Reconsidering movement and exposure: Towards a more dynamic health geography

Abstract

Acknowledging a paucity of emerging research, and some variation by sub‐field, the geographical measures of exposure used in health and medical geography have largely stagnated often focusing on residence‐based (‘static’) conceptualisations to define an individuals mobility or exposure. Detailed spatiotemporal data, such as smartphone data, allow richer understandings of the influence of the environment, or more broadly of place, on individual health outcomes and behaviours. However, while researchers are increasingly aware of such ‘dynamic’ definitions of place these are seldom employed in empirical evidence. Moreover, there may be differences in mobility by population groups which has not to our knowledge been examined fully. The main aim of this article is to provide a critical review of progress in the conceptualisation of location in health‐related geospatial research to understand the evolution of key concepts and to provoke the reader into considering the utility of a (more) dynamic health geography. We explore the origins of time geography, activity spaces, before moving to recent developments in the area of the exposome and the linked dynamic conceptualisations of exposure in health geography. To illuminate and operationalise findings from our review for readers, we provide a small case study to demonstrate how ‘static’ and ‘dynamic’ approaches differ. Moreover, we consider why understanding heterogeneity in mobility could be particularly salient in the field of health geography, and to the discipline of geography more broadly. To conclude, we help readers understand the practical considerations of data privacy, the process of data collection, data processing, and interpretation, and dissemination of findings to offer practical assistance for those who are grappling with ‘dynamic’ definitions of mobility and conceptualisations of exposure.