Journal article
The history, geography, and sociology of slums and the health problems of people who live in slums
The Lancet (British edition), v 389(10068), pp 547-558
04 Feb 2017
PMID: 27760703
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Massive slums have become major features of cities in many low-income and middle-income countries. Here, in the first in a Series of two papers, we discuss why slums are unhealthy places with especially high risks of infection and injury. We show that children are especially vulnerable, and that the combination of malnutrition and recurrent diarrhoea leads to stunted growth and longer-term effects on cognitive development. We find that the scientific literature on slum health is underdeveloped in comparison to urban health, and poverty and health. This shortcoming is important because health is affected by factors arising from the shared physical and social environment, which have effects beyond those of poverty alone. In the second paper we will consider what can be done to improve health and make recommendations for the development of slum health as a field of study.
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Details
- Title
- The history, geography, and sociology of slums and the health problems of people who live in slums
- Creators
- Alex Ezeh - African Population and Health Research Centre, Manga Cl, Nairobi, Kenya; School of Public Health, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South AfricaOyinlola Oyebode - Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKDavid Satterthwaite - International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UKYen-Fu Chen - Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKRobert Ndugwa - Global Urban Observatory Research and Capacity Development Branch, United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN Avenue Gigiri, UN Complex, GPO Nairobi, KenyaJo Sartori - Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKBlessing Mberu - African Population and Health Research Centre, Manga Cl, Nairobi, KenyaG J Melendez-Torres - Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKTilahun Haregu - African Population and Health Research Centre, Manga Cl, Nairobi, KenyaSamuel I Watson - Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UKWaleska Caiaffa - School of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, BrazilAnthony Capon - United Nations University, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaRichard J Lilford - Warwick Centre for Applied Health Research and Delivery, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK. Electronic address: r.j.lilford@warwick.ac.uk
- Publication Details
- The Lancet (British edition), v 389(10068), pp 547-558
- Publisher
- Elsevier; England
- Grant note
- WMCLAHRC-2014-1 / Department of Health
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000393283400037
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85005877153
- Other Identifier
- 991014877718204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health