, Yuna Yang, Changhong Miao and Taizheng Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 7814; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137814 - 25 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2193

Abstract

The COVID-19 epidemic has emerged as one of the biggest challenges, and the world is focused on preventing and controlling COVID-19. Although there is still insufficient understanding of how environmental conditions may impact the COVID-19 pandemic, airborne transmission is regarded as an important environmental factor that influences the spread of COVID-19. The natural ventilation potential (NVP) is critical for airborne infection control in the micro-built environment, where infectious and susceptible people share air spaces. Taking Wuhan as the research area, we evaluated the NVP in residential areas to combat COVID-19 during the outbreak. We determined four fundamental residential area layouts (point layout, parallel layout, center-around layout, and mixed layout) based on the semantic similarity model for point of interest (POI) picking. Our analyses indicated that the center-around and point layout had a higher NVP, while the mixed and parallel layouts had a lower NVP in winter and spring. Further analysis showed that the proportion of the worst NVP has been rising, while the proportion of the poor NVP remains very high in Wuhan. This study suggested the need to efficiently improve the residential area layout in Wuhan for better urban ventilation to combat COVID-19 without losing other benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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14 pages, 5476 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Maternal Service Area and Referral System in Hubei Province, China

by Lingyao Bai, Yang Cheng, Zhuolin Tao, Ling Feng, Shaoshuai Wang and Yu Zeng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4881; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084881 - 17 Apr 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1884

Abstract

Hospital service area (HSA) and Hospital referral region (HRR) are significant in organizing maternal care resources in hierarchical medical systems. This quantitative study aims to delineate HAS and HRR by using obstetrics medical record data reflecting patients’ medical behavior to improve the efficiency of the utilization of medical resources. The Dartmouth method and an improved version that considers the administrative division was applied to delineate HSA and HRR by using the obstetrics medical records in Hubei Province of China in 2016. The result shows that 117 Dartmouth HSAs have a strong correlation with the county boundaries and 22 Dartmouth HRRs are highly coincident with the prefecture boundaries in Hubei. In addition, 25 improved Dartmouth HRRs within prefecture boundaries and core areas serving patients across prefecture boundaries have been identified. Based on the above results, two sets of hierarchical healthcare systems were constructed, respectively, which can provide methods and references for delineating HAS and HRR in the hierarchical medical systems in other regions of China and developing countries. The findings of this study shed light on future research and policymaking in the spatial organization of medical resources for improving the efficiency and equity in maternal care delivery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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30 pages, 10956 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Susceptibility Analysis of Geohazards in the Longmen Mountain Region after the Wenchuan Earthquake

by Shuai Li, Zhongyun Ni, Yinbing Zhao, Wei Hu, Zhenrui Long, Haiyu Ma, Guoli Zhou, Yuhao Luo and Chuntao Geng

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3229; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063229 - 9 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2787

Abstract

Multitemporal geohazard susceptibility analysis can not only provide reliable results but can also help identify the differences in the mechanisms of different elements under different temporal and spatial backgrounds, so as to better accurately prevent and control geohazards. Here, we studied the 12 counties (cities) that were severely affected by the Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008. Our study was divided into four time periods: 2008, 2009–2012, 2013, and 2014–2017. Common geohazards in the study area, such as landslides, collapses and debris flows, were taken into account. We constructed a geohazard susceptibility index evaluation system that included topography, geology, land cover, meteorology, hydrology, and human activities. Then we used a random forest model to study the changes in geohazard susceptibility during the Wenchuan earthquake, the following ten years, and its driving mechanisms. We had four main findings. (1) The susceptibility of geohazards from 2008 to 2017 gradually increased and their spatial distribution was significantly correlated with the main faults and rivers. (2) The Yingxiu-Beichuan Fault, the western section of the Jiangyou-Dujiangyan Fault, and the Minjiang and Fujiang rivers were highly susceptible to geohazards, and changes in geohazard susceptibility mainly occurred along the Pingwu-Qingchuan Fault, the eastern section of the Jiangyou-Dujiangyan Fault, and the riparian areas of the Mianyuan River, Zagunao River, Tongkou River, Baicao River, and other secondary rivers. (3) The relative contribution of topographic factors to geohazards in the four different periods was stable, geological factors slowly decreased, and meteorological and hydrological factors increased. In addition, the impact of land cover in 2008 was more significant than during other periods, and the impact of human activities had an upward trend from 2008 to 2017. (4) Elevation and slope had significant topographical effects, coupled with the geological environmental effects of engineering rock groups and faults, and river-derived effects, which resulted in a spatial aggregation of geohazard susceptibility. We attributed the dynamic changes in the areas that were highly susceptible to geohazards around the faults and rivers to the changes in the intensity of earthquakes and precipitation in different periods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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15 pages, 5224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Characteristics of Cross-Regional Patient Groups and Differences in Hospital Service Utilization in Beijing

by Yu Yang and Yong Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3227; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063227 - 9 Mar 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2135

Abstract

When medical diagnostic difficulties occur at local hospitals, seeking high-quality services across regions becomes a priority for many patients. Traditional statistical methods in health care are unable to account for spatial characteristics such as outflow place or distributions of disease type and patient ages in the context of an increasing number of cross-regional groups; thus, these methods are incapable of studying service utilization differences among hospitals. From a geographic perspective, we analyzed the spatial characteristics of cross-regional patient groups who travelled from other places to Beijing and the spatial decay patterns in the actual service utilization of different hospitals in Beijing by using geographic calculations, geographic visualizations, and distance decay functions. We found the following results: (1) It is feasible to study patients’ cross-regional mobility from a geographical perspective. Through interdisciplinary integration, we can explore laws and conclusions that cannot be examined by traditional statistical methods in health care. (2) The characteristics of cross-regional patients who travelled from other places to Beijing were as follows: (a) Most patients came from northern China, and neoplasm treatment was the main demand of cross-regional patients; (b) patients 40–65 years old were the main cross-regional treatment group, and the average age of patients from northern regions and certain eastern coastal cities was relatively high. (3) The exponential distance decay function was the best of all five distance decay functions in fitting the distribution of cross-regional patient mobility to hospitals of different levels, types, and functional areas. The results of applying this function and the centrality calculation method showed that hospital service utilization was least affected by distance and that average radial distances (AR) were greatest in tertiary hospitals (distance decay coefficient β = 0.0786, AR = 664.70 km), traditional Chinese medicine hospitals (β = 0.0752, AR = 743.52 km), and hospitals in urban extension areas (β = 0.0782, AR = 693.29 km). Our results can serve as a reference for research concerning the allocation of medical resources and patients’ choices regarding medical treatment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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16 pages, 4566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PM_2.5 Concentration Exposure over the Belt and Road Region from 2000 to 2020

by Shenxin Li, Sedra Shafi, Bin Zou, Jing Liu, Ying Xiong and Bilal Muhammad

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 2852; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052852 - 1 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2772

Abstract

Ambient fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) can cause respiratory and heart diseases, which have a great negative impact on human health. While, as a fast-developing region, the Belt and Road (B&R) has suffered serious air pollution, more detailed information has not been revealed. This study aims to investigate the evolutionary relationships between PM_2.5 air pollution and its population-weighted exposure level (PWEL) over the B&R based on satellite-derived PM_2.5 concentration and to identify the key regions for exposure control in the future. For this, the study focused on the B&R region, covering 51 countries, ranging from developed to least developed levels, extensively evaluated the different development levels of PM_2.5 concentrations during 2000–2020 by spatial-temporal trend analysis and bivariate spatial correlation, then identified the key regions with high risk under different levels of Air Quality Guidelines (AQG). Results show that the overall PM_2.5 and PWEL of PM_2.5 concentration remained stable. Developing countries presented with the heaviest PM_2.5 pollution and highest value of PWEL of PM_2.5 concentration, while least developed countries presented with the fastest increase of both PM_2.5 and PWEL of PM_2.5 concentration. Areas with a high level and rapid increase PWEL of PM_2.5 concentration were mainly located in the developing countries of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan, the developed country of Saudi Arabia, and least developed countries of Yemen and Myanmar. The key regions at high risk were mainly on the Indian Peninsula, Arabian Peninsula, coastal area of the Persian Gulf, northwestern China, and North China Plain. The findings of this research would be beneficial to identify the spatial distributions of PM_2.5 concentration exposure and offer suggestions for formulating policies for the prevention and control PM_2.5 air pollution at regional scale by the governments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geo-Environment and Geo-Health: Interdisciplinarity, Fusion and Application)

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