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Fall 2003

GEOGRAPHY 3190-Quantitative Methods in Geography
GEOGRAPHY 4120/5960-Medical Geography

GEOGRAPHY 3190

QUANTITATIVE METHODS IN GEOGRAPHY (To print click here)

FALL 2003

Instructor:            Dr. Joseph R. Oppong                                    Class Time: TR 9.30-10.50 Room: BUS 230

Office:                    ENV 310Q                                                         Phone:            940-565-2181

E-mail: OPPONG@UNT.EDU                                  Labs : CSAM ENV 336

Office Hours: Tuesdays 11.00a.m - 12.30 p.m. or by appointment

Course Text: McGrew, J. C. and C. B. Monroe. 2000. An Introduction to Statistical Problem Solving in Geography. Second Edition. Boston: McGraw Hill.

Recommended Text: Cronk, Brian C. 2003. How to Use SPSS. Los Angeles: Pyrczak Publishing, or SPSS 1999. SPSS Base 10 User’s Guide, Chicago:SPSS Inc.

Statistical Software: SPSS Base 11, available on CAS Network.

Course Objectives

This course introduces basic principles and techniques of quantitative geographical analysis. It focuses on basic statistical techniques in a geographical context and emphasises the application of standard statistical methods to spatial data. The goal is to equip students with basic tools for geographical data analysis including hypothesis testing and analyzing functional relationships. The student will be required to apply these methods to analyse geographical data in the term paper.

COURSE EVALUATION

Final Grades will be based on 5 assignments, 2 examinations and one term paper. The final grade will comprise:

       5 Assignments @ 40 points 200 points 33%

       1 Midterm examination 100 points 17%

            1 Term paper                                                   200 points               33%

            1 Final Exam                                                    100 points               17%

            Total                                                                600 points               100%

ASSIGNMENTS (5 @ 40 points each)

Students must complete 5 mandatory assignments. Assignments must be typed with proper attachments. Due dates and times will be announced with the distribution of each assignment. These dates will be adhered to rigidly! Late work will be penalised by loss of 10% of the mark for the particular assignment.

DROP POLICY

October 3, 2003 is the last day to drop this course with a grade of W. After this date a grade of WF may be recorded by the instructor. October 28 is the last day to drop a course with the consent of the instructor.

POLICY ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Department of Geography, in cooperation with the Office of Disability Accommodation, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request before the 12th class day (September 8, 2003) so that I can make the necessary arrangements needed.

GRADING POLICY

It is the policy of the Geography Department that grades will not be changed except in cases of computational error. Similarly, it is the policy of the Geography Department not to assign extra assignments to students in order to raise their grades. This policy will be adhered to strictly in this class.

TERM PAPER (200 points)

The objective of the term paper is to help students relate the statistical tools to a practical research problem. This reinforces the goal of the course - acquiring and applying standard statistical tools to geographical analysis.

DESCRIPTION: Identify a research problem in your field of specialisation. Use an appropriate data set (e.g. census data) to examine the problem. Analyse the data using appropriate statistical tools. Write up the results using appropriate data display methods (tables, graphs). The write-up must:

1.         Briefly describe the problem.

2.            Describe comment on the data (accuracy, reliability collection procedure etc.)

3.                  Describe and explain the results / findings

The final paper must be typed, approximately 10 pages long. Late papers will be penalised by loss of 10% of the mark.

TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE

Week Beginning                   MAJOR TOPIC                                            READING     LAB

August 25            Introduction - Course Overview                                                  Chapter 1

                        Geographical Analysis - What is it?

                        Statistics in Geography

                        Introduction to SPSS            (Meet in CSAM, ENV 336)

    Sept 1          Geographic Data – Characteristics and Preparation                       Chapter 2

                        Levels of Measurement

                        Measurement Concepts

                        Organizing Data - Frequency Distributions



Sept 8              Descriptive Statistics                                                                      Chapter 3

                            Measures of Central Tendency

                            Measures of Dispersion

                            Skewness and Kurtosis

                          Measures of Shape or Relative Position

                          Descriptive Spatial Statistics                                                          Chapter 4

                        Spatial Measures of Central Tendency

                        Spatial Measures of Dispersion

Lab Exs 1 Distributed

Sept 15            Probability Theory                                                                         Chapter 5

Basic Concepts and Terms

Binomial Probability Distributions

Poisson Probability Distributions

The Normal Distribution

Probability Mapping

Lab Exs 1 Due

               Sept 22 Elements of Sampling                                                                      Chapter 6

                        Populations and Sampling Distributions

                        Probability Sampling (random, systematic, stratified, cluster)

                        Spatial Sampling

                 Lab Exs 2 Distributed

Sept 29            Estimation in Sampling                                                  Chapter 7

                        Confidence Intervals

                        Sample Size selection

Lab Exs 2 Due

Oct 6               Inferential Statistics                                                       Chapter 8

                        Hypothesis Testing - Principles

                        Tests about Mean and Proportion

                        One Sample Difference Tests

                        Selecting the right test

Oct 9   MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Oct 13 Two Sample Tests                                                                            Chapter 9

                        Two sample difference test

                        Matched Pairs test

OCTOBER 14 – TERM PAPER ABSTRACT DUE

Lab Exs 3 Distributed

Oct 20 Three or more Sample Tests                                                                Chapter 10

                        Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

                        Kruskal-Wallis Test

Lab Exs 3 Due

Oct 27 Goodness of Fit and Contingency Tests                                                 Chapter 11

                      Goodness of Fit Test

                        Contingency Analysis

Lab Exs 4 Distributed

Nov 3 Inferential Spatial Statistics                                                                      Chapter 12

Point Pattern Analysis

Area Pattern Analysis

Lab Exs 4 Due

Nov 10 Simple Linear Correlation                                                                     Chapter 12

                        Interval Ratio Variables

                        Ordinal Variables

Lab Exs 5 Distributed

Nov 17 Regression Analysis             I                                                                Chapter 13

                        Bivariate Regression

                        Residual Analysis

                        Multivariate Regression Analysis

Lab Exs 5 Due

Nov 26 Regression Analysis            II



Nov 27- Dec. 1 THANKSGIVING

November 29 – December 5, 2003. Pre-Final Week.

Dec 1            Revision

DECEMBER 3, 2003. TERM PAPER DUE

Dec 9 FINAL EXAMINATION 8:00-10:00 a.m.

GEOGRAPHY 4120/5960

MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY (To Print Click Here)

FALL 2003

Instructor:            Dr. Joseph Oppong                                                            Class Time: TR 2.00-3.20pm

Office:             ENV 310Q                                                               Room:            ENV 190

Phone: 940-565-2181                                                                     E-mail: OPPONG@UNT.EDU

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 11.00 – 12.00 P.M. or by appointment

Medical Geography is concerned with the locational aspects of health and health care. In what regions are specific diseases more prevalent, and why is this so? How do diseases spread in geographic space? Where are health care facilities located and why? Are health services maldistributed and will current and proposed policies to remedy this be effective? In dealing with health and health care, our focus is: WHO gets WHAT, WHERE and WHY?

Course Objectives: This course has 3 main objectives:

1. To equip students to understand how location influences the health status of individuals, exposure to disease, access to health care services and general conditions of health and well-being.

2. To expose students to common problems and errors in the collection and analysis of epidemiological, demographic and health data, the resulting wrong conclusions, and equip them to avoid such errors in research.

3. To introduce students to the use of Geographic Information Systems and computer mapping in the geographical analysis of disease.

Course Text: Meade, M., and R. Earickson. 2000. Medical Geography (New York: Guilford Press);

Course Evaluation: In addition to attending class and reading the weekly and other assigned readings, students will write two midterm exams, one final examination and (one/two) term papers. The breakdown of the final grade will be as follows:

              GEOG 4120          5960

Pts         %            Pts            %

Term Paper I: Geography of Disease (Cancer in Texas)    300       30% 200       20%

Term Paper II: Country Health Systems                             ----          ---- 200       20%

Midterm Examinations (1)                          200       20% 200       20%

Final Examination                                              200 20%      200 20%

Class Exercises (3)                                             300 30%      200 20%

Total                                                        1000     100% 1000     100%

FINAL EXAM: Wednesday, December 9, 2003 (20%) will comprise short answers and essay questions.

DROP POLICY

October 4, 2003 is the last day to drop this course with a grade of W. After this date the instructor may record a grade of WF. October 28 is the last day to drop a course with the consent of the instructor.

POLICY ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

The Department of Geography, in cooperation with the Office of Disability Accommodation, complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act in making reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please present your written accommodation request before the 12th class day (September 8, 2003) so that I can make the necessary arrangements needed.

GRADING POLICY

It is the policy of the Geography Department that grades will not be changed except in cases of computational error. Similarly, it is the policy of the Geography Department not to assign extra assignments to students in order to raise their grades. This policy will be adhered to strictly in this class.

Tentative Course Outline

Week Beginning                   TOPIC                                                            Chapter

Aug 25                         Introduction: Geography and                                                 Chapter 1

Medical Geography

Sept 1                          Theories of disease causation

Human Ecology of Disease                                                Chapter 2

Political Ecology of Disease

Vulnerability Thesis

Sept 8              Methodology of Medical Geography

Landscape Epidemiology Chapter 3

Disease mapping                                     Chapter 13

Ø      GIS and Disease Surveillance http://www.helsinki.fi/~blom/hovigrad.html

Sept 15                        Data Problems in Medical Geography Research            Chapter 12

Ø      (Health Research Methods and Data Workshop) http://post.queensu.ca/~jlj/healthandenvir/workshop4.htm

Race and Ethnicity in US Medical Data

·        Hahn, R. A., J. Mulinare, S. M. Teutsch. 1992. Inconsistencies in Coding of Race and Ethnicity between Birth and Death in US Infants. JAMA 267(2):259-263.

·        Hahn, R. A. 1992. The State of federal Health Statistics on Racial and Ethnic Groups. JAMA 267(2):268-271.

·        Osborne, N. G. and M. D. Feit. 1992. The Use of Race in Medical Research. JAMA 267(2):275-279.

Sept 22                        Bias and Outcomes in Medical Geography Research

·        Rushing, W. A. 1995. The AIDS Epidemic: Social Dimensions of an Infectious Disease. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, Chp. 3.

·        Rushton, J.P. and Bogaert, A.F. 1989. Population Differences and Susceptibility to AIDS: An Evolutionary Analysis. Social Science and Medicine. 28(12):113-125.

·        Packard, R.M and P. Epstein. 1992. Epidemiologists, Social Scientists and the Structure of Medical Research on AIDS in Africa. Social Science and Medicine. 33(7):771-794.

Sept 29                        Developmental Change and Human Health               Chapter 4

Epidemiological and Demographic Transition



October 6                    Biometeorology of Health Status                            Chapter 5

Global Climate Change and Public Health

                                    http://infoserver.ciesin.org/TG/HH/hh-home.html

http://www.gcrio.org/CONSEQUENCES/vol3no2/climhealth.html

                                    http://www.jhu.edu/~climate/

MIDTERM EXAM

October 13                  The Pollution Syndrome                                             Chapter 6

Environmental Pollution and Health

http://infoserver.ciesin.org/docs/001-545/001-545-C6.html

October 20                  The Geographies of Disease in Economically Developed Areas   Chapter 7

Cluster of Adverse Health Outcomes

October 27                  Disease Diffusions in Geographic Space                           Chapter 8

Contagious Diseases



November 3                 Health Care Delivery Systems Worldwide                               Chapter 9

The Canadian Health System

The American Health System

November 10               Medical Pluralism - Traditional Medical Practitioners and

Holistic Medicine; Drugs, Fake Drugs, and Health Care

November 17               Distribution of Health Care Resources                                Chapter 10



November 24               Access, Utilization and Planning Health Services

Finding Optimal Locations for Resources

Mobile Units and Services

Access to Health Services

December 1                 Pre-Final Week

FINAL EXAMINATION December 9, 2003 1.30 – 3.30 pm.

Useful web sites

English dictionary of medical terms (56)

http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~rvdstich/eugloss/DIC/dictio56.html#1100

Medscape http://www.medscape.com/Home/Topics/multispecialty/multispecialty.html

AAG Medical Geography Specialty Group            http://umbc7.umbc.edu/~earickso/

TERM PAPER 1

Select any one disease or cause of death and examine it critically for Texas. Annual mortality data for each cause of death based on Texas Vital Statistics from 1980-1998 is available at county level. Using ArcView or some other GIS software, produce appropriate maps of the selected cause of death to include in your paper. Using research information on causal factors, and basic statistical analysis, your paper should:

a.       describe spatial and temporal variations in the selected disease or cause of death;

b.      explain the geography of that disease or cause of death in Texas; and

c.       make policy recommendations.

Your paper must cite evidence from several journal articles, etc. (LENGTH: At least 15 pages (20 for 5960), not including maps). Topic with abstract and brief bibliography (about 10 references) is due by September 23, 2003. The paper will be written in 3 sections:

Section 1 (Approximately 5 pages due October 7, 2003)

·        Introduction

·        Literature review detailing causes of the disease and mode of spread.

·        Variables explaining the geographic distribution of the disease.

·        Research hypotheses for study, with justification.

·        Methodology to be used and data sources.

Section 2 (Approximately 8 pages excluding maps due November 11, 2003)

·        Description and Explanation of the Geography of the Disease (in Texas)

·        Spatial variation of the disease (Disease Maps and interpretation)

·        Statistical analysis and interpretation (may include Tables, Charts etc.)

·        Change through time (Description and Explanation).

Section 3 (Approximately 3 pages due November 27, 2003)

·        Conclusions and Implications

·        Recommendations for Prevention, Control of the disease.

·        Limitations of the Research and recommendations for future research.

TERM PAPER II - 20% (GEOG 5960 only)

Take any one country and examine its health care system. The paper must describe the spatial distribution of the population, health facilities, and ill-health. What are the leading causes of death? What are the health care policies? How does the political economy influence health care? How has Primary Health Care been operationalized? What is the role (if any) of indigenous medical practitioners, itinerant drug vendors, pharmacies and drug stores? What are the problems facing health care delivery in that particular country and how may they be solved? (LENGTH: About 10 - 15 pages). Topic with brief bibliography must be approved by October 7, 2003. This paper is due December 2, 2003.

GEOG 4120/5960

MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY OF GHANA

Medical Geography focuses on the geography of disease and health services. It attempts to answer the question who gets what diseases and health services where and why? In Ghana, students will visit indigenous healers, rural biomedical clinics, a University Teaching Hospital and a Private Clinic in an urban area as well as the national tuberculosis control program. In addition, we will attempt to understand the link between economy, culture, sanitation and health conditions.

Required Text:

Oppong, J.R. and E. D. Oppong. 2003. Ghana. Philadelphia: Chelsea House.

Samuel Aryeetey-Attoh (ed.) 2003. Geography of Sub-Saharan Africa Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

COURSE EVALUATION

In addition to attending class and reading the assigned readings, students will produce one term paper. The breakdown of the final grade will be as follows:

Term Paper            60 points

Daily Journal             30 points

Participation            10 points

Total             100 points

TERM PAPER

Take any one of Ghana’s health problems and examine it carefully. Your paper must: 1. describe and explain the spatial and temporal variations of the problem and, 2. Make policy recommendations. Your paper must cite evidence from several journal articles, etc. (LENGTH: At least 10-15 pages (20 for 5960), not including maps and photographs).

1. Introduction to Medical Geography             Chapter 12

2. Geography of Health Services

·        Oppong, J. R. and D. A. Williamson. 2001. Locating Itinerant Drug Vendors in Ghana’s Health Care System. African Geographical Review 21:43-58.

·        Oppong, J. R. 1997. Obstacles to Acceptance of Location-Allocation Models in Health Care Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa. East African Geographical Review 19(2):1-10.

·        Oppong, J. R. 1994. Spatial Accessibility to Health Care Facilities in Suhum District, Ghana. Professional Geographer 46(2):199-209.

3. Structural Adjustment and Health.

·        Oppong, J. R. 2001. Structural Adjustment and the health Care System. In Konadu Agyeman (ed). IMF and World Bank Sponsored Structural Adjustment Programs in Africa, pp. 373-386.

·        Turshen, M. 1999. The Collapse of Public Health. Privatizing Health Services in

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