A REVIEW OF METHODS FOR THE STATISTICAL-ANALYSIS OF SPATIAL PATTERNS OF DISEASE

A review of methods for the analysis of the geographical distribution of disease is presented. The topic is of increasing interest to statisticians, though much groundwork has been done by epidemiologists and medical geographers. Methods for the detection and testing for apparent clusters of disease, including those near a possible environmental hazard, are reviewed. Estimating regional mortality rates, possibly to construct disease maps, and methods for investigating the association between disease rates and social, demographic and environmental factors are discussed. In addition, statistical analysis of the spatial spread of epidemics is mentioned.