Does where you live affect your health? Unpicking the geographical determinants of health

Hosted by Dr Mark Green

We often place great emphasis on who we are (e.g. our genetics, age, ethnicity, etc.) and how we behave (e.g. do you smoke?, are you physically active?, do you eat well?, etc.) for understanding our health and wellbeing. But what about the world around us? From the air that we breathe, the neighbourhoods we live in or our access to nature, geography has historically played an important role in shaping our health. This lecture introduces the ways in which geography influences our health, wellbeing and health-related behaviours. It answers questions such as: ‘Do people who live nearer parks have better wellbeing?’; ‘What can we learn about access to clean water in Victorian London?’; and ‘Are individuals who live in areas with more fast-food outlets more likely to consume fast-food?’

Dr Mark Green is Senior Lecturer in Health Geography in the Department of Geography & Planning at the University of Liverpool.

You can download the powerpoint presentation for this session here. 

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