Health, Disease and the Environment

Examines the role of environmental factors, natural and manmade, in human health and diseases. Using much original research, Foster demonstrates that location is of crucial importance in a range of conditions including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

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This book examines the links between human health and environmental factors, both natural and manmade. The author, a geographical scholar, explores the too little known environmental dimension in health and disease and using much original research demonstrates that location is often of crucial importance in a wide range of diseases, including cancers, heart disease, diabetes and many other conditions. He begins by reviewing how patterns of health and disease cover our space, and considers the medical dimension of climate, geology, soils and trace elements in the ecosystem. This involves a series of chapters, each dealing with a specific medical condition or family of disorders to demonstrate how spatial variations of health and disease are linked to environmental factors. These chapters make use of much original research, and make particular use of maps and graphics.