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Let’s Be Clear-Health Impact Assessments or Assessing Health Impacts?

Kim, J., Dannenberg, A., Haigh, F., & Harris-Roxas, B. (2024). Let’s Be Clear—Health Impact Assessments or Assessing Health Impacts? Public Health Reviews, 45, 1607722-. https://doi.org/10.3389/phrs.2024.1607722

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Abstract

The article discusses the distinction between studies that assess health impacts and those that are specifically associated with health impact assessments (HIAs). It highlights the misuse of the term HIA in scholarly literature, where studies that evaluate health impacts are often labeled as HIAs. The authors emphasize that HIAs are intended to support decision-making and provide recommendations, rather than simply describing or evaluating health impacts. They suggest the need for better documentation of HIA recommendations and their impacts, as well as the development of reporting guidelines for academic HIA literature.

Keywords

decision making; health impact assessment; health risk assessment; policy recommendations; stakeholder engagement

Legacies of redlining lead to unequal cooling effects of urban tree canopy

Jung, M. C., Yost, M. G., Dannenberg, A. L., Dyson, K., & Alberti, M. (2024). Legacies of redlining lead to unequal cooling effects of urban tree canopy. Landscape and Urban Planning, 246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105028
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Abstract

Redlining—a racially discriminatory policy of systematic disinvestment established by the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930s and continued until the late 1960s—still influences the contemporary landscape of cities in the US. While the heterogeneous distribution of land surface temperature and tree canopy cover between neighborhoods with different HOLC grades have been recently examined, the development of long-term and city-specific heat management strategies is still limited. Here, we explored the effect of redlining in Portland, Oregon, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to assess its contemporary impact on climate equity. We performed a change analysis of land surface temperature and tree canopy area over the past and introduced mixed-effects models to test the intra- and inter-city differences in canopy cooling effects between the different HOLC grades. We found that (1) persistent temporal patterns of lower land surface temperatures and larger tree canopy areas are observed in higher HOLC grades, (2) greater green equity was achieved through contrasting temporal changes in tree canopy areas across HOLC grades in Portland and Philadelphia, and (3) opposite patterns exist between these cities, with stronger canopy cooling effects in neighborhoods with a Low HOLC grade in Portland and those with a High HOLC grade in Philadelphia. Differences in tree canopy change between the two cities over the past decade highlight potential influences of city-specific tree planting practices. Local planners should back tree planting initiatives to equitably mitigate urban heat exposure, considering historical redlining contexts and contemporary landscape features.

Keywords

Redlining; HOLC grade; Tree canopy; Land surface temperature; Tree equity

Built Environment and Public Health: More Than 20 Years of Progress

Rollings, K. A., Dannenberg, A. L., Frumkin, H., & Jackson, R. J. (2024). Built Environment and Public Health: More Than 20 Years of Progress. American Journal of Public Health (1971), 114(1), 27-.

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Abstract

Early BEH research addressed influences of toxic environmental exposures, zoning laws, building codes, and healthy housing and communities on asthma, injury, violence, healthy and unhealthy food consumption, mental health, social capital, and health inequities.1 Awareness increased regarding the benefits of denser, more walkable, and less automobile-dependent settings, as well as the accessibility, mobility, and livability needs of the growing aging population. Work on automobile dependence, traffic safety, walking and biking, commuting, and sedentary time was primarily driven by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Active Living Research initiative to promote active living via environment, policy, and practice improvements3,4 Research linked specific building and community features to health outcomes, enabling more effective interventions such as appealing stairways, ample sidewalks, and vibrant activity centers.5 The business case for health promoting, walkable places was documented.6 Unintended consequences, including gentrification and displacement, of interventions aimed at improving health among people from racial and ethnic minority groups and of lower incomes were increasingly recognized, resulting in more research focused on how to mitigate these risks.7 The history of structural racism, segregation, redlining, neighborhood disinvestment, health inequities, and disparities in walkability, housing, and green space access was only recently widely acknowledged.8 Numerous books (Table E, available as a supplement to the online version of this article at http://www.ajph.org) and dozens of BEH measures (e.g., walkability [https://www.wal kscore. com], access to parks [https://www.tpl. org/ParkScore], livability [http://www. livabilitylndex.AARP.org], and brain health [https://cognability.isr.umich. edu]) were also published, reflecting the growth and maturation of the field. The effects of these evolving technologies on land use, housing, economic and community development, traffic patterns, transportation planning and infrastructure, air quality, and associated health outcomes require further research and evaluation (Table G, reference 3).10 PRACTICE Professional organizations across disciplines established BEH committees and working groups (Table F, available as a supplement to the online version of this article at http://www.ajph.org), promoting healthy building and community design through conferences, reports, training, and advocacy (e.g., https://www. Health impact assessments (HIAs) were used to consider potential health impacts of proposed projects and programs and identify disproportionately affected populations as well as how to mitigate adverse effects9,11,12 HIAs improved collaboration, amplified community member voices, increased awareness of health issues, and informed decision makers, but the time and resources required to complete HIAs limited their success.12 Cross-disciplinary public health, planning, policy, real estate, architecture, engineering, transportation, and public-private partnership efforts, along with Complete Streets approaches (https://highways.dot.gov/ complete-streets), improved pedestrian infrastructure and safety.

Awardees of 2021 Population Health Institute Pilot Research Grants Final Project Outcomes

In March 2021, Population Health Initiative awarded 8 pilot grants. The team below includes CBE researcher Andrew Dannenberg, read more about their final project outcomes. A Collaboratory to Support Equitable and Just Climate Action Investigators Jeremy Hess, Departments of Emergency Medicine, Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, and Global Health Jason Vogel, Climate Impacts Group Julian Marshall, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering Sara Curran, Jackson School of International Studies and Department of Sociology Kris Ebi, Departments of Environmental & Occupational…

Ensuring Equitable Transportation For The Disadvantaged: Paratransit Usage By Persons With Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic.

Wang, Yiyuan; Shen, Qing; Abu Ashour, Lamis; Dannenberg, Andrew L. (2022). Ensuring Equitable Transportation For The Disadvantaged: Paratransit Usage By Persons With Disabilities During The Covid-19 Pandemic. Transportation Research Part A: Policy & Practice, 159, 84 – 95.

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Abstract

Paratransit services developed under the Americans with Disabilities Act are a critical transportation means for persons with disabilities to meet their basic needs, but the COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented challenge to service providers. To safeguard transportation equity, this study used complete records of service trips and riders obtained from the Access Transportation Program in the Seattle region for an empirical analysis aimed at answering two research questions. First, how did the ridership and trip purposes of paratransit change after the outbreak of COVID-19? Second, what factors explained the users' changing levels of service usage in response to the pandemic? Statistical methods, including a Hurdle model, were employed as the analytical tools. The results show that paratransit ridership dramatically decreased during 2020 with the most substantial reductions of working and non-essential personal trips, and that most of the remaining trips were for medical purposes. The results also indicate that riders' service usage during the pandemic was associated with their sociodemographic characteristics, disability conditions, and pre-pandemic travel demand. When controlling for other factors, riders who lived in neighborhoods with lower income and lower access to personal vehicles were more dependent on the service. Based on the empirical findings, we recommend that when developing plans for future disruptive events, public transit agencies should promptly implement safety measures, identify and prioritize neighborhoods that are most in need of mobility services, and actively pursue collaboration with other organizations for innovative service delivery options.

Keywords

Covid-19 Pandemic; Public Transit; People With Disabilities; Americans With Disabilities Act Of 1990; Public Transit Ridership; Paratransit Services; Seattle (wash.); Americans With Disabilities Act (ada); Hurdle Model; Paratransit; Transportation Equity; Mobility; Justice

Use of Health Impact Assessment for Transportation Planning Importance of Transportation Agency Involvement in the Process

Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Ricklin, Anna; Ross, Catherine L.; Schwartz, Michael; West, Julie; White, Steve; Wier, Megan L. (2014). Use of Health Impact Assessment for Transportation Planning Importance of Transportation Agency Involvement in the Process. Transportation Research Record, 2452, 71 – 80.

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Abstract

A health impact assessment (HIA) is a tool that can be used to inform transportation planners of the potential health consequences of their decisions. Although dozens of transportation-related HIAs have been completed in the United States, the characteristics of these HIAs and the interactions between public health professionals and transportation decision makers in these HIM have not been documented. A master list of completed HIAs was used to identify transportation-related HIAs. Seventy-three transportation-related HIAs conducted in 22 states between 2004 and 2013 were identified. The HIAs were conducted for projects such as road redevelopments, bridge replacements, and development of trails and public transit. Policies such as road pricing, transit service levels, speed limits, complete streets, and safe routes to schools were also assessed. Five HIAs in which substantial interactions between public health and transportation professionals took place during and after the HIA were examined in detail and included HIAs of the road pricing policy in San Francisco, California; a bridge replacement in Seattle, Washington; new transit lines in Baltimore, Maryland, and Portland, Oregon; and the BeltLine transit, trails, and parks project in Atlanta, Georgia. Recommendations from the HIAs led to changes in decisions in some cases and helped to raise awareness of health issues by transportation decision makers in all cases. HIAs are now used for many topics in transportation. The range of involvement of transportation decision makers in the conduct of HIAs varies. These case studies may serve as models for the conduct of future transportation-related HIAs, because the involvement of transportation agencies may increase the likelihood that an HIA will influence subsequent decisions.

Keywords

Policy; Inequalities; Benefits; Justice; Oregon

Health Impact Assessment: Considering Health in Transportation Decision Making in the United States

Wier, Megan L.; Schwartz, Michael; Dannenberg, Andrew L. (2015). Health Impact Assessment: Considering Health in Transportation Decision Making in the United States. TR News (0738-6826), 299, 11 – 16.

Abstract

The article talks about Health Impact Assessment (HIA) when it comes to transportation decision making in the U.S. and discusses the Collaboration between public health professionals and transportation in order to execute HIA.

Keywords

Health Impact Assessment; Public Health -- United States

Review of Health Impact Assessments Informing Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policies, Programs, and Projects in the United States

Cowling, Krycia; Lindberg, Ruth; Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Neff, Roni A.; Pollack, Keshia M. (2017). Review of Health Impact Assessments Informing Agriculture, Food, and Nutrition Policies, Programs, and Projects in the United States. Journal Of Agriculture Food Systems And Community Development, 7(3), 139 – 157.

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Abstract

Policies, programs, and projects related to agriculture, food, and nutrition can significantly affect public health. Health impact assessment (HIA) is one tool that can be used to improve awareness of the health effects of decisions outside the health sector, and increasing the use of HIA for agriculture, food, and nutrition decisions presents an opportunity to improve public health. This study identifies and reviews all HIAs completed in the United States on agriculture, food, and nutrition topics. Studies were identified from HIA databases, an Internet search, and expert consultation. Key characteristics were extracted from each study: type of decision assessed, location, level of jurisdiction, lead organization, methods of analysis, and recommendations. Twenty-five eligible HIAs that were conducted between 2007 and 2016 address topics such as regulations on land use for agriculture; food and beverage taxes; and developing grocery stores in food deserts. These HIAs have predominantly supported policy, as opposed to program or project, decisions. Four case studies are presented to illustrate in detail the HIA process and the mechanisms through which HIA findings affected policy decisions. Among other influences, these four HIAs affected the language of legislation and provided guidance for federal regulations. These examples demonstrate several findings: appropriate timing is critical for findings to have an influence; diverse stakeholder involvement generates support for recommendations; and the clear communication of feasible recommendations is highly important. There is substantial scope to increase the use of HIA in the agriculture, food, and nutrition sectors. Challenges include the paucity of monitoring and evaluation of HIAs' effects on health outcomes, and the limited funding available to conduct HIAs. Opportunities include integrating HIAs and community food assessments, and more widely sharing HIA findings to inform related decisions in different jurisdictions and to increase support for additional HIAs that address the food system.

Keywords

Environments; Obesity; Health Impact Assessment; Policy; Food; Nutrition; Agriculture

Review of Education-Focused Health Impact Assessments Conducted in the United States

Gase, Lauren N.; Defosset, Amelia R.; Gakh, Maxim; Harris, Celia; Weisman, Susan R.; Dannenberg, Andrew L. (2017). Review of Education-Focused Health Impact Assessments Conducted in the United States. Journal Of School Health, 87(12), 911 – 922.

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Abstract

BACKGROUNDHealth impact assessment (HIA) provides a structured process for examining the potential health impacts of proposed policies, plans, programs, and projects. This study systematically reviewed HIAs conducted in the United States on prekindergarten, primary, and secondary education-focused decisions. METHODSRelevant HIA reports were identified from web sources in late 2015. Key data elements were abstracted from each report. Four case studies were selected to highlight diversity of topics, methods, and impacts of the assessment process. RESULTSTwenty HIAs completed in 2003-2015 from 8 states on issues related to prekindergarten through secondary education were identified. The types of decisions examined included school structure and funding, transportation to and from school, physical modifications to school facilities, in-school physical activity and nutrition, and school discipline and climate. Assessments employed a range of methods to characterize the nature, magnitude, and severity of potential health impacts. Assessments fostered stakeholder engagement and provided health-promoting recommendations, some of which were subsequently incorporated into school policies. CONCLUSIONSHealth impact assessment is a promising tool that education, health, and other stakeholders can use to maximize the health and well-being of students, families, and communities.

Keywords

Decision Making; Elementary Schools; High Schools; Medical Policy; Medline; Nutrition; Online Information Services; Research Funding; Student Health; Systematic Reviews (medical Research); Search Engines; Physical Activity; Health Impact Assessment; United States; Collaboration; Policy; Public Health; Academic-achievement; Programs