Pathogenic built environment? Reflections on modeling spatial determinants of health in urban settings considering the example of COVID-19 studies.

ABSTRACT: The triad of host, agent, and environment has become a widely accepted framework for understanding infectious diseases and human health. While modern medicine has traditionally focused on the individual, there is a renewed interest in the role of the environment. Recent studies have shifted from an early-twentieth-century emphasis on individual factors to a broader consideration of contextual factors, including environmental, climatic, and social settings as spatial determinants of health. This shifted focus has been particularly relevant in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where the built environment in urban settings is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor influencing disease transmission. However, operationalizing the complexity of associations between the built environment

SUBMITTER: Lakes T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11955651 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature