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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1976

Urbanization and de-urbanization of the black population before the Civil War.

Pre-Civil War black urbanization is examined using data from federal census records, 1790 to 1860. The black population is found to be as urban as the white population initially, but its urbanization underwent relative decline in the last two decades before the Civil War. Foreshadowing current patterns, the northern black population was heavily concentrated in the largest cities, and the free black population was the most urban of all groups. The timing of black urban decline in the North, as well as regional and size of place differences in that decline, suggest that both competition with immigrants in major eastern seaboard cities and the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850 contributed to black de-urbanization. For the South, the explanations of black urban decline proposed by Wade, Conrad and Meyer, Goldin, and Bonacich are evaluated, and Bonacich's split labor market theory is judged to be most consistent with the demographic trends.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1978

Physical growth and development of urban native Americans: a study in urbanization and its implications for nutritional status.

Anthropometric measurements and hematocrits are reported on a mixed longitudinal sample of 1309 urban native Americans from Minneapolis from 22 days through 19 years of age (the sample size for each measurement varied from 276 to 1309). The results are compared to the United States national probability samples from the National Center for Health Statistics (HANES and HES), as well as, from 6 through 12 years, to a sample of related American Indians from a reservation in northern Minnesota. Compared to the United States standards, the urban sample is slightly shorter and, in general, consistently heavier. The skinfold thicknesses (triceps and subcapular) varied by site, sex, and age, relative to the standard. In general, the native Americans had thicker skinfolds except for males below 6 years of age, and for the subcapsular in female at all ages. Relative to the sample from the reservation, the urban natives are taller, heavier, with thicker skinfolds and greater weights-for-height. The potentially greater risk for obesity associated with urbanization is discussed. While the mean hematocrits were very close to accepted standards, 35% of infants and children less then 6 years of age had values less than 34.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Health risks associated with animals in different types of urban areas: present status and new ecological conditions due to urbanization.

For different reasons urban areas are colonized by numerous animal groups. From the aspect of the incidence of zoonoses the following animal groups are primarily significant: 1) food-producing animals; 2) pets; 3) synanthropic mammals; 4) synanthropic birds; 5) synanthropic arthropods. Certain species live in central parts of urban areas which the A. attempts to classify, and particularly in suburban areas which serve for recreation of town inhabitants. From the aspect of the occurrence of different animal species the A. points out the significance of various parts of urban agglomerations.

Animal Population Groups↗
PubMed2025

Urban mental health: a position paper of the European psychiatric association.

BACKGROUND: Urbanization, the shift of a growing population into urban areas, is shaping global development across infrastructure, health, and sustainability. Although it brings economic growth, innovation, and improved access to services, it may also impact mental health. METHODS: The present article was prepared on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association and explores the complexity of associations between urbanization and mental health, highlighting both potential risks and opportunities for improvement. RESULTS: Urban growth often leads to increased population density, social fragmentation, and environmental stressors, including noise, pollution, and reduced green spaces, all of which might account for worsening mental health. Urban residents might be at risk of various mental disorders due to these stressors, accompanied by the risk of social disconnection. Moreover, socioeconomic disparities in urban settings can lead to unequal healthcare access, further contributing to these challenges. However, urbanization also offers unique opportunities to improve mental health through better resource allocation, innovative healthcare solutions, and community-building initiatives. Indeed, cities might serve as areas for mental health promotion by integrating mental health services into primary care, utilizing digital health technologies, and fostering environments that promote social interactions and well-being. Urban planning that prioritizes green spaces, safe housing, and accessible public transportation holds the potential to mitigate some risks related to urban living. CONCLUSIONS: While urbanization presents significant challenges to mental health, it also provides grounds for transformative interventions. Addressing the mental health needs of urban populations requires a multifaceted approach that includes policy reform, community engagement, and sustainable urban planning.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Urban and Rural Goshawks.

Urbanization poses a growing threat to biodiversity with potential impacts on species' genetic diversity and population structure. The Eurasian goshawk (Astur gentilis) is traditionally a forest-dwelling raptor that has recently established breeding populations in urban environments such as Helsinki, Finland. Here, we investigated genetic diversity and population structure across urban, suburban, and rural goshawk populations in Finland using 10 microsatellite markers and 72 individuals sampled between 1990 and 2020. Genetic diversity, measured by heterozygosity and allelic richness, was similar among populations. Genetic differentiation was low to moderate (F ST = 0.022-0.074) and statistically non-significant. Despite urbanization, contemporary urban goshawks showed genetic similarity to adjacent contemporary non-urban goshawks, while greater differentiation was observed between temporally separated populations. Consistent with this pattern, clustering supported K = 2 as the primary level of genetic structure, separating the contemporary urban and surrounding populations from the earlier surrounding and rural populations. Given the limited marker set and sample sizes, these findings are interpreted as broad-scale patterns rather than definitive evidence of fine-scale population structure. Further studies using larger sample sizes and genome-wide markers are needed to resolve population connectivity and the longer-term genetic effects of urbanization.

Astur gentilis↗
PubMed1978

Urban-rural differences in coronary heart disease in a low incidence area. The Puerto Rico heart study.

This report explores coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors and the incidence of new CHD events developing over a two and one-half year period in 8793 urban and rural Puerto Rican men aged 45--64 years. Rural men had a lower average blood pressure, serum cholesterol, blood sugar, heart rate and relative weight than urban men. They were more active physically and although more of them smoked, they smoked fewer cigarettes than urban dwellers. The age-adjusted CHD incidence rate for urban men was 1.5 times that of rural men. Among rural areas the most rural had the lowest incidence. Among urban areas there was a suggestive trend of increasing incidence with degree of urbanization. Differences in conventional risk factors, while substantial, do not entirely explain the modest differences in incidence. There also appeared to be a relation with geographic mobility. Urban men who had always lived in the same area had an incidence rate as low as that for rural men whereas recent rural migrants to urban areas had the highest rates of all.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Urbanization and mental health: psychiatric morbidity, suicide and violence in the State of Victoria.

Australia is one of the most urbanized countries in the world with over 85% of the population living in metropolitan and other urban areas. More important, the change from a predominantly rural society to an urbanized society has occurred within the last 100 years. To assess the effects of urbanization on mental health, rates of admissions to psychiatric institutions, suicides and violent crime in Victoria have been analysed for the last hundred years. Data on admissions to psychiatric facilities in Victoria from metropolitan, other urban and rural areas, as well as results of community health surveys carried out in metropolitan and rural areas were compared to examine for evidence of urban-rural differences in psychiatric morbidity. The findings do not support the notion that the level of psychiatric and psychosocial disorders in Victoria are related to urbanization or to urban living.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Intestinal disease and the urban environment.

Factors in the urban environments of highly industralized societies are important causes of disease. This review examines urban diseases of small and large intestine. The urban environment is pervaded by chemicals including drugs, food additives, pesticides, industrial products, etc., which are potential causes of disease. Examples of typical urban, as contrasted with rural, intestinal disease are considered in terms of differing etiological factors. Urban intestinal disease is examined from the following standpoints: the population at risk; the chemical agents to which the population is exposed; a model for the physiology of distribution and metabolism of chemicals in relation to the alimentary tract; the application of this model to treatment of an industrial disease; a major urban disease of the alimentary tract, carcinoma of the colon, considered in terms of this model; approaches to characterizing, identifying, and controlling urban intestinal disease.

Bacterial Infections↗
PubMed2026

Environmental coupling between metal resistance genes and bacterial communities in Beijing urban green-space soils.

Urban green spaces are intensively managed ecosystems exposed to chronic, multisource, low-intensity anthropogenic inputs. These inputs may alter soil microbial communities and influence the distribution of metal resistance genes (MRGs). However, MRG distributions and their relationships with environmental conditions and bacterial communities remain unclear under the complex, non-extreme pollution conditions typical of these ecosystems. We investigated Beijing urban green spaces as a representative system using metagenomic sequencing and metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) analysis. We characterized soil MRG composition, its environmental associations, and the distribution of potential hosts. MRG composition differed significantly among ecological conservation (EC), transitional urban (TU), and central urban (CU) zones. These differences were closely associated with soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure. Available phosphorus (AP) was significantly associated with variation in both bacterial community structure and MRG composition. MAG-based analysis identified distinct potential-host compositions across the three functional zones. Proteobacteria were more frequently represented among dereplicated MAGs from EC soils, whereas Actinobacteria were more frequent in TU and CU soils. Heavy metal concentrations correlated with MRG composition. However, variation partitioning analysis did not identify an independent contribution from heavy metals after accounting for soil physicochemical properties and bacterial community structure. These findings indicate that urban green-space soil monitoring should incorporate environmental conditions and microbial community characteristics rather than rely solely on total metal concentrations.

Soil Microbiology↗
PubMed2026

Urban Design Quality and Clinical Mental Health: A Systematic Review.

ObjectivesThis systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on core urban design dimensions that affect clinical mental health outcomes and examines how environmental exposures mediate or moderate these relationships.BackgroundUrban design has increasingly been recognized as a determinant of psychological well-being, yet a standardized framework to evaluate its mental health impact remains underdeveloped.MethodsFollowing PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we systematically reviewed 19 quantitative empirical studies published through January 2025, examining relationships between outdoor urban design features and validated clinical mental health indicators across four major databases.ResultsFindings reveal that urban design influences clinical mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress, cognitive decline) through two objective spatial scales: street-level features (imageability, enclosure, human scale, complexity) and neighborhood environments (land use mix, density, green infrastructure). Environmental exposures (traffic, noise, air pollution) operate as perceptual and experiential mechanisms that mediate or moderate the mental health effects of these spatial design features.ConclusionsWe propose an integrated three-domain conceptual framework distinguishing objective spatial design scales from subjective exposure mechanisms. This framework provides evidence-based guidance for urban planners and policymakers toward creating mentally healthier urban environments.

Humans↗
PubMed1978

Cause of death risk in relation to general mortality in zones with different degrees of urbanization.

This investigation deals with the distribution of mortality of four groups of causes (Diseases of the Circulatory System, of the Respiratory System, of the Digestive System, Injuries and Poisonings) in the coastal (urban area), hill (semi-urban area) and mountain (rural area) zones of the Marche (a region of Central Italy) with the aim of evaluating the risk of death from a specific cause in relation to mortality from all causes. Besides the Age Standardized Mortality Rates (ASDR), both the Relative Standardized Mortality Ratios (RSMR) and the Standardized Proportional Mortality Ratios (SPMR) were utilized.--The results obtained showed that the RSMR and the ASDR had the same trend when the urgan area and the rural area were compared--excluding the diseases of the circulatory system--the risk of death from causes was higher in the urban area. On the contrary, comparing the semi-urban area with the urban area and the rural area, dissonant behaviour between the two parameters was revealed.--The results obtained with the RSMR and with the SPMR were almost always similar.--To determine the significance of the deviation between expected number and observed number of deaths, the procedure for estimating the relation of mortality from specific causes to that from all causes (adaptation of Mantel-Haenszel method) was used. The deviation of the observed from expected number of deaths in the mountain zone, taking the coastal zone as control, was statistically significant or very close to significance for each cause with the exception of injuries and poisonings in females and diseases of the circulatory system in both sexes.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1978

Special problems of zoonoses connected with urban areas.

The following items are discussed: 1) Zoonoses with an urban cycle: a) Salmonellosis; b) Dermatophytozoonoses; c) Toxoplasmosis; d) Larva migrans visceralis; 3) Flea and tick infections; f) Zoonoses of cities located on lakes, rivers and the sea. 2) Animalization of the urban environment. 3) Zoonoses which may be transferred from the rural to the urban environment: a) Rural zoonoses transmitted to urban animals; b) Rural zoonoses transmitted to man in cities. 4) Zoonoses which may be transmitted from the urban to the rural environment.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Dissemination of antimicrobial resistance in Klebsiella spp. from urban aquatic environments: a multi-country genomic perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotic resistance, particularly carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP), poses significant clinical and environmental threats, especially in urban aquatic ecosystems and hospital wastewaters. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyze the epidemiological and genomic features of CRKP isolates in urban aquatic environments and evaluate their public health and environmental impacts. METHODS AND RESULTS: Water samples were collected from 113 rivers and 3 hospitals in China, Sri Lanka, and Nepal to isolate carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella spp. isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole-genome sequencing, and bioinformatics analyses were performed to characterize resistance phenotypes, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and evolutionary trends. Big data analysis further elucidated the genomic characteristics of CRKP in global water sources, and Galleria mellonella larvae were used to assess virulence. Statistical analysis validated the findings. A total of 192 carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella spp. isolates were identified from urban aquatic ecosystems in China (n = 60) and Nepal (n = 132), with CRKP (n = 161) being the predominant species. All CRKP isolates exhibited a multidrug-resistant phenotype, yet significant differences in resistance profiles and associated ARGs were observed between isolates from the two countries. Nine carbapenem resistance genes (CRGs) were detected, with blaNDM-1 being the most prevalent (57.8 %). Correlation analysis revealed a strong association between these CRGs and multiple Inc-type plasmids. Global genomic analysis of CRKP from water sources across eight countries identified ten distinct CRGs across 45 serotypes, with KL64 being the most predominant. Notably, carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae was detected in water samples from Nepal. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight significant regional disparities in CRKP prevalence and ARG dissemination across urban aquatic environments, with Nepal showing the highest prevalence, particularly in untreated rivers. China exhibited lower prevalence but distinct resistance gene profiles, while no CRKP was detected in Sri Lanka, underscoring the impact of environmental management and healthcare infrastructure on ARG spread.

Humans↗
PubMed1979

Rural-urban differences in the structure of services for the elderly in upstate New York counties.

This research examines the impact of federal intervention and local community effort on the development of programs for the elderly. The study was designed, first, to gather longitudinal data on the structure of services for the elderly in 53 upstate New York counties for comparison with a study conducted in 1967 and, second, to measure the effectiveness of 43 counties with a County Office for the Aging (COFA) in mobilizing resources to increase services for the elderly. The findings reveal: (1) federal intervention has had the effect of an overall increase in services while at the same time decreasing rural-urban differences; (2) urban COFAs score consistently higher on the measures of community effectiveness; (3) the educational attainment of COFA directors is not a good predictor of success in mobilizing outside resources in both urban and rural counties; (4) in urban but not in rural counties, directors with administrator/planner experience have greater success in mobilizing outside resources.

Aged↗