Urbanization and health in developing countries: a systematic review.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Urban Studies
• Global Health

Background:

• Population growth is concentrated in developing world cities.
• The health effects of urbanization are debated.
• Research on urban-rural health disparities in developing nations is reviewed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate urban-rural and intra-urban health differences in developing countries.
• To determine if urban areas offer a health advantage.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of JSTOR, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SSRN.
• Included studies comparing health status in urban and rural areas.
• Focused on selected World Health Organization health indicators.

Main Results:

• Urbanization linked to lower childhood undernutrition but higher overweight risk.
• Urban areas showed lower fertility rates and birth odds.
• Life expectancy association with urbanization was positive but not significant.
• Chronic disease risk factors were more common in urban settings.
• Communicable disease mortality varied by disease and location.

Conclusions:

• Urbanization correlates with diverse health outcomes in developing nations.
• It can alleviate some health issues while exacerbating others.
• Urbanization alone is not a health solution; informed health policy is crucial.