Health Disparities in the US and China: Spatial, Social, and Environmental Dimensions (Geographies of Health Series)

This book provides a comprehensive insight into health disparities in both the United States and China. It offers valuable perspectives on public health and policy through an examination of the spatial, social, and environmental dimensions of health disparities.

Through comparative analysis of two distinct healthcare systems, economic conditions, and cultural contexts, the book offers a thorough assessment of how policies and social structures influence public health outcomes. It examines factors such as socioeconomic status, social capital, community, social and physical environments, healthcare systems, and health policies. The book adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on key theoretical frameworks such as socio-ecological model, social determinants of health (SDOH), and social capital theory. It integrates geospatial, statistical, and survey analyses and includes a series of case studies to explore health disparities.

This book will be of interest to students and researchers in medical geography, medical sociology, and public health, as well as professionals and policy makers who address spatial, social, and environmental disparities.

Yingru Li, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. She earned her Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Utah and has comprehensive training in human geography and geographic information systems (GIS). Her research focuses on using GIS, statistical, and survey methods to understand socio-environmental disparities and their impact on health and investigate health disparities from various dimensions. She has published articles in geography, health, nutrition, and environment journals.