All Outputs (13)

Wellbeing, space and society (2023)
Journal Article
Curtis, S., & Riva, M. (2023). Wellbeing, space and society. Wellbeing, Space and Society, 5, Article 100140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wss.2023.100140

This special issue presents research exploring various aspects of wellbeing in relation to diverse dimensions and experiences of ‘home spaces’. These papers draw attention to the significance for wellbeing of ‘home spaces’ conceptualised as both mate... Read More about Wellbeing, space and society.

Collective resources or local social inequalities? Examining the social determinants of mental health in rural areas (2011)
Journal Article
Riva, M., Bambra, C., Curtis, S., & Gauvin, L. (2011). Collective resources or local social inequalities? Examining the social determinants of mental health in rural areas. European Journal of Public Health, 21(2), 197-203. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckq064

Background: In England, although some studies report better health among rural populations, few have examined social inequalities in health within rural areas and how they compare to inequalities observed in urban settings. The objectives of this stu... Read More about Collective resources or local social inequalities? Examining the social determinants of mental health in rural areas.

Health geographies I: complexity theory and human health (2009)
Journal Article
Curtis, S., & Riva, M. (2010). Health geographies I: complexity theory and human health. Progress in Human Geography, 34(2), 215-223. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132509336026

This paper is the first of two linked progress reports on the application of ideas from complexity theory to health geography. In this paper we focus especially on research which seeks to explain variations in human health from a geographical perspec... Read More about Health geographies I: complexity theory and human health.

Health geographies II: complexity and health care systems and policy (2009)
Journal Article
Curtis, S., & Riva, M. (2009). Health geographies II: complexity and health care systems and policy. Progress in Human Geography, 34(4), 513-520. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132509336029

In this second of two progress reports on geographies of health, we continue a discussion framed from the perspective of complexity theory to consider research which is more particularly focused on health care and health policy. Using selected exampl... Read More about Health geographies II: complexity and health care systems and policy.

Establishing the soundness of administrative spatial units for operationalising the active living potential of residential environments: an exemplar for designing optimal zones (2009)
Journal Article
Riva, M., Apparicio, P., Gauvin, L., & Brodeur, J. (2009). Establishing the soundness of administrative spatial units for operationalising the active living potential of residential environments: an exemplar for designing optimal zones. International Journal of Health Geographics, 7, Article 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-072x-7-43

Background: In health and place research, definitions of areas, area characteristics, and health outcomes should ideally be coherent with one another. Yet current approaches for delimiting areas mostly rely on spatial units "of convenience" such as c... Read More about Establishing the soundness of administrative spatial units for operationalising the active living potential of residential environments: an exemplar for designing optimal zones.

Unravelling the extent of inequalities in health across urban and rural areas: Evidence from a national sample in England (2009)
Journal Article
Riva, M., Curtis, S., Gauvin, L., & Fagg, J. (2009). Unravelling the extent of inequalities in health across urban and rural areas: Evidence from a national sample in England. Social Science & Medicine, 68(4), 654-663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.11.024

Studies of inequalities in health between rural and urban settings have produced mixed and sometimes conflicting results, depending on the national setting of the study, the level of geographic detail used to define rural areas and the health indicat... Read More about Unravelling the extent of inequalities in health across urban and rural areas: Evidence from a national sample in England.

Promoting Active Living Among people with physical Disabilities (2008)
Journal Article
Spivock, M., Gauvin, L., Riva, M., & Brodeur, J. (2008). Promoting Active Living Among people with physical Disabilities. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34(4), 291-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2008.01.012

Background People with physical disabilities are more likely to be sedentary than the general population, possibly because they have an accrued sensitivity to environmental features. Objectives This paper describes the relationship between neighborho... Read More about Promoting Active Living Among people with physical Disabilities.

Association between Neighborhood Active Living Potential and Walking (2008)
Journal Article
Gauvin, L., Riva, M., Barnett, T., Richard, L., Craig, C., Spivock, M., …Gagné, S. (2008). Association between Neighborhood Active Living Potential and Walking. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167(8), 944-953. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwm391

This paper examines the association between neighborhood active living potential and walking among middle-aged and older adults. A sample of 2,614 (61.1% women) persons aged 45 years or older and living in one of 112 census tracts in Montreal, Canada... Read More about Association between Neighborhood Active Living Potential and Walking.

Comparing alternative approaches to measuring the geographical accessibility of urban health services: Distance types and aggregation-error issues (2008)
Journal Article
Apparicio, P., Abdelmajid, M., Riva, M., & Shearmur, R. (2008). Comparing alternative approaches to measuring the geographical accessibility of urban health services: Distance types and aggregation-error issues. International Journal of Health Geographics, 7(7), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1476-072x-7-7

Background Over the past two decades, geographical accessibility of urban resources for population living in residential areas has received an increased focus in urban health studies. Operationalising and computing geographical accessibility measures... Read More about Comparing alternative approaches to measuring the geographical accessibility of urban health services: Distance types and aggregation-error issues.

Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: a synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998 (2007)
Journal Article
Riva, M., Gauvin, L., & Barnett, T. (2007). Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: a synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 61(10), 853-861. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.2006.050740

To map out area effects on health research, this study had the following aims: (1) to inventory multilevel investigations of area effects on self rated health, cardiovascular diseases and risk factors, and mortality among adults; (2) to describe and... Read More about Toward the next generation of research into small area effects on health: a synthesis of multilevel investigations published since July 1998.

Use of local area facilities for involvement in physical activity in Canada: insights for developing environmental and policy interventions (2007)
Journal Article
Riva, M., Gauvin, L., & Richard, L. (2007). Use of local area facilities for involvement in physical activity in Canada: insights for developing environmental and policy interventions. Health Promotion International, 22(3), 227-235. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dam015

Despite growing literature showing associations of availability and accessibility of facilities to greater levels of physical activity, considerably less is known about the actual extent of use of these facilities. The purpose of this study was to ex... Read More about Use of local area facilities for involvement in physical activity in Canada: insights for developing environmental and policy interventions.

Conceptualizing and Operationalizing Neighbourhoods: The Conundrum of Identifiying Territorial Units (2007)
Journal Article
Gauvin, L., Robitaille, E., Riva, M., McLaren, L., Dassa, C., & Potvin, L. (2007). Conceptualizing and Operationalizing Neighbourhoods: The Conundrum of Identifiying Territorial Units. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 98(1), 18-26

Background: Over the past 10 years, there has been a surge of interest in studying smallarea characteristics as determinants of population and individual health. Accumulating evidence indicates the existence of variations in the health status of popu... Read More about Conceptualizing and Operationalizing Neighbourhoods: The Conundrum of Identifiying Territorial Units.

From Walkability to Active Living Potential. An "Ecometric" Validation Study (2005)
Journal Article
Gauvin, L., Richard, L., Craig, C., Spivock, M., Riva, M., Forster, M., …Potvin, L. (2005). From Walkability to Active Living Potential. An "Ecometric" Validation Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2S2), 126-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2004.10.029

Background The purpose of this paper is to establish the reliability and validity of a neighborhood-level measure of active living potential by applying principles of ecometrics. Methods Following a 3-day training session, observers (n =8) were provi... Read More about From Walkability to Active Living Potential. An "Ecometric" Validation Study.