For most of known human history, natural phenomena were very mysterious. Survival depended on getting answers, but there often were none, so superstition and luck were the best we could do. Taking care of animals was important to human survival, as one example. It was observed long ago that sick animals made other animals around them sick, but they did not make distant animals sick. This lead to the view that invisible evil spirits, unseen forces, would latch on to an animal and then attack other animals. Hey, it worked. Get the animal with the evil in it away from the others and you’d have more healthy animals. Sickness in people and animals was blamed on evil curses, sprits, bad air (miasma theory), demons, the devil, the gods being unhappy, and so on, for a very long time.
In modern times the location of where people live still has a significant impact on their health. This influence is exerted through various factors such as access to medical care, neighborhood conditions, housing quality, and the physical environment. Research indicates that physical, social, and service characteristics of neighborhoods can influence health in important ways. For instance, people are more likely to receive recommended medical care when facilities are accessible from their location or when safe, convenient transportation is available[1]. Additionally, the quality of housing and the conditions within neighborhoods can significantly affect both mental and physical health, and poor-quality housing in disadvantaged neighborhoods can further exacerbate health disparities[3]. The physical environment contributes to 10 percent of health outcomes, and exposure to a harmful physical environment, such as air and water quality, can lead to disparate health outcomes among populations[4]. Moreover, the economic and social conditions of a place, including access to healthy food, parks, and public transportation, can also impact individual and community health[2]. Therefore, the location of where people live plays a crucial role in determining their health outcomes.
Citations:
[1] https://folio.iupui.edu/bitstream/handle/10244/638/commissionneighborhood102008.pdf
[2] https://www.policylink.org/sites/default/files/WHYPLACEMATTERS_FINAL.PDF
[3] https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/quality-housing
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425845/
[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/22/business/in-climbing-income-ladder-location-matters.html
