Spatial Analysis in Epidemiology

Preface of the Book

This book aims to provide a practical introduction to spatial analysis, by focusing on application rather than theory, and by drawing on a wide range of examples from both human and animal health, including vector-borne and infectious diseases and non-infectious conditions. This book provide worked examples of the principal methodologies, using mainly the same disease data set throughout, which allows for direct comparison of the various techniques and helps to demonstrate their comparative strengths and weaknesses.

The book is written primarily for postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers embarking upon epidemiological studies that may require the use of spatial analytical methods. However, the methods described are also relevant to students and researchers dealing with spatial data in the fields of ecology, zoology, parasitology, environmental science, geography, and statistics. Whilst the book is written in plain language, avoiding jargon as much as possible, a basic understanding of epidemiology and statistics is assumed.

The sequence around which we have structured the book involves firstly visualizing spatial patterns in data, then describing these spatial patterns, and finally attempting to explain the observed patterns. This further enables us to predict changes in patterns and to use our explanations and predictions to inform decisions and to guide policy formulation. 

Following an introductory chapter, Chapters 2 and 3 address spatial data and the different ways in which they can be observed and presented. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 elaborate on the methods used to describe and quantify spatial patterns, while Chapter 7 looks at some of the methods that can be used to help explain spatial patterns, mostly in terms of environmental variables. Finally, Chapter 8 looks into ways of assessing disease risk and informing decision-making.

We have tried to be consistent with notation,but where this would lead to clumsiness have not forced ourselves to be so. Where notations deviate from the norm, the context should make this clear. At the risk of becoming fairly quickly outdated, we have included references to specific software programmes and provided links to websites. 

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