The Atlas Of Health Inequalities In Japan

This new health atlas of Japan presents a series of maps about the health of the contemporary Japanese population, i.e. detailed maps of health indicators in small areas using cartograms. This is the first comprehensive small-area based health atlas about contemporary Japan using vital statistics from 1995-2014. Each map is supplemented with concise explanations written by leading epidemiologists and health geographers in Japan. The book employs various cutting-edge methods in spatial epidemiology, Bayesian spatial smoothing for the reliable mapping of mortality indices, advanced cartographic transformations using the concept of aerial cartograms, and summary statistics of socioeconomic health inequalities. The atlas highlights geographical aspects of social gradients in health by comparing mortality maps with distribution of deprivation index during the recent long-lasting economic stagnation period of Japan known as the lost decades. This health atlas will be a useful resource for international comparisons between Japan and other advanced countries in terms of health and related socioeconomic disparities between regions. It will be of interest to public health practitioners, administrators, researchers and students working on health geography and public health.

The life expectancy of the Japanese is among the highest in the world, and their preventive system to avoid nursing care is attracting international attention. Based on a large sample of senior citizens, this quantitative ground-breaking study examines the ways in which preventive care is exercised in such areas as depression, oral health, insomnia, social isolation, and poor diet. The book focuses on the degree to which social inequalities and disparities are distributed among the elderly and it argues that a socio-epidemiological approach that emphasizes psycho-sociological variables deserves special attention. It analyzes the 'social determinants of health' and goes far beyond the normal purview of individual-focused health care to consider the long-term effects of education and investment in social capital for the health of older people. "...a valuable contribution and includes a helpful foreword by Ichiro Kawachi of the Harvard School of Public Health....it is one of the larger social epidemiological surveys to have been conducted concerning the precursors to well-being in later life, and it has gotten the attention of gerontologists, sociologists, and policy analysts in Japan." Journal of Japanese Studies, 38:2 (2012)

Health Inequalities in Japan brings together the expertise of Japan's leading social epidemiologists in English for the first time. Providing a balanced perspective on the determinants of wellbeing and illness, it gives a valuable insight into the epidemiological underpinnings of one of the world's healthiest populaces.

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

How will the world's largest population approach its inequality challenges? This volume addresses this question by unraveling different strands of India's emerging health and gender geographies. It is the first book to offer a comparative study of these disparities in India, stressing the deep interaction between health challenges and patriarchal features. Most themes explored in this book illustrate the entangled nature of the social and regional determinants of gender and health imbalances in India. Through its rich cartography of contemporary India, the book represents the first Atlas exploiting district-level figures drawn from the latest sociodemographic survey conducted in 2019-21. After an initial methodological synopsis, the book is built around twenty chapters—illustrated by 75 original maps, figures, and tables prepared by thirty authors—and concludes with a synthesis of India's spatial patterns. Chapters engage with major themes of gender and health inequalities and explore an array of innovative indicators such as access to menstrual hygiene, cesarean deliveries, health insurance, son preference in fertility, female landownership, patrilocal systems, hypertension, anemia, hysterectomy, girl-only or single-child families, or traditional contraception. Together, they provide an often surprising glimpse into the present and future of India's gender and health landscape, highlighting the considerable progress accomplished over the last two decades alongside persistent gaps and emerging issues.

This book provides a critical understanding of contemporary issues within global society and how these relate to six case study examples (UK, USA, China, India, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Japan). The authors draw on their diverse experience to explore four major themes of contemporary relevance: overall aging of societies; governance and institutions; emergency services and public health provisions; and community activism and involvement. The key issues within the book--sociability, social capital, and community development--are examined in the context of an ever increasing aging world. The authors' sense of optimism is linked to growing evidence that community activism is on the rise and can effectively plug the gap between public need and provision of service.

Drawing on research from around the world, this atlas gives shape and meaning to statistics, making it an indispensable resource for understanding global inequalities and an inspiration for social and political action. Inequality underlies many of the challenges facing the world today, and The Atlas of Global Inequalities considers the issue in all its dimensions. Organized in thematic parts, it maps not only the global distribution of income and wealth, but also inequalities in social and political rights and freedoms. It describes how inadequate health services, unsafe water, and barriers to education hinder people’s ability to live their lives to the full; assesses poor transport, energy, and digital communication infrastructures and their effect on economic development; and highlights the dangers of unclean and unhealthy indoor and outdoor environments. Through world, regional, and country maps, and innovative and intriguing graphics, the authors unravel the complexity of inequality, revealing differences between countries as well as illustrating inequalities within them. Topics include: the discrimination suffered by children with a disability; the impact of inefficient and dangerous household fuels on the daily lives and long-term health of those who rely on them; the unequal opportunities available to women; and the reasons for families’ descent into, and reemergence from, poverty.

This report reviews the quality of health care in Japan, and seeks to highlight best practices, and provides a series of targeted assessments and recommendations for further improvements to quality of care.