The co-evolution of therapeutic landscape and health tourism in bama longevity villages, China: An actor-network perspective

Deuterium in drinking water and its effects on cancer and longevity

This study investigates the spatial distribution of longevity levels, deuterium in drinking water, and cancer incidence rates, and further examines the impact of deuterium in drinking water on longevity and cancer incidence. Methods such as correlation coefficients and Kriging spatial interpolation were employed to uncover the characteristics of spatial distribution and identify correlations. Findings reveal that regions with higher longevity levels are mostly located on the eastern side of the Hu Huanyong Line (Heihe-Tengchong Line). Deuterium in drinking water decreases from low latitude, low elevation, and coastal areas to high latitude, high elevation, and inland regions. Notably, there is a positive correlation between deuterium content in drinking water and longevity levels, indicating that higher deuterium content is associated with increased longevity. Additionally, counties with lower deuterium content in drinking water show a reduced incidence of cancer cases.

Medical tourism and medical tourists: providing a sustainable course to integrating health treatments with tourism

Medical tourism (MT) is an expanding multidisciplinary economic activity that combines the healthcare and tourist industries, with patients increasingly travelling worldwide for medical treatments. MT provides economic benefits to destinations while raising ethical, quality, informed and risk concerns for medical tourists. Greater cross-disciplinary studies and collaboration across sectors are advocated.

Utilizing supply-demand bundles in Nature-based Recreation offers insights into specific strategies for sustainable tourism management

Balancing supply and demand in Nature-based Recreation (NbR) has the potential to yield co-benefits across multiple Ecosystem Services (ES), helping to make tourism activities more sustainable. However, a comprehensive understanding of supply-demand mismatches in NbR is challenging due to the complex interaction among various social, economic and ecological factors. This paper investigates mismatches in NbR supply and demand to provide insights for informing spatial and regional planning to achieve sustainable tourism. To this end, the paper uses a wide range of indicators such as biophysical attributes, accessibility and social indicators to map and assess NbR supply and demand, followed by the application of spatial statistics to analyse supply-demand mismatches. Cluster analysis was performed based on the supply-demand relationship to identify a typology of NbR ES across the study area in the north of Iran. The paper proposes an innovative application of recreation ES bundles with potential implications for sustainable tourism in a region marked as a hot spot for tourism. The analysis generated a typology of five bundles of NbR ES with differing recreational opportunities. Bundles 1 and 2, characterized by a supply surplus and substantial ecological value, are suitable for NbR activities such as camping, hiking, climbing, and birdwatching. In contrast, bundle 4 and 5 associated with urban centres, experience a supply deficit, making them less suitable for NbR. Bundle 3, characterized by a mixture of natural and productive lands, plays an important role in maintaining a balanced supply-demand state. This region holds potential for diverse forms of tourism, including rural and agricultural recreation such as farm tours and farm life experiences. Based on findings, the paper provides valuable insights for spatial and regional planning by proposing targeted strategies to sustainably manage tourism activities.

Analysis of spatial-temporal pattern, dynamic evolution and influencing factors of health tourism development in China

The evaluation index system is constructed based on the connotation and characteristics of health tourism. Using the entropy method, Thiel index, exploratory spatial data analysis method, spatial Markov chain and spatial econometric model, research is carried out around the development index, difference status, spatial-temporal pattern, dynamic evolution and influencing factors of health tourism. The following results were drawn: (1) The development index of health tourism in China is low, but the development speed is fast. The inter-regional development index shows an eastern China > central China > western China pattern, and the development speed exhibits a western China > central China > eastern China situation. (2) In the overall difference in China's health tourism development, the intra-regional difference is consistently higher than the inter-regional difference. Among the three major regions, the overall difference between eastern China and western China is always higher than that of central China. (3) The development of health tourism in China is positively correlated in the global space, with some local spatial clustering. (4) The dynamic evolution of health tourism development in China shows part of the "Matthew effect" characteristics, with an obvious spatial spillover effect. (5) Various influencing factors produced widely varying direct, indirect and total effects on health tourism development in China, eastern China, central China and western China. Finally, based on the results of the above empirical analysis, policy recommendations to promote the development of health tourism in China are proposed.

Spatial distribution and influencing factors of high-quality tourist attractions in Shandong Province, China

Optimizing the spatial layout of high-quality tourist attractions is of great significance in the sustainable development of the tourism industry. This work employs the ArcGIS spatial analysis tool to study the form, equality, and density of the spatial distribution of the 892 3A+ tourist attractions (high-quality tourist attractions hereafter) in Shandong Province, China. It also examines the factors influencing the spatial distribution of tourist attractions from the perspectives of geographic features and landscapes, culture and heritage, socioeconomic development, and transportation. We therefore find the following: 1) High-quality tourist attractions in Shandong Province have obvious clustering in spatial distribution with the high-density areas mainly concentrated in Qingdao, Jining, Jinan, Tai'an and other cities. Influenced by resource endowment and economic development, the two major geographical areas in Central Shandong and Jiaodong Peninsula have the most concentrated distribution of high-quality tourist attractions. 2) The distribution of high-quality tourist attractions shows a southwest‒northeast clustering direction; Qingdao is a high-high clustering area, and Heze is a low-high clustering area with low uniformity of spatial distribution and obvious spatial divergence. 3) Tourist attractions show an obvious "N" type high-density distribution belt and nuclear density distribution across the three existing agglomeration centers in the Jining-Tai'an intersection, Binzhou-Dongying intersection, and Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay coast. 4) Topography, climate conditions, history and culture are intrinsic factors affecting the spatial distribution of tourist attractions, while socioeconomic and transportation conditions are external requirements for the development thereof; collectively, they constrain the spatial distribution of high-quality tourist attractions.

Health Tourism-Subject of Scientific Research: A Literature Review and Cluster Analysis

The purpose of this article is to identify main research areas in health tourism in scientific research. The data used in this analysis span from 2000 to 2022, was retrieved from the Web of Science database, and comprises a total of 1493 bibliometric records of publications. The paper includes both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis. The following four main research areas were identified based on the results: (1) patient satisfaction built upon trust; (2) health impacts of the destination (including the economic aspect, which plays a decisive role in choosing a tourism destination); (3) health behavior as a major part of human activity; and (4) traveling with a view to regain one's health. Note that the limitations of this study-which mostly affect the methodological part-need to be taken into consideration. This is the consequence of the selected publication database and of the search criteria used, such as the publication year or language.

Vulnerable or resilient? The response of informal settlements to COVID-19: The case of urban village communities in Beijing

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought topics of the impact, response and adaptation of cities in emergencies to the forefront. When compared with formal settlements, the problems faced by informal settlements are more prominent. We propose the framework of an actor-network theory, substantiated by an empirical study of three typical informal settlements in Haidian District, Beijing, in which the process, characteristics and internal mechanism of the spatial reconstruction of the informal settlements in response to COVID-19 are closely scrutinised. Human actors such as local governments, community volunteers, landlords, tenants and non-human actors all participated in the response to COVID-19 according to their goal vision and political logic, with the local government as the core driving force, forming an integrated actor network. Rooted in the special locality of informal settlements, the actor network was both hierarchical and flexible, and its inherent dynamism has proven to be efficient during COVID-19, resulting in social adaptation and spatial reconstruction. This study contributes to the cautiously optimistic estimate of similar urban community resilience in terms of global epidemics and enriches the understanding of their interlacing dynamics from the perspective of spatial reconstruction.

Geographical distinctions of longevity indicators and their correlation with climatic factors in the area where most Chinese Yao are distributed

Longevity research is a hot topic in the health field. Considerable research focuses on longevity phenomenon in Bama Yao Autonomous County, which has a typical karst landform and is located in Southwest China. This study aims to illustrate the spatial feature of longevity indicators in other Yao areas, to analyze the correlation between climatic factors and longevity indicators, and to provide new clues and targets for further longevity studies. We collect and integrate population, climate, and terrain data into a spatial database. The main analysis methods include spatial autocorrelation, high/low clustering, and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR). Two longevity clusters are identified in Guijiang River Basin (longevity index (LI%): 2.49 ± 0.63) and Liujiang River Basin (LI%: 2.13 ± 0.60). The spatial distribution of longevity indicators is autocorrelative (Moran's I = 0.652, p < 0.001) and clustered significantly (Z score = 4.268, p < 0.001). MGWR shows that the atmospheric pressure significantly affects the spatial distribution of LI% (estimate value (EV) =  - 0.566, p = 0.012), centenarity index (CI%) (EV =  - 0.425, p = 0.007), UC (EV =  - 0.502, p = 0.006), and CH (EV =  - 0.497, p = 0.007). Rainfall significantly affects the spatial distribution of LI% (EV = 0.300, p = 0.003) and CI% (EV =  - 0.191, p = 0.016). The spatial distribution of the main longevity indicators shows significant heterogeneity and autocorrelation, and they cluster in the Guijiang River and Liujiang River basins. Atmospheric pressure and rainfall may contribute to the longevity phenomenon through complex mechanisms. The longevity phenomenon in the Yao nationality in Guijiang River Basin requires further study to improve our understanding of the health effect of meteorological, environmental, and social conditions on longevity.

Enhancing the Health and Well-Being of People with Chronic Diseases: Assessment and Sustainable Development Planning for Therapeutic Landscapes after Urban Expansion

Under the influence of economic, environmental, and social structural changes, urban space expands and contracts to varying degrees and the everyday urban landscape changes in response. Over the past 20 years, a large number of cities in China have undergone a brief but rapid urban expansion and are moving toward shrinking cities. Most of these cities are now facing social problems such as an aging population and a high prevalence of chronic diseases. Therefore, the “therapeutic” role and impact of everyday landscapes in these cities need to be examined in the context of urban development processes through appropriate assessment methods. Therefore, this study applies the ANP-mV model to examine the therapeutic nature of everyday urban landscapes in different development periods, with the aim of enhancing the health and well-being of people with chronic diseases. Firstly, this study uses the city of Jinzhou in Northeast China as an example to develop a framework for assessing the therapeutic nature of everyday urban landscapes based on the health care needs of people with chronic diseases; secondly, it examines the therapeutic nature of the former Jinzhou Suburban Riverfront Forest Park as it has developed and evolved over the past 16 years; finally, it explores place-making and regeneration strategies for therapeutic landscapes from the perspectives of dynamic impact and sustainable development to enhance chronic illness patients' well-being. At the theoretical level, this study contributes by providing a methodology and research ideas for examining the “therapeutic” nature of everyday urban landscapes and proposing further development plans for renewal, constructing a framework for assessing therapeutic landscapes, and elucidating the relationship between networks of influence and the relative importance of various assessment dimensions/elements. At the practical application level, the contribution of this study is to provide local policymakers with a key decision basis for the future development planning of the East Lake Forest Park. The aim is to explore landscape creation and regeneration strategies for the East Lake Forest Park in the context of Jinzhou's progressive move toward a shrinking city, in order to sustain the well-being of the chronically ill.

Complex Network-Based Research on the Resilience of Rural Settlements in Sanshui Watershed

In the context of farmland afforestation and urbanization, it is necessary for the small watershed rural settlements in the hilly–gully Loess Plateau to coordinate spatiotemporal changes and take the path of resilience development. In the case of the Sanshui Watershed, this paper investigates the rural settlement systems based on complex networks, and develops a research framework of “spatial simulation–resilience evaluation–spatial planning”. The results include the evolution trends of settlement space from present to future, as well as its spatial resilience in static and dynamic states. In this study, a total of six central villages and six types of rural development are finalized, and the study area possesses a prolonged spatiotemporal resilience when 29 villages remain, thus forming an ideal spatial pattern of “rural corridor zones + characteristic towns”. The findings of this study can represent guidance for resilience development in small watershed villages and provide a basis for guiding the regional urban–rural integration, village layout, as well as resource allocation and construction.

Tourist Satisfaction, Willingness to Revisit and Recommend, and Mountain Kangyang Tourism Spots Sustainability: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

The rapid development of society and economy has imposed insurmountable pressure on the urban population, and many people suffer from sub-health conditions. Kangyang tourism (KT), which combines the concepts of health preservation, ecological resources, and tourism activities, has developed rapidly in China since the concept was first introduced. Although previous studies have examined the relationship among experience, satisfaction, and intention, there is a lack of study of experience value’s impact on Mountain Kangyang Tourim Spots’ Sustainability, that is, willingness to revisit and recommend to other potential tourists. Consequently, an “experience value (functional value, contextual value, emotional value, cognitive value, economic value), satisfaction and post-trip willingness to revisit and recommend” framework is suggested to examine mountain Kangyang tourism (MKT). Data were collected from 500 tourists after visiting five well-known MKT destinations in Panzhihua city. Using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique, the results suggest that tourist satisfaction plays an important role in experience value as well as willingness to revisit and recommend the MKT spots after their revisits. Our research offers some practical suggestions for MKT destination operators when they design and provide MKT destinations. The results would be useful for governments and non-profit organizations which attempt to promote MKT.

Tourism, Water Pollution, and Waterway Landscape Changes in a Traditional Village in the Huizhou Region, China

Based on archival research, non-participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews, this paper examined waterway landscape changes mainly caused by tourism development in Hongcun, a traditional village in the Huizhou region, China, and how the locals have responded to water pollution in order to achieve landscape sustainability. It is found that the physical structure of the waterways of Hongcun Village has been well preserved, but the water pollution caused by tourism, with a combination of changes of land use and demographic structure, has changed the functions and cultural meanings of waterways. Although there remains quite a daunting task towards sustainability in terms of technology, heritage protection, and desire for development, we claim the waterways environmental governance in which local governments play a crucial role in resilience strategies by controlling the sewage from homestays, restaurants, and pigment sewage from sketches. However, the ways in which landscape animates, including the daily lives, processual daily practices, and mundane activities of different social actors related to waterways, deserve further implementation to build the resilience of cultural landscape from the perspective of non-representational theory. This paper adds to a new narrative to the waterway landscape research by presenting a water utilization pattern that could profitably coexist with a specific environment in the Huizhou region in the agricultural society of ancient China and discussing how the non-representational theory contributes to analyzing and managing waterway landscapes in modern times. It also sheds light on the connection between cultural landscape and resilience.

Affordable and enjoyable health shopping: Commodified therapeutic landscapes for older people in China's urban open spaces

The complex influences of the commodification of therapeutic landscapes on sense of health are not fully understood. This study investigates how commodification affects the healing sense of urban open spaces for older people from a relational approach. Drawing on eight months of fieldwork in two Chinese cities, it demonstrates that (1) China's social and cultural backgrounds shape older people's consumer values and redefine their whole-person sense of health; (2) the consumption landscape, especially retailers, enhances the therapeutic components of the spaces for older people by providing new health products to increase their self-care capacity, and by providing an affordable and enjoyable purchasing experience to help them construct positive social identities; and (3) the dichotomy between consumers' demands that are created and met by an array of marketing activities, and the healing sense of those same spaces that stem from consumers' actual needs may be the main risk of a sustainable therapeutic consumption space. These findings expand the meanings of health for the geographies of aging and health in non-Western contexts. This study contributes to the relational thinking of the commodification of therapeutic landscapes and geography of aging by proposing a reciprocal benefit between older individuals and the consumption landscape. Based on these findings, scholars and policymakers should consider consumption activities in non-Western contexts as important determinants of health of the older population vis-a-vis an overwhelming market of health products, services, and activities.

Evaluating the literature of therapeutic landscapes with an emphasis on the search for the dimensions of health: A systematic review

Health geography emphasizes landscape capacity as a perspective for examining health dimensions. Much of this emphasis is on the concept of therapeutic landscapes. In the last two decades, changes in the therapeutic landscapes concerning health, as well as why and how the development of the emphasis on the dimensions of the health in the landscape in proportion to the temporal-spatial course of literature in this field can be considered. The framework of the present study is based on a systematic review of therapeutic landscapes in the geography of health in the last two decades. This systematic literature review followed the PRISMA guidelines. Searching for "Therapeutic Landscapes" term at Science Direct and PubMed, screening, 56 eligible articles were selected in the journal Social Science and Medicine, and Health and Place. The results of the systematic review, aiming to search for the health dimensions of the therapeutic landscape, and recognize main gaps, identified three main issues: scale and range of users of therapeutic landscapes, the position importance of experiences in therapeutic landscapes, therapeutic landscapes as the holistic paradigm. The results of the research show that in recent years, attention to multiple dimensions of health, especially non-physical relationships of therapeutic landscapes and multiple dimensions of health, has been considered more and more by researchers. Personal-social perceptions and experiences are also continually evolving, so the concept of therapeutic landscapes and its relationship to health is considered living and dynamic.