Spaces & Flows: Ninth International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies

Abstract

There are three ways in which the urban environment can affect the health of populations: the built environment, the social environment, and the availability and access to health services. When these elements interact with the socioeconomic characteristics of individuals, the health of urban populations varies. One of the main obstacles for the formulation of policies focused on the socioeconomically vulnerable groups of urban areas, is the lack of research on the subject. This study identifies how urban poverty affects the health of individuals and what are the determinants that explain access and quality of health services within this context. It was carried out through a global systematic literature review, which included published literature between 2000-2016 in three search engines: Web of Science, PubMed and EBSCO. It identified 881 research articles, out of which forty-four were systematized and included in the analysis. Five major categories emerged: (i) inequalities in the prevalence of certain health outcomes among the urban poor, (ii) barriers to effective access to health services, (iii) poor quality of services in vulnerable urban populations; (iv) determinants that affect the use of health services and the search for medical attention; and (v) the implications of the disease in marginalized urban populations. People in conditions of urban poverty face poorer health outcomes and greater barriers to accessing quality medical services; perpetuating the cycle of inequalities. This should be further documented, in order to generate evidence for policymaking and poverty measurement specific to urban spaces.