Department of Geography, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Abstract
Disease mapping is an effective analytical approach to conducting epidemiological analysis as well as risk communications to share fundamental knowledge of existing/emerging epidemics. This article employs a series of spatial epidemiological techniques for enhanced disease mapping of the mesothelioma epidemic at the municipality level across Japan during the period between 1995 and 2004. The processing of data using spatial statistics is vital in the effective geovisualisation. The results revealed distinctive geographical concentrations of highly elevated mesothelioma risks, especially in areas with a history of prior asbestos-related manufacturing industries, such as textile, construction materials and shipbuilding factories
