title: Exploring urban health in Cape Town, South Africa: an interdisciplinary analysis of secondary data.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With modern information technology, an overwhelming amount of data is available on different aspects of societies. Our research investigated the feasibility of using secondary data sources to get an overview of determinants of health and health outcomes in different population strata of Cape Town, a large city of South Africa.
  
  
  METHODS
  The methodological approach of secondary-data analysis was similar in the different disciplines: Biological Anthropology, Public Health, Environmental Health, Mental Health, Palliative Care, Medical Psychology and Sociology at the University of Freiburg and Public Health at the University of Cape Town. The teams collected information on Cape Town through Internet searches and published articles. The information was extracted, analyzed, condensed, and jointly interpreted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data show the typical picture of a population in epidemiological and demographic transition exposed to often difficult social, mental, and physical environmental conditions. Comparison between low and higher socioeconomic districts demonstrated that the former had higher air pollution, poorer water quality, and deficient sanitary conditions in addition to sub-optimal mental health services and palliative care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although important information gaps were identified, the data draw attention to critical public health interventions required in poor health districts, and to motivate for pro-equity policies.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|b Faculty of Medicine, Biological Anthropology , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Rebekka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mumm
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diaz-Monsalve
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|c Faculty of Medicine, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine und Psychotherapy , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hänselmann
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|c Faculty of Medicine, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine und Psychotherapy , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|c Faculty of Medicine, Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine und Psychotherapy , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wirsching
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|d Faculty of Medicine, Clinic for Palliative Care , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gärtner
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|e Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Hygiene , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gminski
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|e Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Environmental Medicine and Hospital Hygiene , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vögtlin
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|f Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sociology and Psychology , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Körner
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|f Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sociology and Psychology , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zirn
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.|b Faculty of Medicine, Biological Anthropology , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wittwer-Backofen
authors.affiliation: g Division of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health and Family Medicine , University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa.
authors.forename: Tolu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oni
authors.affiliation: a Center for Medicine and Society , University of Freiburg , Freiburg , Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kroeger
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004782:Environmental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009026:Mortality; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Cape Town; Urban health; interdisciplinary