health geography research topics

• Search by keyword
• Search by citation

Page 1 of 21

Comparison of geographical and individual deprivation index to assess the risk of Sars-CoV-2 infection and disease severity: a retrospective cohort study

It has been shown that COVID-19 affects people at socioeconomic disadvantage more strongly. Previous studies investigating the association between geographical deprivation and COVID-19 outcomes in Italy report...

• View Full Text

Revisiting the impact of public spaces on the mental health of rural migrants in Wuhan: an integrated multi-source data analysis

Current research on public spaces and mental health often focuses on the independent relationship of one or more social mediators, neglecting the nuanced implications and serial mechanisms inherent in the prog...

Towards more realistic measures of accessibility to emergency departments in Sweden

Assuring that emergency health care (EHC) is accessible is a key objective for health care planners. Conventional accessibility analysis commonly relies on resident population data. However, the allocation of ...

A French classification to describe medical deserts: a multi-professional approach based on the first contact with the healthcare system

Increasing inequalities in accessibility to primary care has generated medical deserts. Identifying them is key to target the geographic areas where action is needed. An extensive definition of primary care ha...

Socioeconomic and geographic variations of disabilities in India: evidence from the National Family Health Survey, 2019–21

Increasing disability is of global and national concern. Lack of evidence on disability across socioeconomic groups and geographic levels (especially small areas) impeded interventions for these disadvantaged ...

Global positioning system-based food environment exposures, diet-related, and cardiometabolic health outcomes: a systematic review and research agenda

Geographic access to food may affect dietary choices and health outcomes, but the strength and direction of associations may depend on the operationalization of exposure measures. We aimed to systematically re...

The built environment, purpose-specific walking behaviour and overweight: evidence from Wuhan metropolis in central China

The impact of objective and subjective environmental factors on health outcomes has been a topic of significant debate, with a growing body of research acknowledging the role of a physically active lifestyle i...

Determinants of disparities of diabetes-related hospitalization rates in Florida: a retrospective ecological study using a multiscale geographically weighted regression approach

Early diagnosis, control of blood glucose levels and cardiovascular risk factors, and regular screening are essential to prevent or delay complications of diabetes. However, most adults with diabetes do not me...

Using geographic rescue time contours, point-of-care strategies, and spatial care paths to prepare island communities for global warming, rising oceans, and weather disasters

To perform geographic contour analysis of sea and land ambulance rescue times in an archipelago subject to super typhoons; to design point-of-care testing strategies for medical emergencies and weather disaste...

Mapping the prevalence of cancer risk factors at the small area level in Australia

Cancer is a significant health issue globally and it is well known that cancer risk varies geographically. However in many countries there are no small area-level data on cancer risk factors with high resoluti...

Understanding the spread of infectious diseases in edge areas of hotspots: dengue epidemics in tropical metropolitan regions

Identifying clusters or hotspots from disease maps is critical in research and practice. Hotspots have been shown to have a higher potential for transmission risk and may be the source of infections, making th...

People’s political views, perceived social norms, and individualism shape their privacy concerns for and acceptance of pandemic control measures that use individual-level georeferenced data

As the COVID-19 pandemic became a major global health crisis, many COVID-19 control measures that use individual-level georeferenced data (e.g., the locations of people’s residences and activities) have been u...

Gravity models for potential spatial healthcare access measurement: a systematic methodological review

Quantifying spatial access to care—the interplay of accessibility and availability—is vital for healthcare planning and understanding implications of services (mal-)distribution. A plethora of methods aims to ...

Revealing associations between spatial time series trends of COVID-19 incidence and human mobility: an analysis of bidirectionality and spatiotemporal heterogeneity

Using human mobility as a proxy for social interaction, previous studies revealed bidirectional associations between COVID-19 incidence and human mobility. For example, while an increase in COVID-19 cases may ...

Epidemiology, risk areas and macro determinants of gastric cancer: a study based on geospatial analysis

Both incidence and mortality of gastric cancer in Gansu rank first in china, this study aimed to describe the recent prevalence of gastric cancer and explore the social and environmental determinants of gastri...

A Bayesian maximum entropy model for predicting tsetse ecological distributions

African trypanosomiasis is a tsetse-borne parasitic infection that affects humans, wildlife, and domesticated animals. Tsetse flies are endemic to much of Sub-Saharan Africa and a spatial and temporal understa...

Optimizing the maximum reported cluster size for the multinomial-based spatial scan statistic

Correctly identifying spatial disease cluster is a fundamental concern in public health and epidemiology. The spatial scan statistic is widely used for detecting spatial disease clusters in spatial epidemiolog...

Effects of greenery at different heights in neighbourhood streetscapes on leisure walking: a cross-sectional study using machine learning of streetscape images in Sendai City, Japan

It has been pointed out that eye-level greenery streetscape promotes leisure walking which is known to be a health -positive physical activity. Most previous studies have focused on the total amount of greener...

Global mosquito observations dashboard (GMOD): creating a user-friendly web interface fueled by citizen science to monitor invasive and vector mosquitoes

Mosquitoes and the diseases they transmit pose a significant public health threat worldwide, causing more fatalities than any other animal. To effectively combat this issue, there is a need for increased publi...

Short-term exposure sequences and anxiety symptoms: a time series clustering of smartphone-based mobility trajectories

Short-term environmental exposures, including green space, air pollution, and noise, have been suggested to affect health. However, the evidence is limited to aggregated exposure estimates which do not allow t...

Physical environment features that predict outdoor active play can be measured using Google Street View images

Childrens’ outdoor active play is an important part of their development. Play behaviour can be predicted by a variety of physical and social environmental features. Some of these features are difficult to mea...

Capturing emergency dispatch address points as geocoding candidates to quantify delimited confidence in residential geolocation

In response to citizens’ concerns about elevated cancer incidence in their locales, US CDC proposed publishing cancer incidence at sub-county scales. At these scales, confidence in patients’ residential geoloc...

Assessing the association between food environment and dietary inflammation by community type: a cross-sectional REGARDS study

Communities in the United States (US) exist on a continuum of urbanicity, which may inform how individuals interact with their food environment, and thus modify the relationship between food access and dietary...

Small-area estimation and analysis of HIV/AIDS indicators for precise geographical targeting of health interventions in Nigeria. a spatial microsimulation approach

Precise geographical targeting is well recognised as an indispensable intervention strategy for achieving many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is more cogent for health-related goals such as the red...

Empowering health geography research with location-based social media data: innovative food word expansion and energy density prediction via word embedding and machine learning

The exponential growth of location-based social media (LBSM) data has ushered in novel prospects for investigating the urban food environment in health geography research. However, previous studies have primar...

Recreational walking and perceived environmental qualities: a national map-based survey in Denmark

The aim of the study is to explore the diversity in recreational walking motives across groups with different sociodemographic characteristics, and to use a dynamic and person-centered approach to geographical...

Spatial and temporal trends of overweight/obesity and tobacco use in East Africa: subnational insights into cardiovascular disease risk factors

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Overweight/obesity and tobacco use are modifiable CVD risk factors, however literature about the spatiotemporal dynamics of these risk fa...

Small area analysis methods in an area of limited mapping: exploratory geospatial analysis of firearm injuries in Port-au-Prince, Haiti

The city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, is experiencing an epidemic of firearm injuries which has resulted in high burdens of morbidity and mortality. Despite this, little scientific literature exists on the topic....

Socioeconomic and environmental determinants of asthma prevalence: a cross-sectional study at the U.S. County level using geographically weighted random forests

Some studies have established associations between the prevalence of new-onset asthma and asthma exacerbation and socioeconomic and environmental determinants. However, research remains limited concerning the ...

Impacts of seasonal flooding on geographical access to maternal healthcare in the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia

Seasonal floods pose a commonly-recognised barrier to women’s access to maternal services, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Despite their importance, previous GIS models of healthcare access hav...

Association of neighborhood physical activity facilities with incident cardiovascular disease

The availability of physical activity (PA) facilities in neighborhoods is hypothesized to influence cardiovascular disease (CVD), but evidence from individual-level long-term cohort studies is limited. We aime...

Assessing the association between overcrowding and human physiological stress response in different urban contexts: a case study in Salzburg, Austria

Overcrowding in densely populated urban areas is increasingly becoming an issue for mental health disorders. Yet, only few studies have examined the association between overcrowding in cities and physiological...

A practical illustration of spatial smoothing methods for disconnected regions with INLA: spatial survey on overweight and obesity in Malaysia

National prevalence could mask subnational heterogeneity in disease occurrence, and disease mapping is an important tool to illustrate the spatial pattern of disease. However, there is limited information on t...

Quantifying the spatial spillover effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions on pandemic risk

Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented in one place can affect neighboring regions by influencing people’s behavior. However, existing epidemic models for NPIs evaluation rarely consider such spat...

Open-source environmental data as an alternative to snail surveys to assess schistosomiasis risk in areas approaching elimination

Although the presence of intermediate snails is a necessary condition for local schistosomiasis transmission to occur, using them as surveillance targets in areas approaching elimination is challenging because...

Long-term exposure and health risk assessment from air pollution: impact of regional scale mobility

The negative effect of air pollution on human health is widely reported in recent literature. It typically involves urbanized areas where the population is concentrated and where most primary air pollutants a...

Association of socio-economic deprivation with COVID-19 incidence and fatality during the first wave of the pandemic in Italy: lessons learned from a local register-based study

COVID-19 has been characterised by its global and rapid spread, with high infection, hospitalisation, and mortality rates worldwide. However, the course of the pandemic showed differences in chronology and int...

Spatiotemporal analysis of the effect of global development indicators on child mortality

Child mortality continue to be a major public health issue in most developing countries; albeit there has been a decline in global under-five deaths. The differences in child mortality can best be explained by...

Uncovering COVID-19 infection determinants in Portugal: towards an evidence-based spatial susceptibility index to support epidemiological containment policies

COVID-19 caused the largest pandemic of the twenty-first century forcing the adoption of containment policies all over the world. Many studies on COVID-19 health determinants have been conducted, mainly using ...

Characterization of prehospital time delay in primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction: analysis of geographical infrastructure-dependent and -independent components

Prehospital delay in reaching a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) facility is a major problem preventing early coronary reperfusion in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim o...

Geographic accessibility and hospital competition for emergency blood transfusion services in Bungoma, Western Kenya

Estimating accessibility gaps to essential health interventions helps to allocate and prioritize health resources. Access to blood transfusion represents an important emergency health requirement. Here, we dev...

Cyclists’ exposure to air pollution, noise, and greenery: a population-level spatial analysis approach

Urban travel exposes people to a range of environmental qualities with significant health and wellbeing impacts. Nevertheless, the understanding of travel-related environmental exposure has remained limited. H...

Spatiotemporal evolution of COVID-19 in Portugal’s Mainland with self-organizing maps

Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) are an unsupervised learning clustering and dimensionality reduction algorithm capable of mapping an initial complex high-dimensional data set into a low-dimensional domain, such as ...

Comparison of static and dynamic exposures to air pollution, noise, and greenness among seniors living in compact-city environments

GPS technology and tracking study designs have gained popularity as a tool to go beyond the limitations of static exposure assessments based on the subject's residence. These dynamic exposure assessment method...

Geospatial techniques for monitoring and mitigating climate change and its effects on human health

This article begins by briefly examining the multitude of ways in which climate and climate change affect human health and wellbeing. It then proceeds to present a quick overview of how geospatial data, method...

The effect of physician density on colorectal cancer stage at diagnosis: causal inference methods for spatial data applied on regional-level data

The early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) through regular screening decreases its incidence and mortality rates and improves survival rates. Norway has an extremely high percentage of CRC cases diagnosed ...

Deriving neighborhood-level diet and physical activity measurements from anonymized mobile phone location data for enhancing obesity estimation

Obesity is a serious public health problem. Existing research has shown a strong association between obesity and an individual’s diet and physical activity. If we extend such an association to the neighborhood...

Role of mammography accessibility, deprivation and spatial effect in breast cancer screening participation in France: an observational ecological study

The detection of cancer in its early latent stages can improve patients’ chances of recovery and thereby reduce the overall burden of the disease. Our objectives were to investigate factors (geographic accessi...

The effect of sampling health facilities on estimates of effective coverage: a simulation study

Most existing facility assessments collect data on a sample of health facilities. Sampling of health facilities may introduce bias into estimates of effective coverage generated by ecologically linking individ...

Application of machine learning to predict transport modes from GPS, accelerometer, and heart rate data

There has been an increased focus on active transport, but the measurement of active transport is still difficult and error-prone. Sensor data have been used to predict active transport. While heart rate data ...

• Editorial Board
• Manuscript editing services
• Instructions for Editors
• Sign up for article alerts and news from this journal
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow us on Facebook

Annual Journal Metrics

2022 Citation Impact 4.9 - 2-year Impact Factor 4.8 - 5-year Impact Factor 1.628 - SNIP (Source Normalized Impact per Paper) 1.142 - SJR (SCImago Journal Rank)

2023 Speed 7 days submission to first editorial decision for all manuscripts (Median) 96 days submission to accept (Median)

2023 Usage  736,127 downloads 398 Altmetric mentions 

International Journal of Health Geographics

ISSN: 1476-072X

• Submission enquiries: [email protected]

• Subject List
• Take a Tour
• For Authors
• Subscriber Services
• Publications
• African American Studies
• African Studies
• American Literature
• Anthropology
• Architecture Planning and Preservation
• Art History
• Atlantic History
• Biblical Studies
• British and Irish Literature
• Childhood Studies
• Chinese Studies
• Cinema and Media Studies
• Communication
• Criminology
• Environmental Science
• Evolutionary Biology
• International Law
• International Relations
• Islamic Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Latino Studies
• Linguistics
• Literary and Critical Theory
• Medieval Studies
• Military History
• Political Science

Public Health

• Renaissance and Reformation
• Social Work
• Urban Studies
• Victorian Literature
• Browse All Subjects

How to Subscribe

• Free Trials

In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Geography and Health

Introduction, general overviews.

• Historical Perspectives
• Disease and Medical Care
• Specific Infectious Diseases and Their Causes
• Non-Communicable Diseases
• Inequality in Population Health
• Health Care
• Public Mental Health, Psychiatric Disorders, and their Outcomes
• Health and Well-being and their Wider Determinants
• Care, Healing, and Health Promotion
• Context, Composition, and Interactions between Contextual and Individual Health Determinants
• Population Movement and Migration
• Environmental Change and the Impacts on Health

Related Articles Expand or collapse the "related articles" section about

About related articles close popup.

Lorem Ipsum Sit Dolor Amet

Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Aliquam ligula odio, euismod ut aliquam et, vestibulum nec risus. Nulla viverra, arcu et iaculis consequat, justo diam ornare tellus, semper ultrices tellus nunc eu tellus.

• Access to Health Care
• Cardiovascular Health and Disease
• Ecological Approaches
• Geographic Information Systems
• Global Health Promotion
• History of Public Health
• Immigrant Populations

Other Subject Areas

Forthcoming articles expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section.

• Cultural Considerations in Disability
• Health Fraud, Quackery, and Misinformation
• Motivational Interviewing
• Find more forthcoming articles...
• Export Citations
• Share This Facebook LinkedIn Twitter

Geography and Health by Sarah Curtis LAST REVIEWED: 04 October 2016 LAST MODIFIED: 30 June 2014 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756797-0121

Health geography considers the significance for physical and mental health of interactions between people and their environment. It investigates why space and place are important for health variation in the population. Approaches in health geography are diverse, drawing on different ways of conceptualizing space, place, and health. Some geographers work with positivist concepts of causal processes that can often be researched in Euclidian space by considering patterns of variability across a large number of areas. Others conceptualize place using interactionist or phenomenological perspectives and consider space and place to be socially constructed and highly contingent on individual experience and perception. The idea of scale is often crucial, and geographers are concerned with processes operating from the global to the micro scale. Some geographical research focuses on a specific place (such as a single building, a natural setting, or a local community). Geographers are interested in concepts of embodiment and the physical and social construction of the human body as a “site” where social processes associated with health are expressed. Geographical research concerns processes operating in time as well as space, linking health over the life course with processes of human migration, environmental change, and duration of exposures to different environmental risk factors. Geography considers “health” broadly defined as physical or mental health, well-being, and health-related practices, and addresses a range of different substantive issues. These include spatial epidemiological questions of how and why human health varies from one area to another at the “ecological” (aggregated population) level. Geography also examines how individual health outcomes and health- related practices relate to one’s varying experience of (and exposure to) physical and social environments. Geographical research uses methods ranging from statistical studies using quantitative indicators of health and health determinants to qualitative techniques, including unstructured interviews or ethnographic observations. Also, “mixed methods” include participative mapping techniques, allowing individual research participants to determine the selection and interpretations of geocoded observations on the ground. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are one of many methods used in health geography. The various themes in geography of health reviewed below show the field has evolved over time. Future developments in the field seem likely to include work to extend the concern with environmental change, globalization, and the significance of social processes and social theory for our understanding of the relationships between health and the environment.

Overviews of health geography show how the field has evolved over time. The following are rather broad in scope, and there are others in subsequent sections that review work on particular aspects of health and health variation. There was initially a dominant focus on “medical geography,” emphasizing research on geographical factors associated with specific diseases, as presented in Meade and Earickson 2000 . Other overviews show how the field has evolved to be viewed as “health geography,” considering health and illness as socially as well as medically constructed phenomena: this is well explained, for example in Jones and Moon 1987 . The overviews below also emphasize the different theoretical and methodological perspectives used in health geography discussed in Gatrell and Elliott 2009 . Compendia such as Brown, et al. 2009 also represent the breadth of the field and its relevance for public health research embracing fields including disease, health, and well-being, as well as accessibility and use of services and the ways that users interact with services in different settings (all of which are considered in more detail below in this section). In addition to research on geographical factors as determinants of health, health geographers also investigate the ways that our state of health affects our experience of physical and social environments.

Brown T., S. McLafferty, and G. Moon. 2009. A companion to health and medical geography . Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

DOI: 10.1002/9781444314762

A collection of essays by leading researchers in the field, this provides an overview of major debates in geographies of health. It also includes sections on geographical perspectives on disease, health and well-being, public health, and health care, and caring.

Gatrell A., and S. Elliott. 2009. Geographies of health . Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell.

This updates an earlier edition published by Anthony Gatrell and provides a useful introduction to the field, clearly showing how different theoretical and methodological approaches can be brought to bear on questions of health geography.

Gesler, W., and W. Kearns. 2002. Culture place and health . Critical Geographies. London: Routledge.

A comprehensive overview, from a health geography perspective, of the ways that theoretical and empirical knowledge of cultural and social processes help us to understand the relationships between place and health.

Jones, K., and G. Moon. 1987. Health disease and society . London: Routledge.

This groundbreaking book contributed to the shift in health geography from a geographical perspective on medically defined disease to a more broadly interpreted idea of health and illness as socially constructed processes. Argues for the ways that places help to constitute health and includes chapters on mental as well as physical health.

Kearns, R., and G. Moon. 2002. From medical to health geography: Novelty, place and theory after a decade of change. Progress in Human Geography 26.5: 605–625.

DOI: 10.1191/0309132502ph389oa

Discusses the development of the focus on geography of health with new emphasis on themes of place and engagement with social and critical theory to complement models aligned with positivist science.

Meade, M., and R. Earickson. 2000. Medical geography . New York: Guildford.

This is the second edition of an important review of the field from a medical geography perspective by leading American specialists. Has a particularly strong emphasis on disease ecology and the links between geography and medicine.

back to top

Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on this page. Please subscribe or login .

Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here .

• About Public Health »
• Meet the Editorial Board »
• Action Research
• Active Aging
• Active Living
• Adolescent Health, Socioeconomic Inequalities in
• Adolescent Risk-Taking Behavior in the United States
• Advocacy, Public Health
• Agricultural Safety and Public Health
• Air Quality: Health Effects
• Air Quality: Indoor Health Effects
• Alcohol Availability and Violence
• Alternative Research Designs
• Ambient Air Quality Standards and Guidelines
• American Perspectives on Chronic Disease and Control
• Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
• Arts in Health
• Asthma in Children
• Asthma, Work-Related
• Attachment as a Health Determinant
• Behavior Change Theory in Health Education and Promotion
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance
• Bicycling and Cycling Safety
• Birth and Death Registration
• Birth Cohort Studies
• Board of Health
• Breastfeeding
• Built Environment and Health, The
• Business and Corporate Practices
• Cancer Communication Strategies in North America
• Cancer Prevention
• Cancer Screening
• Capacity Building
• Capacity Building for NCDs in LMICs
• Capacity-Building for Applied Public Health in LMIC: A US ...
• Child Labor
• Child Maltreatment
• Children, Air Pollution and
• Children, Injury Risk-Taking Behaviors in
• Children, Obesity in
• Citizen Advisory Boards
• Climate Change and Human Health
• Climate Change: Institutional Response
• Clinical Preventive Medicine
• Community Air Pollution
• Community Development
• Community Gardens
• Community Health Assessment
• Community Health Interventions
• Community Partnerships and Coalitions
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Complexity and Systems Theory
• Critical Health Literacy
• Cultural Capital and Health
• Cultural Safety
• Culture and Public Health
• Definition of Health
• Dental Public Health
• Design and Health
• Dietary Guidelines
• Directions in Global Public Health Graduate Education
• Driving and Public Health
• Enabling Factors
• Environmental Health, Pediatric
• Environmental Laws
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Ethics of Public Health
• Evidence-Based Pediatric Dentistry
• Evidence-Based Public Health Practice
• Family Planning Services and Birth Control
• Food Safety
• Food Security and Food Banks
• Food Systems
• Frail Elderly
• Functional Literacy
• Genomics, Public Health
• Geography and Health
• Global Health
• Global Health Diplomacy
• Global Health Security
• Guide to Community Preventive Services, The
• Health Administration
• Health Communication
• Health Disparities
• Health Education
• Health Impact Assessment
• Health in All Policies
• Health in All Policies in European Countries
• Health Literacy
• Health Literacy and Noncommunicable Diseases
• Health Measurement Scales
• Health Planning
• Health Promoting Hospitals
• Health Promotion
• Health Promotion Foundations
• Health Promotion Workforce Capacity
• Health Systems of Low and Middle-Income Countries, The
• Healthy People Initiative
• Healthy Public Policy
• Hepatitis C
• High Risk Prevention Strategies
• Homelessness
• Human Rights, Health and
• Human Sexuality and Sexual Health: A Western Perspective
• IANPHI and National Public Health Institutes
• Immunization and Pneumococcal Infection
• Immunization in Pregnancy
• Indigenous Peoples, Public Health and
• Indigenous Populations of North America, Australasia, and ...
• Indoor Air Quality Guidelines
• Infant Mortality
• Internet Applications in Promoting Health Behavior
• Intersectoral Action
• Intersectoral Strategies in Low - Middle Income Countries ...
• Justice, Social
• Knowledge Translation and Exchange
• Knowledge Utilization and Exchange
• Law of Public Health in the United States
• Media Advocacy
• Mental Health
• Mental Health Promotion
• Migrant Health
• Migrant Worker Health
• Motor Vehicle Injury Prevention
• Multi-Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
• Nanotechnology
• National Association of Local Boards of Health
• National Public Health Institutions
• Needs Assessment
• Needs Assessments in International Disasters and Emergenci...
• Obesity Prevention
• Occupational Cancers
• Occupational Exposure to Benzene
• Occupational Exposure to Erionite
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
• Oral Health Equity for Minority Populations in the United ...
• Ottawa Charter
• Parenting and Work
• Parenting Skills and Capacity
• Participatory Action Research
• Patient Decision Making
• Pesticide Exposure and Pesticide Health Effects
• Physical Activity and Exercise
• Physical Activity Promotion
• Pneumoconiosis
• Polio Eradication in Pakistan
• Population Aging
• Population Determinants of Unhealthy Foods and Beverages
• Population Health Objectives and Targets
• Precautionary Principle
• Prenatal Health
• Preparedness
• Program Evaluation in American Health Education
• Program Planning and Evaluation
• Public Health, History of
• Public Health Surveillance
• Public-Private Partnerships in Public Health Research and ...
• Public-Private Partnerships to Prevent and Manage Obesity ...
• Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment
• Racism as a Structural Determinant of Health
• Radiation Emergencies and Public Health: Impacts, Prepared...
• Randomized Controlled Trials
• Real World Evaluation Strategies
• Reducing Obesity-Related Health Disparities in Hispanic an...
• Research Integrity in Public Health
• Resilient Health Systems
• Rural Health in the United States
• Safety, Patient
• School Health Programs in the Pacific Region
• Sex Education in HIV/AIDS Prevention
• Skin Cancer Prevention
• Smoking Cessation
• Social Determinants of Health
• Social Epidemiology
• Social Marketing
• Statistics in Public Health
• STI Networks, Patterns, and Control Strategies
• Stillbirths
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Systems in the United States, Public Health
• Systems Modeling and Big Data for Non-Communicable Disease...
• Systems Theory in Public Health
• Traditional, Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative M...
• Translation of Science to Practice and Policy
• Traumatic Stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Tuberculosis among Adults and the Determinants of Health
• UK Public Health Systems
• Unintentional Injury Prevention
• Urban Health
• Vaccination, Mandatory
• Vaccine Hesitancy
• Vermiculite
• Violence Prevention
• Vulnerability, Intersectionality and Health in Migration
• Water Quality
• Water Quality and Water-Related Disease
• Weight Management in US Occupational Settings
• Welfare States, Public Health and Health Inequalities
• Worksite Health Promotion
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Legal Notice
• Accessibility

Powered by:

• [66.249.64.20|45.133.227.243]
• 45.133.227.243

Book series

Global Perspectives on Health Geography

About this book series.

The series publishes a comprehensive portfolio of monographs and edited volumes that document the latest research in this important discipline. Proposals are accepted across a broad and ever-developing swath of topics as diverse as the discipline of health geography itself, including transnational health mobilities, experiential accounts of health and wellbeing, global-local health policies and practices, mHealth, environmental health (in)equity, theoretical approaches, and emerging spatial technologies as they relate to health and health services. Volumes in this series draw forth new methods, ways of thinking, and approaches to examining spatial and place-based aspects of health and health care across scales. They also weave together connections between health geography and other health and social science disciplines, and in doing so highlight the importance of spatial thinking.

Dr. Valorie Crooks (Simon Fraser University, [email protected]) is the Series Editor of Global Perspectives on Health Geography. An author/editor questionnaire and book proposal form can be obtained from Publishing Editor Zachary Romano ([email protected]).

• Valorie Crooks

Book titles in this series

Medical tourism in the caribbean region.

Insights, Impacts, and Implications

• Copyright: 2025

Available Renditions

The COVID-19 - Health Systems Nexus

Emerging Trends, Issues and Dynamics in Zimbabwe

• Lazarus Chapungu
• David Chikodzi
• Kaitano Dube
• Copyright: 2023

Climate Change and Human Health Scenarios

International Case Studies

• Rais Akhtar

Rural Landscapes of Community Health

The Community Health Assessment Sustainable Education (CHASE) Model in Action

• Samuel Mann
• Keith Whiddon

The Geographies of COVID-19

Geospatial Stories of a Global Pandemic

• Melinda Laituri
• Robert B. Richardson
• Junghwan Kim
• Copyright: 2022

Publish with us

Mapping the Way to Good Health: The Interdisciplinary Challenges of Geographers in Medical Research

Affiliations.

• 1 Division of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, Flint, MI 48502, USA.
• 2 Department of Family Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
• 3 CAREX Canada, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
• 4 Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1G6, Canada.
• 5 Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
• PMID: 36231725
• PMCID: PMC9564750
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912419

Geography has an important role to play in shaping the direction of medical research. In particular, its tools and theory provide essential understanding to the impacts of place on health behaviors and outcomes. Understanding some of its evolution-particularly into the subfield of medical geography-is therefore useful both for geographers and medical researchers. In this paper, we present some of the debates that geographers have grappled with, the growth of GIS (particularly in the context of medical research), some important methodological considerations that geographers help center, and some recommendations for future work at this nexus. Throughout, we speak from the perspective of geographers who have worked nearly exclusively in the health sciences since obtaining our PhDs.

Keywords: geographic information systems; interdisciplinary research; medical geography; place effects on health; public health; social determinants of health.

• Biomedical Research*

Grants and funding

Top 50 Geography Research Topics [Revised]

Geography isn’t just about maps and memorizing capital cities; it’s a dynamic field that delves into everything from understanding our planet’s physical features to unraveling the complexities of human societies. In this blog, we’ll embark on a journey through fascinating geography research topics, ranging from climate change and urbanization to cultural dynamics and emerging trends. Whether you’re a curious student or simply someone intrigued by the world around you, join us as we explore the diverse realms of geography research.

What Are The Three Main Topics Of Geography?

Table of Contents

• Physical Geography
• Study of Earth’s physical features, processes, and phenomena.
• Example: Investigating the formation of mountains, erosion patterns in river systems, or the impact of climate change on ecosystems.
• Human Geography
• Examination of the interactions between human societies and their environments.
• Example: Analyzing urbanization trends, migration patterns, cultural landscapes, or economic activities within specific regions.
• Environmental Geography
• Focus on the relationship between humans and their natural surroundings, including the impact of human activities on the environment.
• Example: Researching pollution levels in urban areas, deforestation rates in tropical rainforests, or the conservation of endangered species and habitats.

50 Geography Research Topics: Category Wise

Physical geography research topics.

• Impact of climate change on polar ice caps.
• Patterns of desertification in arid regions.
• Formation and evolution of volcanic islands.
• Study of river meandering and channel migration.
• Factors influencing the distribution of biomes worldwide.

Human Geography Research Topics

• Urbanization dynamics in developing countries.
• Social and economic impacts of gentrification in urban neighborhoods.
• Migration patterns and trends in Europe.
• Cultural landscapes and identity politics in contested territories.
• Gender disparities in access to resources and opportunities in rural areas.

Environmental Geography Research Topics

• Analysis of air quality in megacities.
• Impacts of deforestation on local biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest.
• Water scarcity and management strategies in arid regions.
• Ecotourism and its role in sustainable development.
• Effects of marine pollution on coral reef ecosystems.

Geographical Techniques and Tools Research Topics

• Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in disaster management.
• Remote sensing techniques for monitoring agricultural productivity.
• Cartographic visualization of population density and distribution.
• Spatial analysis of crime patterns in urban areas.
• Geographical modeling of disease spread and containment strategies.

Regional Geography Research Topics

• Socioeconomic disparities between urban and rural regions in India.
• Geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea.
• Cultural diversity and integration in multicultural cities like London or New York.
• Environmental challenges facing the African Sahel region.
• Regional impacts of globalization on indigenous communities in South America.

Cultural Geography Research Topics

• Influence of religion on cultural landscapes in the Middle East.
• Cultural diffusion and globalization in the digital age.
• Preservation of intangible cultural heritage in UNESCO World Heritage sites.
• Impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures in Australia.
• Gender roles and cultural practices in traditional societies.

Economic Geography Research Topics

• Spatial distribution of industries in emerging economies.
• Trade patterns and economic integration in the European Union.
• Impact of globalization on labor markets in Southeast Asia.
• Role of transportation infrastructure in regional economic development.
• Economic consequences of natural disasters on local communities.

Political Geography Research Topics

• Border disputes and territorial conflicts in the Middle East.
• Secessionist movements and autonomy struggles in Europe.
• Role of international organizations in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
• Geopolitical implications of Arctic resource extraction.
• Influence of soft power and cultural diplomacy in international relations.

Social Geography Research Topics

• Spatial patterns of poverty and social exclusion in urban areas.
• Dynamics of neighborhood segregation and integration in diverse cities.
• Impact of social media on community engagement and activism.
• Gender-based violence and spatial justice in urban environments.
• Cultural dimensions of health disparities in rural communities.

Historical Geography Research Topics

• Legacy of colonialism in shaping urban landscapes in former colonies.
• Evolution of trade routes and their impact on cultural diffusion.
• Archaeological landscape studies of ancient civilizations.
• Historical geography of migration and diaspora communities.
• Environmental history of industrialization and its long-term impacts on ecosystems.

How To Write A Geography Research Paper?

Writing a geography research paper involves several key steps to ensure a well-structured, coherent, and informative document. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a geography research paper:

• Choose a Topic: Select a specific and focused research topic within the field of geography that interests you. Consider the scope of your paper, available resources, and the significance of the topic in the field.
• Conduct Research: Gather relevant sources of information such as scholarly articles, books, journals, government publications, and online databases. Use both primary and secondary sources to support your research and develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
• Develop a clear and short thesis statement that explains what your research paper is about. This statement should show the main idea or point you’re going to talk about in your paper.
• Organize your paper by making a plan or outline. Split it into different parts like the introduction, where you start talking about your topic and explain why it’s important. Then, include a literature review where you talk about what others have already studied about your topic. If you did any special methods in your research, talk about them in the methodology section. Then, show your findings or results, discuss them, and finally, conclude your paper. Make sure you outline all the important things you want to talk about in each section.
• Start your paper with an interesting introduction. Tell the reader some background information about your topic and why it’s important. Also, introduce your thesis statement here. Explain what you’ll be talking about in your research paper to help guide the reader through your paper.
• Conduct a Literature Review: Review existing literature and research related to your topic to contextualize your study and identify gaps or areas for further investigation. Summarize key findings, methodologies, and theories from previous studies to support your own research.
• Describe Your Methodology (If Applicable): If your research involves empirical data collection or analysis, describe the methodology and research design used in your study. Explain the research methods, data sources, sampling techniques, and analytical tools employed to gather and analyze data.
• Present Your Findings: Present the results of your research in a clear and systematic manner. Use tables, graphs, maps, and other visual aids to illustrate your findings and enhance comprehension. Provide descriptive and analytical interpretations of the data to support your arguments.
• Discuss Your Results: Analyze and interpret the significance of your research findings in relation to your thesis statement and research objectives. Discuss any patterns, trends, or relationships observed in the data and explore their implications for the broader field of geography.
• Draw Conclusions: Summarize the main findings of your research and reiterate the significance of your study. Discuss any limitations or constraints encountered during the research process and propose areas for future research or further investigation.
• Cite Your Sources: Ensure that you properly cite all sources of information used in your research paper according to the citation style specified by your instructor or academic institution. Use in-text citations and include a comprehensive bibliography or reference list at the end of your paper.
• Proofread and Revise: Review your research paper carefully for grammatical errors, typos, and inconsistencies. Revise and refine your writing to improve clarity, coherence, and overall quality. Consider seeking feedback from peers, mentors, or academic advisors to further enhance your paper.

Emerging Topics in Geography Research

As our world continues to evolve, new frontiers of geography research are constantly emerging. From the quest for sustainable development to the rise of smart cities and the challenges of climate resilience, researchers are grappling with complex issues that defy easy solutions.

One promising avenue of research is the integration of indigenous knowledge and perspectives into geographic studies. By recognizing the wisdom of traditional cultures and their deep connection to the land, researchers can develop more holistic approaches to environmental management and conservation.

In conclusion, geography research offers a rich tapestry of topics that span the natural and social sciences. Whether it’s unraveling the mysteries of climate change, exploring the dynamics of urbanization, or celebrating the diversity of cultural landscapes, there’s something for everyone in the world of geography research.

So, whether you’re a student embarking on geography research topics or simply a curious explorer seeking to understand the world around you, take heart in knowing that the adventure has only just begun. Happy exploring!

Related Posts

Step by Step Guide on The Best Way to Finance Car

The Best Way on How to Get Fund For Business to Grow it Efficiently

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Frontiers | Science News

• Science News

Research Topics

Opening health for all: 7 research topics shaping a healthier world.

Despite recognizing health as a fundamental human right, we currently live in a world where half the population can't access the medical care they need , according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In response, World Health Day 2024 rallies under the theme "My health, my right," demanding quality healthcare, clean air, and healthy environments for all.

The call aligns with Sustainable Development Goal #3: good health and well-being , which includes targets such as universal health coverage and strengthening the capacity of all countries, particularly developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction, and management of national and global health risks.

To second this mission, we have picked 7 Research Topics that tackle some of the world's toughest healthcare challenges. These topics cover ensuring everyone's access to healthcare, life-limiting illness as a public health challenge, and the ethical challenges in digital public health.

All articles are openly available to view and download.

1 | Public Health in the Context of Life-Limiting Illnesses: Patient-Centered Care in Advanced and Life-Limiting Illnesses

Palliative care is holistic, person-centered care and has played a critical role in recent disease outbreaks, environmental disasters, and other humanitarian crises. It is also integral to public health and public health strategies.

At least 60% of people who die have a prolonged advanced illness. The need for palliative and end-of-life care will increase due to the rapidly aging world population and the increase of multiple long-term conditions.

Consequentially, this Research Topic discusses advanced and life-limiting illness as a public health challenge. It also explores the role of palliative and end-of-life care, including rehabilitation, in shaping person-centered care.

25,000 views | 16 articles

2 | Ethical Considerations for Digital Public Health

Public health guidelines and policies relating to digital public health are essential to protecting the population. Accessing health services entails an obligation of care, and understanding the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) is also necessary.

That’s why this Research Topic focuses on ethical challenges in digital public health. It highlights advances in public health and the ethical questions that may arise when considering the best practices for tools such as AI and ML.

24,000 views | 10 articles

3 | Cardiovascular Health in Children and Adolescents: Present and future

Cardiovascular disease is the most common chronic non-infectious disease and is ranked as the number one cause of death in the world. Although usually manifested at older ages, massive studies have shown that cardiovascular risk factors are tracked from childhood and adolescence to adulthood.

Good cardiovascular health in childhood and adolescence is thus highly important for preventing the development of cardiovascular disease. With this purpose in mind, we introduce a Research Topic that sheds light on the current situation and future cardiovascular health trends in children and adolescents.

14,000 views | 34 articles

4 | Nutrition and Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing

Good nutrition leads to improved health and well-being, which is one of the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, this Research Topic focuses on nutrition in this context and other relevant SDGs.

Among others, it covers topics such as nutrition and physical and mental health, the role of nutrition in non-communicable and infectious diseases, universal health coverage, and the influence of data platforms on dietary shifts.

28,000 views | 41 articles

5 | Evidence-based approaches in Aging and Public Health

Aging is having a global and significant impact on health, finance, the economy, and society. It is crucial to have an evidence-based approach to understanding the causes of diseases and preventing or treating them.

In this Research Topic, scientists explore evidence-based medicine applied to aging populations, the application of AI and digital markers for early disease detection, and tools, algorithms, guidelines, and policies to facilitate healthy aging, among other matters.

23,000 views | 15 articles

6 | Education in Public Health: 2022

Public health professionals play a vital role in maintaining the health and well-being of the population by working to prevent disease and ultimately prolong individuals' lives.

These researchers work to influence policy, educate everyone on improving their health, and bridge the inequality gap by encouraging equal opportunities for the whole population.

Considering this reality, this Research Topic addresses the current issues faced by principal investigators, lab managers, and student supervisors who educate and train new and early-stage researchers in the field of public health.

15,000 views | 18 articles

7 | Urban Green Spaces and Human Health

Urban green spaces significantly impact living conditions and public health, which are closely associated with several SDGs, including SDG #3: good health and well-being.

Numerous studies have linked access to green spaces—such as the quality and distribution of green space, distance from home, and diversity of non-human elements—to various aspects of health, including birth weight, body mass index, mental and cardiovascular illnesses, and mortality rates.

Accordingly, this Research Topic focuses on recent advances and research on the theory and application of urban green spaces and human health to enhance urban green space's environmental sustainability and contribute to global fair and inclusive sustainable development.

19,000 views | 17 articles

Post related info

April 02, 2024

Frontiers Science Communications

Post categories, featured news, related subjects, research topics, related content.

Frontiers institutional partnerships update – winter 2024

Frontiers' Research Topic publishing program: pioneering the future of scientific publishing

Closing the research divide: Amplifying the voices of women in science

Latest posts.

Scientists call for urgent action to prevent immune-mediated illnesses caused by climate change and biodiversity loss

Frontiers ebook releases: March 2024

Dogs trained to detect trauma stress by smelling humans’ breath

Frontiers community engagement update – spring 2024

Premium Content

Scientists are finally studying women’s bodies. This is what we’re learning.

Women’s health concerns are dismissed more and studied less. But researchers are beginning to fill in those gaps—from menstruation to menopause.

Going to the doctor can be frustrating when you’re a woman—and even more so if you’re a woman of color .  

That’s because women are more likely to be underdiagnosed with conditions from endometriosis to schizophrenia to ADHD. In the United States, Black women are almost three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white or Hispanic women. And somehow scientists still don’t have a good handle on why so many women struggle to breastfeed .

None of this is new. We’ve long known that women’s health concerns are dismissed more frequently and studied less . But the good news is that researchers are starting to fill in those gaps. Their research is yielding new biological insights—leading to better diagnoses and more targeted treatments, from menstruation to menopause.

Here’s a look at just a handful of those developments that we’ve covered in recent years.

1. Women and girls tend to experience ADHD differently.

Scientists long considered ADHD “almost exclusively as a boy disorder,” wrote Kaelyn Lynch in a January 2024 story about   the unprecedented rise in ADHD diagnoses among women —which she notes nearly doubled from 2020 to 2022.

What’s behind this massive shift? Experts say it is linked, in part, to the way that ADHD often manifests in women and girls. Although ADHD is typically associated with hyperactivity, there’s also a type called inattentive ADHD, which Kaelyn writes is “characterized by disorganization, forgetfulness, and struggles with starting and staying on task.”

Girls and women tend to have inattentive ADHD and their symptoms are more likely to be mistaken for emotional or learning difficulties—if anyone notices them at all. “They’re more likely to be seen as daydreamers, or lost in the clouds,” said Julia Schechter, co-director of Duke University’s Center for Women and Girls with ADHD. “Their symptoms are just as impairing, but can fly under the radar.” The consequences, Kaelyn writes, can be severe.

( Read the full story here .)

2. Your menstrual cycle can reshape your brain.

Only about half of one percent of brain-imaging research is done in women—and that’s a real problem, writes Sanjay Mishra in a February 2024 story. This disparity is why we’re only just learning now how menstruation reshapes the brain .

That’s right. Reshapes. The. Brain. As Sanjay reported, emerging studies show that your monthly period “dramatically reshapes the regions of the brain that govern emotions, memory, behavior, and the efficiency of memory transfer.”

It’s important to note that these studies don’t prove that these changes are connected to the rollercoaster of emotions that some women experience during their periods. But experts say it highlights the urgent need for more neuroscience research in women, who are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

"It's high time to make the brain a major focus of women's health," said Julia Sacher, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany, who led one of the studies .

3. That severe nausea may not be just ‘morning sickness.’

Most people get morning sickness during pregnancy—so no big deal, right? Well, that perception could be preventing people from getting treatment for a severe condition called hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). As Sam Jones wrote in January 2024 , this condition affects about 2 percent of pregnant individuals and is “characterized by severe, persistent nausea and vomiting that can be life-threatening.”

Although these symptoms can be debilitating, physicians and researchers told Sam that they’ve witnessed their peers dismiss HG as “hysteria.” So, it’s no surprise that research into how to treat it is underfunded.

Yet that research   is slowly happening. In recent years, studies have pinpointed a specific hormone linked to HG and even unlocked exactly how that hormone causes the condition. These findings could finally yield new treatments—if doctors know to prescribe them.

You May Also Like

‘Hysterical strength’? Fight or flight? This is how your body reacts to extreme stress

The menstrual cycle can reshape your brain

We finally know the cause of severe morning sickness. A remedy could be next.

4. we finally have new tools to save lives during childbirth..

Nearly 800 people die every day worldwide from complications in pregnancy and childbirth, according to the World Health Organization . Even in the U.S. maternal mortality rates are rising, particularly among Black women. But there is hope: Cutting-edge research is giving us tools to prevent the leading causes of maternal mortality , including pre-eclampsia, anemia, and sepsis.

As Rachel Fairbank reported in July 2023 , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first blood test that can predict which patients are at risk for developing pre-eclampsia—a condition in which high blood pressure restricts blood flow so severely it can cause organ failure and death. Pre-eclampsia is hard to diagnose because it looks like so many other disorders that are common during pregnancy, Rachel writes—so this new test could really make a difference.

Researchers have also found a surprisingly simple solution for anemia , which can cause heavy bleeding during childbirth: iron delivered via IV. Although this has traditionally been treated with oral iron supplements, researchers have shown that one 15-minute IV drip provides the equivalent of four tablets a day for four weeks.

Finally, doctors have long administered the antibiotic azithromycin during cesarean sections to reduce infections that can lead to sepsis. But clinical trials have shown recently that administering a single dose of the drug during a vaginal labor can also reduce the risk of postpartum sepsis by one-third .

( Read our full story about pre-eclampsia here —and our story about anemia and sepsis research here .)

5. Frozen shoulder syndrome is real.

Frozen shoulder syndrome is pretty much what it sounds like: a condition in which the connective tissue in your shoulders becomes inflamed to the point where you can’t move. This painful condition can last for years yet isn’t well understood—perhaps because three-quarters of the people who suffer from it are female, wrote Erin Blakemore in a November 2023 story .

Menopause seems to be a factor. As Erin reports, researchers are investigating whether the joint pain that some 50 percent of women experience during menopause might be tied to the drop in estrogen in their bodies. One recent study suggests that people who undergo hormone therapy to boost estrogen levels are less likely to be diagnosed with frozen shoulder syndrome.

This research is still in the early stages, Erin cautions. But “it’s a first foray into a place where few researchers have gone before. And for those hurtling toward (or experiencing) menopause, it can’t come a moment too soon.”

6. A cure for hot flashes might finally be in reach.

Even more exciting is that researchers finally have figured out how the plummeting levels of estrogen during menopause cause hot flashes, Meryl Davids Landau reported in a December 2022 story .

Up to 80 percent of women experience this debilitating symptom, she wrote—“often accompanied by sweating, heart palpitations, dizziness, fatigue, and/or anxiety.” Hot flashes, which are particularly pronounced in Black people and Native Americans, strike several times a day and can occur for an average of four years.

Mounting research has shown that the drop in estrogen affects a particular bundle of neurons —in the hypothalamus of the brain—that regulate temperature, causing them to fire inappropriately. Now companies are testing drugs that would block those neurons and stop hot flashes for once and for all.

Such drug development is long overdue, Genevieve Neal-Perry, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine told Meryl: Since nearly all women who reach midlife experience hot flashes, she said, “the fact that we haven’t understood the biology of hot flashes until the last decade is pretty amazing.”

( Read the full story here —and learn more about what scientists are piecing together about menopause .)

Related Topics

• SEXUAL HEALTH
• MENSTRUATION

Schizophrenia in women is widely misunderstood—and misdiagnosed

You can't detox your uterus—debunking popular myths about PCOS

These 4 medicinal herbs may help keep men healthy

What is serotonin—and can you really boost it?

Endometriosis is common, incredibly painful—and often misdiagnosed. Why?

• History & Culture
• Photography
• Environment
• Paid Content

History & Culture

• History Magazine
• Mind, Body, Wonder
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Your US State Privacy Rights
• Children's Online Privacy Policy
• Interest-Based Ads
• About Nielsen Measurement
• Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
• Nat Geo Home
• Attend a Live Event
• Book a Trip
• Inspire Your Kids
• Shop Nat Geo
• Visit the D.C. Museum
• Learn About Our Impact
• Support Our Mission
• Advertise With Us
• Customer Service
• Renew Subscription
• Manage Your Subscription
• Work at Nat Geo
• Sign Up for Our Newsletters
• Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

Researching the geography of health and health care: Connecting with the Third World

• Published: April 2000
• Volume 50 , pages 369–378, ( 2000 )

Cite this article

• David R. Phillips 1 &
• Mark W. Rosenberg 2  

177 Accesses

8 Citations

Explore all metrics

In the context of doing research on the geography of health and health care, ‘connecting’ takes on multiple meanings. First, there are the connections between research topics although the political and socio-economic realities of the various geographical contexts can lead to foci on different aspects and social and geographic processes. There are then the connections between researchers from developed and developing countries who share an interest in the geography of health and health care, who perhaps transfer or refine research methods to look at the different contexts and even different topics. Finally, in this context, there are the connections between researchers and the IGU Commission on Health, Environment and Development (HED) promoted by the HED for the past eight years through its activities. This paper uses examples from the literature and the activities of HED to illustrate these various connections. It argues that if the geography of health and health care is to continue to develop, these three sets of connections must continue to grow and strengthen.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Evolution of research in health geographics through the international journal of health geographics (2002–2015).

Sandra Pérez, Vincent Laperrière, … Sébastien Oliveau

The NIHR Public Health Research Programme: responding to local authority research needs in the United Kingdom

Hannah Dorling, Andrew Cook, … Matt Westmore

Urban Health and Wellbeing: Emerging Trans-disciplinary Stream

Akhtar R., 1995: Urban health hazards in Srinagar, India. In: Iyun B., Verhasselt Y. and Hellen J.A. (eds), The health of nations: medicine, disease and development in the Third World, pp. 71–81. Avebury, Aldershot.

Google Scholar  

Akinkugbe O.O., 1995: Lifestyle and cardiovascular diseases: emerging problems of health development in the ThirdWorld. In: Iyun B., Verhasselt Y. and Hellen J.A. (eds), The health of nations: medicine, disease and development in the Third World, pp. 177–183. Avebury, Aldershot.

Asthana S. 1994: Economic crisis, adjustment and the impact on health. In: Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y. (eds), Health and development, pp. 50–64. Routledge, London.

Asthana S., Curtis S., Duncan C. and Gould M., 2000: Healthy diversity or academic chaos? The search for core themes in the increasingly eclectic field of British health geography. Paper presented to 9th International Symposium in Medical Geography, Montreal, Canada.

Bartlett H. and Phillips D.R., 1997: Ageing and aged care in the People's Republic of China: national issues and local perspectives. Health and Place , 3 (3): 149–159.

Article   Google Scholar  

Borroto R., 1998: Global warming, rising sea level, and growing risk of cholera incidence: a review of the literature and evidence. GeoJournal, 44 (2): 111–120.

Brightmer M.I. and Fantato M.G., 1998: Human and environmental factors in the increasing incidence of dengue fever: a case-study from Venezuala. GeoJournal 44 (2): 103–109.

Cho K.Y., Hong S.H. and Kim K.W. (eds), 1999: Ageing in Korea: today and tomorrow. Federation of Korean Gerontological Societies. Chung Ang Juk Sung Publisher, Seoul.

Choi S.J., 2000: Ageing in Korea: issues and policies. In: Phillips D.R. (ed.), Ageing in the Asia-Pacific Region, pp. 223–242. Routledge, London.

Collins A.E., 1998: Environment, Health and Population Displacement: Development and Change in Mozambique's Diarrhoeal Disease Ecology. Ashgate, Aldershot.

Curto de Casas S., 1994: Health care in Latin America. In: Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y. (eds), Health and development. Routledge, London.

Curto de Casas S., Verhasselt Y., Carcavallo R.U. and Boffi R., 1998: Environmental risk factors for diseases transmitted by vectors: a case-study in North Argentina. GeoJournal 44 (2): 121–127.

De J. (ed.), 1998: Changing patterns of health and disease in developing countries. Department of Geography. Vadodara, MS University of Baroda.

Dorn M. and Laws G., 1994: Social theory, body politics and medical geography: extending Kearn's invitation. The Professional Geographer 46 : 106–110.

Dumitrache L. and Armas I., 1998: The health state of the Romanian population during the transition period. GeoJournal 44 (2): 151–160.

Dyck I., 1992: Health and health care experiences of immigrant women: questions of culture, context and gender. In: Hayes M., Foster T. and Foster H. (eds), Community, environment and health: geographic perspectives, Victoria, British Columbia: University of Victoria, Department of Geography. Western Geographical Series, Vol. 27, 231–250.

Egunjobi L., 1995: Urban environmental health and physical planning. In: Iyun B., Verhasselt Y. and Hellen J.A. (eds), The health of nations: medicine, disease and development in the Third World, pp. 63–70. Avebury, Aldershot.

Elliott S.J. and Gillie J., 1998: Moving experiences: a qualitative analysis of health and migration. Health and Place 4 (4): 327–339.

ESCAP (Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific), 1999: Macau plan of action on ageing for Asia and the Pacific. United Nations, New York.

Eyles J. and Litva A., 1996: Theory calming: you can only get there from here. Health and Place 2 (1): 41–43.

Fang R-K., 1994: Health, environment and health care in the People's Republic of China. In: Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y. (eds), Health and development, pp. 259-275. Routledge, London.

Frenk J., Bobadilla J.L. and Lozano R., 1996: The epidemiological transition in Latin America. In: Timaeus I.M., Chackiel J. and Ruzicka L. (eds), Adult mortality in Latin America, pp. 123–139. Clarendon Press, Oxford.

Fries J.F., 1980: Aging, natural death and the compression of morbidity. New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 303, no. 3, 130–135.

Fries J.F., Green L.W. and Levne S., 1989: Health promotion and the compression of morbidity. The Lancet, March 4, 481–483.

Groenewegen P., Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y. (eds), Health, environment and development. Special Issue, GeoJournal 44 (2): 97––160.

Hyma B. and Ramesh A., 1994: Traditional medicine: its extent and potential for incorporation into modern national health systems. In: Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y. (eds), Health and development. Routledge, London.

Iyun B.F., 1995: Cardiac morbidity in Nigerian society: trends and interrelationships. In: Iyun B., Verhasselt Y. and Hellen J.A. (eds), The 378 health of nations: medicine, disease and development in the ThirdWorld, pp. 139–151. Avebury, Aldershot.

Iyun B.F. and Oke E.A., 2000: Ecological and cultural barriers to treatment of childhood diarrhea in riverine areas of Ondo State, Nigeria. Social Science and Medicine 50 (7-8): 953–964.

Iyun B.F., Verhasselt Y. and Hellen J.A. (eds), 1995: The Health of Nations: Medicine, Disease and Development in the Third World. Avebury, Aldershot.

Joseph A.E. and Phillips D.R., 1999: Ageing in rural China: impacts of increasing diversity in family and community resources. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 14 : 153–168.

Kalipeni E., 2000: Health and disease in southern Africa: a comparative and vulnerability perspective. Social Science and Medicine 50 (7-8): 965–983.

Kalipeni E. and Oppong J., 1998: The refugee crisis in Africa and implications for health and disease: a political ecology approach. Social Science and Medicine 46 (12): 1637–1653.

Kalla A.C., 1995: Health transition in Mauritius. Health and Place 1 (4): 227–234.

Kearns R., 1993: Place and health: towards a reformed medical geography. The Professional Geographer 45 : 139–147.

Kearns R., 1994a: Putting health and health care into place: an invitation accepted and declined. The Professional Geographer 46 : 111–115.

Kearns R., 1994b: To reform is not to discard: a reply to Paul. The Professional Geographer 46 : 505–507.

Learmonth A.T.A., 1988: Disease Ecology. Blackwell, Oxford.

Litva A. and Eyles J., 1995: Coming out: exposing social theory in medical geography. Health and Place 1 (1): 5–14.

Maeda D. and Ishikawa H., 2000: Ageing in Japan: retirement, daily lives, pensions and social security. In: Phillips D.R. (ed), Ageing in the Asia-Pacific Region. Routledge, London.

Malkhazova S.M., Phillips D.R., Tikunov V.S. and Verhasselt Y., 1997: Public health and environmental pollution in Russia: a methodology for the assessment of critical ecological situations. Bulletin of the International Geographical Union 47 (1): 5–16.

Mayer J.D. and Meade M.S., 1994: A reformed medical geography reconsidered. The Professional Geographer 46 : 103–106.

McNally N.J., Phillips D.R. and Williams H.C., 1998a: The problem of atopic eczema: aetiological clues from the environment and lifestyles. Social Science and Medicine 46 (6): 729–741.

McNally N.J., Williams H.C., Phillips D.R., Smallman-Raynor M., Lewis S., Venn A. and Britton J., 1998b: Atopic eczema and water hardness. The Lancet Vol 352, August 15, 527–531.

McNally N.J. and Phillips D.R., 2000a: Geographical studies of atopic dematitis. In: Williams H.C. (ed), Atopic dermatitis: the epidemiology, causes and prevention of atopic eczema, pp. 71–84. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

McNally N.J. and Phillips D.R., 2000b: Social factors and atopic dermatitis. In: Williams H.C. (ed), Atopic dermatitis: the epidemiology, causes and prevention of atopic eczema, pp. 139–147. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Oppong J., 1997: Medical geography of Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Aryettey-Attoh S. (ed.), The Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa, pp. 147–181. NJ: Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs.

Oppong J., 1998: A vulnerability interpretation of the geography of HIV/AIDS in Ghana, 1986-1995. The Professional Geographer 50 (4): 437–448.

Palagiano C., De Santis G. and Castagnoli D. (eds), 1998: Metodi di raccolta dati e percezione della salute. Perugia, Editrice RUX.

Paul B.K., 1999: National health care ‘by-passing’ in Bangladesh: a comparative study. Social Science and Medicine 49 : 679–689.

Phillips D.R., 1990: Health and health care in the Third World. Longman, London.

Phillips D.R. (ed.), 1992: Ageing in East and Southeast Asia. Edward Arnold, London.

Phillips D.R., 1994: Epidemiological transition: implications for health and health care provision. Geografiska Annaler 76B (2): 71–89.

Phillips D.R. (ed.), 2000: Ageing in the Asia-Pacific Region. Routledge, London.

Phillips D.R. and Andrews G., 1999: Spatial health research in Africa: a review of the recent literature (WHO/RPS/98.5). World Health Organization, Geneva.

Phillips D.R. and Bartlett H., 1997: Age. In: Pacione M. (ed.), Britain's cities, pp. 277–299. Routledge, London.

Phillips D.R., Groenewegen P. and Verhasselt Y., 1998: Health, environment and development: issues in developing and transitional countries. GeoJournal 44 (2): 97–102.

Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y., 1994: Health and development. In: Phillips D.R. and Verhasselt Y. (eds), Health and development, pp. 3–32. Routledge, London.

Phillips D.R. and Yeh A.G.O. (eds), 1999: Environment and ageing: environmental policy, planning and design for elderly people in Hong Kong. Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Philo C., 1996: Staying in? Invited comments on "Coming out: exposing social theory in medical geography". Health and Place 2 (1): 35–40.

Prata P., 2000: Epidemiological transition in Brazil. Unpublished PhD thesis, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich.

Randel J., German T. and Ewing D. (eds), 1999: The ageing and development report: poverty, independence and the world's older people. HelpAge International. Earthscan, London.

Rosenberg M.W. and Jäger J., 2000: Setting an agenda for research on health and the environment. Global Change and Human Health 1 (1): 88–89.

Rosenberg M.W., Bentham G., Jäger J., Löytönen M., Martens P., McMichael A., Narain S. and Thomas-Hope E., 2000: Setting an agenda for research on health and the environment - final report. Queen's University, Department of Geography. Kingston, Ontario.

Santana A.P. (ed.), 1998: Health and health care in transition. Proceedings of the Meeting of the International Geographical Union Commission on Health, Environment and Development. Instituto de Estudos Geograficos, Universidade de Coimbra. Coimbra, Portugal.

Smallman-Raynor M. and Phillips D.R., 1999a: Late stages of epidemiological transition: health status in the developed world. Health and Place 5 (3): 209–222.

Smallman-Raynor M. and Phillips D.R., 1999b: Socio-spatial variations in health. In: Pacione M. (ed.), Applied geography, pp. 425–437. Routledge, London.

Verhasselt Y., 1998: World atlas of ageing. World Health Organization, Kobe.

Wanasinghe Y.A.D.S., 1995a: Environmental health in low income settlements: a preliminary survey of health issues in the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. In: Iyun B., Verhasselt Y. and Hellen J.A. (eds), The health of nations: medicine, disease and development in the ThirdWorld, pp. 83–96. Avebury, Aldershot.

Wanasinghe Y.A.D.S., 1995b: Spatial variations in the provision of health care facilities in Sri Lanka. Health and Place 1 (4): 235–242.

World Bank, 1994: Averting the old age crisis: policies to protect the old and promote growth. Oxford University Press, New York.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Politics and Sociology & Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

David R. Phillips

Department of Geography, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Mark W. Rosenberg

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Phillips, D.R., Rosenberg, M.W. Researching the geography of health and health care: Connecting with the Third World. GeoJournal 50 , 369–378 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010876405429

Download citation

Issue Date : April 2000

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010876405429

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• health care research
• Third World
• infectious diseases
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Read our research on: Abortion | International Conflict | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

What the data says about abortion in the u.s..

Pew Research Center has conducted many surveys about abortion over the years, providing a lens into Americans’ views on whether the procedure should be legal, among a host of other questions.

In a  Center survey  conducted nearly a year after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision that  ended the constitutional right to abortion , 62% of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. Another survey conducted a few months before the decision showed that relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the issue .

Find answers to common questions about abortion in America, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which have tracked these patterns for several decades:

How many abortions are there in the U.S. each year?

How has the number of abortions in the u.s. changed over time, what is the abortion rate among women in the u.s. how has it changed over time, what are the most common types of abortion, how many abortion providers are there in the u.s., and how has that number changed, what percentage of abortions are for women who live in a different state from the abortion provider, what are the demographics of women who have had abortions, when during pregnancy do most abortions occur, how often are there medical complications from abortion.

This compilation of data on abortion in the United States draws mainly from two sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which have regularly compiled national abortion data for approximately half a century, and which collect their data in different ways.

The CDC data that is highlighted in this post comes from the agency’s “abortion surveillance” reports, which have been published annually since 1974 (and which have included data from 1969). Its figures from 1973 through 1996 include data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City – 52 “reporting areas” in all. Since 1997, the CDC’s totals have lacked data from some states (most notably California) for the years that those states did not report data to the agency. The four reporting areas that did not submit data to the CDC in 2021 – California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey – accounted for approximately 25% of all legal induced abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to Guttmacher’s data. Most states, though,  do  have data in the reports, and the figures for the vast majority of them came from each state’s central health agency, while for some states, the figures came from hospitals and other medical facilities.

Discussion of CDC abortion data involving women’s state of residence, marital status, race, ethnicity, age, abortion history and the number of previous live births excludes the low share of abortions where that information was not supplied. Read the methodology for the CDC’s latest abortion surveillance report , which includes data from 2021, for more details. Previous reports can be found at  stacks.cdc.gov  by entering “abortion surveillance” into the search box.

For the numbers of deaths caused by induced abortions in 1963 and 1965, this analysis looks at reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. In computing those figures, we excluded abortions listed in the report under the categories “spontaneous or unspecified” or as “other.” (“Spontaneous abortion” is another way of referring to miscarriages.)

Guttmacher data in this post comes from national surveys of abortion providers that Guttmacher has conducted 19 times since 1973. Guttmacher compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and it provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. (In 2020, the last year for which it has released data on the number of abortions in the U.S., it used estimates for 12% of abortions.) For most of the 2000s, Guttmacher has conducted these national surveys every three years, each time getting abortion data for the prior two years. For each interim year, Guttmacher has calculated estimates based on trends from its own figures and from other data.

The latest full summary of Guttmacher data came in the institute’s report titled “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2020.” It includes figures for 2020 and 2019 and estimates for 2018. The report includes a methods section.

In addition, this post uses data from StatPearls, an online health care resource, on complications from abortion.

An exact answer is hard to come by. The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute have each tried to measure this for around half a century, but they use different methods and publish different figures.

The last year for which the CDC reported a yearly national total for abortions is 2021. It found there were 625,978 abortions in the District of Columbia and the 46 states with available data that year, up from 597,355 in those states and D.C. in 2020. The corresponding figure for 2019 was 607,720.

The last year for which Guttmacher reported a yearly national total was 2020. It said there were 930,160 abortions that year in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 916,460 in 2019.

• How the CDC gets its data: It compiles figures that are voluntarily reported by states’ central health agencies, including separate figures for New York City and the District of Columbia. Its latest totals do not include figures from California, Maryland, New Hampshire or New Jersey, which did not report data to the CDC. ( Read the methodology from the latest CDC report .)
• How Guttmacher gets its data: It compiles its figures after contacting every known abortion provider – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, then provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond. Guttmacher’s figures are higher than the CDC’s in part because they include data (and in some instances, estimates) from all 50 states. ( Read the institute’s latest full report and methodology .)

While the Guttmacher Institute supports abortion rights, its empirical data on abortions in the U.S. has been widely cited by  groups  and  publications  across the political spectrum, including by a  number of those  that  disagree with its positions .

These estimates from Guttmacher and the CDC are results of multiyear efforts to collect data on abortion across the U.S. Last year, Guttmacher also began publishing less precise estimates every few months , based on a much smaller sample of providers.

The figures reported by these organizations include only legal induced abortions conducted by clinics, hospitals or physicians’ offices, or those that make use of abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities such as clinics or physicians’ offices. They do not account for the use of abortion pills that were obtained  outside of clinical settings .

(Back to top)

The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called  “a slow yet steady pace.”

Guttmacher says the number of abortions occurring in the U.S. in 2020 was 40% lower than it was in 1991. According to the CDC, the number was 36% lower in 2021 than in 1991, looking just at the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported both of those years.

(The corresponding line graph shows the long-term trend in the number of legal abortions reported by both organizations. To allow for consistent comparisons over time, the CDC figures in the chart have been adjusted to ensure that the same states are counted from one year to the next. Using that approach, the CDC figure for 2021 is 622,108 legal abortions.)

There have been occasional breaks in this long-term pattern of decline – during the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, and then again in the late 2010s. The CDC reported modest 1% and 2% increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, and then, after a 2% decrease in 2020, a 5% increase in 2021. Guttmacher reported an 8% increase over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

As noted above, these figures do not include abortions that use pills obtained outside of clinical settings.

Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

The CDC says that in 2021, there were 11.6 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.) Like Guttmacher’s data, the CDC’s figures also suggest a general decline in the abortion rate over time. In 1980, when the CDC reported on all 50 states and D.C., it said there were 25 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.

That said, both Guttmacher and the CDC say there were slight increases in the rate of abortions during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Guttmacher says the abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. The CDC says it rose from 11.2 per 1,000 in 2017 to 11.4 in 2019, before falling back to 11.1 in 2020 and then rising again to 11.6 in 2021. (The CDC’s figures for those years exclude data from California, D.C., Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.)

The CDC broadly divides abortions into two categories: surgical abortions and medication abortions, which involve pills. Since the Food and Drug Administration first approved abortion pills in 2000, their use has increased over time as a share of abortions nationally, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. now involve pills, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. The CDC says 56% of U.S. abortions in 2021 involved pills, up from 53% in 2020 and 44% in 2019. Its figures for 2021 include the District of Columbia and 44 states that provided this data; its figures for 2020 include D.C. and 44 states (though not all of the same states as in 2021), and its figures for 2019 include D.C. and 45 states.

Guttmacher, which measures this every three years, says 53% of U.S. abortions involved pills in 2020, up from 39% in 2017.

Two pills commonly used together for medication abortions are mifepristone, which, taken first, blocks hormones that support a pregnancy, and misoprostol, which then causes the uterus to empty. According to the FDA, medication abortions are safe  until 10 weeks into pregnancy.

Surgical abortions conducted  during the first trimester  of pregnancy typically use a suction process, while the relatively few surgical abortions that occur  during the second trimester  of a pregnancy typically use a process called dilation and evacuation, according to the UCLA School of Medicine.

In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions,  according to Guttmacher . This included 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

While clinics make up half of the facilities that provide abortions, they are the sites where the vast majority (96%) of abortions are administered, either through procedures or the distribution of pills, according to Guttmacher’s 2020 data. (This includes 54% of abortions that are administered at specialized abortion clinics and 43% at nonspecialized clinics.) Hospitals made up 33% of the facilities that provided abortions in 2020 but accounted for only 3% of abortions that year, while just 1% of abortions were conducted by physicians’ offices.

Looking just at clinics – that is, the total number of specialized abortion clinics and nonspecialized clinics in the U.S. – Guttmacher found the total virtually unchanged between 2017 (808 clinics) and 2020 (807 clinics). However, there were regional differences. In the Midwest, the number of clinics that provide abortions increased by 11% during those years, and in the West by 6%. The number of clinics  decreased  during those years by 9% in the Northeast and 3% in the South.

The total number of abortion providers has declined dramatically since the 1980s. In 1982, according to Guttmacher, there were 2,908 facilities providing abortions in the U.S., including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals and 714 physicians’ offices.

The CDC does not track the number of abortion providers.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that provided abortion and residency information to the CDC in 2021, 10.9% of all abortions were performed on women known to live outside the state where the abortion occurred – slightly higher than the percentage in 2020 (9.7%). That year, D.C. and 46 states (though not the same ones as in 2021) reported abortion and residency data. (The total number of abortions used in these calculations included figures for women with both known and unknown residential status.)

The share of reported abortions performed on women outside their state of residence was much higher before the 1973 Roe decision that stopped states from banning abortion. In 1972, 41% of all abortions in D.C. and the 20 states that provided this information to the CDC that year were performed on women outside their state of residence. In 1973, the corresponding figure was 21% in the District of Columbia and the 41 states that provided this information, and in 1974 it was 11% in D.C. and the 43 states that provided data.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported age data to  the CDC in 2021, the majority of women who had abortions (57%) were in their 20s, while about three-in-ten (31%) were in their 30s. Teens ages 13 to 19 accounted for 8% of those who had abortions, while women ages 40 to 44 accounted for about 4%.

The vast majority of women who had abortions in 2021 were unmarried (87%), while married women accounted for 13%, according to  the CDC , which had data on this from 37 states.

In the District of Columbia, New York City (but not the rest of New York) and the 31 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to  the CDC , 42% of all women who had abortions in 2021 were non-Hispanic Black, while 30% were non-Hispanic White, 22% were Hispanic and 6% were of other races.

Looking at abortion rates among those ages 15 to 44, there were 28.6 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women in 2021; 12.3 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women; 6.4 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women; and 9.2 abortions per 1,000 women of other races, the  CDC reported  from those same 31 states, D.C. and New York City.

For 57% of U.S. women who had induced abortions in 2021, it was the first time they had ever had one,  according to the CDC.  For nearly a quarter (24%), it was their second abortion. For 11% of women who had an abortion that year, it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or more. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

Nearly four-in-ten women who had abortions in 2021 (39%) had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion,  according to the CDC . Almost a quarter (24%) of women who had abortions in 2021 had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 7% had four or more previous live births. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

The vast majority of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. In 2021, 93% of abortions occurred during the first trimester – that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation,  according to the CDC . An additional 6% occurred between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, and about 1% were performed at 21 weeks or more of gestation. These CDC figures include data from 40 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

About 2% of all abortions in the U.S. involve some type of complication for the woman , according to an article in StatPearls, an online health care resource. “Most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications,” according to the article.

The CDC calculates  case-fatality rates for women from induced abortions – that is, how many women die from abortion-related complications, for every 100,000 legal abortions that occur in the U.S .  The rate was lowest during the most recent period examined by the agency (2013 to 2020), when there were 0.45 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate reported by the CDC was highest during the first period examined by the agency (1973 to 1977), when it was 2.09 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. During the five-year periods in between, the figure ranged from 0.52 (from 1993 to 1997) to 0.78 (from 1978 to 1982).

The CDC calculates death rates by five-year and seven-year periods because of year-to-year fluctuation in the numbers and due to the relatively low number of women who die from legal induced abortions.

In 2020, the last year for which the CDC has information , six women in the U.S. died due to complications from induced abortions. Four women died in this way in 2019, two in 2018, and three in 2017. (These deaths all followed legal abortions.) Since 1990, the annual number of deaths among women due to legal induced abortion has ranged from two to 12.

The annual number of reported deaths from induced abortions (legal and illegal) tended to be higher in the 1980s, when it ranged from nine to 16, and from 1972 to 1979, when it ranged from 13 to 63. One driver of the decline was the drop in deaths from illegal abortions. There were 39 deaths from illegal abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade. The total fell to 19 in 1973 and to single digits or zero every year after that. (The number of deaths from legal abortions has also declined since then, though with some slight variation over time.)

The number of deaths from induced abortions was considerably higher in the 1960s than afterward. For instance, there were 119 deaths from induced abortions in  1963  and 99 in  1965 , according to reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is a division of Health and Human Services.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published May 27, 2022, and first updated June 24, 2022.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings

Key facts about the abortion debate in America

Public opinion on abortion, three-in-ten or more democrats and republicans don’t agree with their party on abortion, partisanship a bigger factor than geography in views of abortion access locally, do state laws on abortion reflect public opinion, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .