Literature reviews for health impact assessment
Literature reviews relating to health impact assessment. Subjects include water; health services; the built environment; physical activity; and transport.
Water Management and the Broader Determinants of Health:
A rapid review prepared for Community and Public Health, Canterbury District Health Board September 2011
This review considers the impact on health of water management decisions such as water allocations, project consents and allocation of conservation grants. The review is intended to inform health impact discussion at Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) Zone Committee meetings.
This review does not attempt to provide a comprehensive summary of the literature. Instead it provides an overview of the effects of water management on health supported by selected literature that is representative of the most frequently expressed concepts in this field. Where possible, this review draws on literature that is specific to Canterbury or New Zealand. However, in many instances such literature is not available and international literature is used. The applicability of international literature to the situation in Canterbury is discussed where appropriate.
Link to http://www.cph.co.nz/About-Us/Health-in-all-Policies/
Health services
Literature Review for the Maru Wehi Integrated Whānau Ora Centre Plan WOHIA
This literature review summarises key New Zealand and overseas evidence about the effectiveness of integrated health care initiatives, and key characterises of successful initiatives. The key messages from the literature review include:
- the importance of engagement with communities and clinical leaders
- building a clear shared understanding of the purpose of the integration initiative
- the importance of maintaining a strong focus on improving patient care
- the need for a broad, holistic approach to health and wellbeing that includes a focus on whanau and community capacity building
- the need to use models and methods that reflect Maori beliefs, values, aspirations and tikanga.
The Maori-specific dimensions of effective health care have been outlined in this report, and attention to these cultural aspects of health is likely to be a key consideration in the successful development of the proposed Maru Wehi centre described below.
The literature review was done to guide the planning of the proposed integrated whanau ora centre on the Maru Wehi Hauora site, in Taranaki, New Zealand. Tui Ora Ltd proposed the development of the Maru Wehi centre, and commissioned the literature review and WOHIA on the proposal. An overview of the policy context for the development of the Maru Wehi centre is included in the introduction to the literature review, along with a brief comment about Maori health and the cultural aspects of health care. The literature was conducted by Judith Ball, Quigley and Watts Ltd, in May 2010.
Built environment
Searchable evidence base for health impacts of the built environment (Human Impact Partners)
This searchable database includes research evidence and citations linking the social determinants, the built environment and health. Much of the evidence has been published in peer reviewed journals or comes from public agencies and other research based organizations. The database is provided by Human Impact Partners, a US based company that supports the use of HIA. The information provided may assist with literature reviews conducted for HIAs in New Zealand.
Physical activity
Quantifying the economic benefit of increasing physical activity
This paper was prepared by Community and Public Health, Canterbury District Health Board to support the transport related HIA work in the Canterbury region. The paper examines 13 references, and concludes that inactivity has significant costs to the health system. For example, an Australian report estimated the direct gross cost of physical inactivity to the Australian health budget in 2006/2007 was $1.49 billion. Cost benefit analyses of existing interventions in pedestrian and cycling infrastructure along with social campaigns to encourage people to use them have shown that the benefits far outweigh the costs and are a “best buy” for personal health, the health system, and the transport sector. Aside from reduced all-cause mortality, and health care costs, there are measurable benefits in decreased morbidity, pollution, absenteeism, and traffic congestion.
Transport
Wider Health and Wellbeing Impacts of Transport Planning
This literature review is one several reports that have been produced as part of the Health Impact Assessment that has been undertaken as part of the development process for the new Regional Land Transport Strategy 2011-41, to assess the links between transport planning, health determinants and health outcomes for the RLTS.
Transport planning can have positive impacts on health by encouraging active lifestyles and enhancing opportunities for access to goods, services and social interaction equitably across all society. Conversely, negative impacts can result from transport planning that is undertaken without an awareness of how importantly transport influences people’s opportunities to live a healthy and fulfilling life, to work and pursue leisure activities.
The framework for considering the health impact of transport planning was taken from the Christchurch City Council’s Health Promotion and Sustainability Through Environmental Design: a Guide for Planning (HPSTED). Thirteen aspects of the wider physical and social environment in relation to transport were considered covering safety, active lifestyles, access to goods and services, healthy environments, equity, cultural diversity, housing, social and community capital, amenities, sustainability, community resilience, food security, and economic development. Briefing papers based on a review of the international and New Zealand literature were drawn up and each one was peer reviewed by one or more people with expertise in the relevant field. Although all areas are interlinked, considering them in turn allows the importance of each one to the transport planning process to be highlighted. This short summary covers the main points from the original thirteen briefing papers. The full papers are available for more in-depth information on each topic.
Page last updated: 15 April 2011
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