Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network

Against the backdrop of frequent public health emergencies caused by infectious diseases, it is urgent to evaluate the importance of urban epidemic prevention by integrating population mobility networks. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed based on a population mobi...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bing Li, Jie Zhang, Ziye Xiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Mathematics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/14/2222
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849521425588682752
author Bing Li
Jie Zhang
Ziye Xiang
author_facet Bing Li
Jie Zhang
Ziye Xiang
author_sort Bing Li
collection DOAJ
description Against the backdrop of frequent public health emergencies caused by infectious diseases, it is urgent to evaluate the importance of urban epidemic prevention by integrating population mobility networks. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed based on a population mobility network, and the improved entropy weight method and analytic hierarchy process are used to obtain the comprehensive weights. The weight imbalance problem of traditional methods is solved by introducing community structure weighting and subjective weight. We establish a Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)-based evaluation model named city importance evaluation based on the division of communities and TOPSIS (CICT) for the importance of urban epidemic prevention and simulate the model using data from 297 cities in China. It can rank indicators that affect the importance of cities in infectious disease prevention and control and identify key cities for infectious disease prevention and control. The influence of various indicators on the evaluation objectives vary during different investigation periods, but the entropy weights of confirmed cases, hospital beds, and practicing (assistant) physicians remain at a high level. Cities with a high number of confirmed cases consistently rank at the top in the comprehensive evaluation, but this model can also identify potential key cities with fewer confirmed cases. These cities require key management during the outbreak of infectious diseases. The evaluation model can scientifically assess the epidemic prevention significance of cities, improve the efficiency of public health emergency management, and provide quantitative support for formulating urban epidemic control strategies, promoting resource optimization allocation, and implementing targeted measures.
format Article
id doaj-art-cb1064a96f5645efa3c7f2c205b6b249
institution Kabale University
issn 2227-7390
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Mathematics
spelling doaj-art-cb1064a96f5645efa3c7f2c205b6b2492025-08-20T03:32:27ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902025-07-011314222210.3390/math13142222Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility NetworkBing Li0Jie Zhang1Ziye Xiang2School of Economics, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaSchool of Economics, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan 430070, ChinaComprehensive Bonded Logistics Industry Construction Management Office, Wuhan Airport Economic Development Zone, Wuhan 430040, ChinaAgainst the backdrop of frequent public health emergencies caused by infectious diseases, it is urgent to evaluate the importance of urban epidemic prevention by integrating population mobility networks. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation index system is constructed based on a population mobility network, and the improved entropy weight method and analytic hierarchy process are used to obtain the comprehensive weights. The weight imbalance problem of traditional methods is solved by introducing community structure weighting and subjective weight. We establish a Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)-based evaluation model named city importance evaluation based on the division of communities and TOPSIS (CICT) for the importance of urban epidemic prevention and simulate the model using data from 297 cities in China. It can rank indicators that affect the importance of cities in infectious disease prevention and control and identify key cities for infectious disease prevention and control. The influence of various indicators on the evaluation objectives vary during different investigation periods, but the entropy weights of confirmed cases, hospital beds, and practicing (assistant) physicians remain at a high level. Cities with a high number of confirmed cases consistently rank at the top in the comprehensive evaluation, but this model can also identify potential key cities with fewer confirmed cases. These cities require key management during the outbreak of infectious diseases. The evaluation model can scientifically assess the epidemic prevention significance of cities, improve the efficiency of public health emergency management, and provide quantitative support for formulating urban epidemic control strategies, promoting resource optimization allocation, and implementing targeted measures.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/14/2222importance of urban epidemic preventioncomprehensive evaluationimproved entropy weight methodpopulation mobility networkTOPSIS
spellingShingle Bing Li
Jie Zhang
Ziye Xiang
Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network
Mathematics
importance of urban epidemic prevention
comprehensive evaluation
improved entropy weight method
population mobility network
TOPSIS
title Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network
title_full Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network
title_fullStr Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network
title_full_unstemmed Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network
title_short Comprehensive Evaluation Method for Importance of Epidemic Prevention in Chinese Cities Considering Population Mobility Network
title_sort comprehensive evaluation method for importance of epidemic prevention in chinese cities considering population mobility network
topic importance of urban epidemic prevention
comprehensive evaluation
improved entropy weight method
population mobility network
TOPSIS
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/14/2222
work_keys_str_mv AT bingli comprehensiveevaluationmethodforimportanceofepidemicpreventioninchinesecitiesconsideringpopulationmobilitynetwork
AT jiezhang comprehensiveevaluationmethodforimportanceofepidemicpreventioninchinesecitiesconsideringpopulationmobilitynetwork
AT ziyexiang comprehensiveevaluationmethodforimportanceofepidemicpreventioninchinesecitiesconsideringpopulationmobilitynetwork