Better measurement for healthier places

摘要

In the second half of the 19th century, investment in sanitation, clean water, and housing infrastructure dramatically reduced the prevalence of communicable diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, and tuberculosis. As a result, cities became healthier, especially in the developed world. Today, the emphasis in the developed world has shifted from communicable to non-communicable diseases, yet it is possible that features of the urban environment are once again a major culprit in morbidity and mortality, this time by fostering behaviors that lead to some of the most common chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. There is an intense interest in such associations, for example Powell et al.'s (2007) analysis of associations between the food environment and individual behaviors is one of the most downloaded papers in Preventive Medicine.