User:Markxiao00/sandbox

To be added to the Environmental Diseases Wikipedia page

Urban Associated Diseases
Urban areas are highly dense regions that currently hold ~50% of the global population, a number expected to grow to 70% by 2050, and produce over 80% of the global GDP. These areas are known to have a higher incidence of certain diseases, which is of particular concern given their rapid growth. The urban environment includes many risk factors for a variety of different environmental diseases. Some of these risk factors, for instance, air-pollution, are well known, while others such as altered microbial exposure are less familiar to the general public. For instance, asthma can be induced and exacerbated by combustion related pollution, which is more prevalent in urban areas. On the other hand, urban areas, compared to their rural counterparts, lack diverse microbial communities, which can help prevent the development of asthma. Both of these effects lead to a higher incidence of asthma in cities. Infection diseases are also often more common in cities, as transfer between hosts is facilitated by high population densities. However, recent research shows that increased access to healthcare weakens the urban association with these diseases, and the net effect is still unclear. Interestingly, many mental health disorders have also been associated with urban areas, especially in low socioeconomic areas. Increased levels of stress, air & light & noice pollution, and reduced "green" space are all urban-associated environmental effects that are adversely linked to mental health. Though urban areas are often correlated with dirtiness and disease, they are likely to have more access to higher quality health care which can lead to more positive health outcomes. This benefit will continue to grow as innovation in health technologies steadily rises. Taking this into account, while overall trends do exist, it is important to note that urban risk factors are nuanced and often city and context dependent.