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
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
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
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
McAndrews, Carolyn; Pollack, Keshia M.; Berrigan, David; Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Christopher, Ed J. (2017). Understanding and Improving Arterial Roads to Support Public Health and Transportation Goals. American Journal Of Public Health, 107(8), 1278 – 1282.
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Abstract
Arterials are types of roads designed to carry high volumes of motorized traffic. They are an integral part of transportation systems worldwide and exposure to them is ubiquitous, especially in urban areas. Arterials provide access to diverse commercial and cultural resources, which can positively influence community health by supporting social cohesion as well as economic and cultural opportunities. They can negatively influence health via safety issues, noise, air pollution, and lack of economic development. The aims of public health and transportation partially overlap; efforts to improve arterials can meet goals of both professions. Two trends in arterial design show promise. First, transportation professionals increasingly define the performance of arterials via metrics accounting for pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and nearby residents in addition to motor vehicle users. Second, applying traffic engineering and design can generate safety, air quality, and livability benefits, but we need evidence to support these interventions. We describe the importance of arterials (including exposures, health behaviors, effects on equity, and resulting health outcomes) and make the case For public health collaborations with the transportation sector.
Keywords
Arterial Roads; Public Health -- United States; Public Health -- Social Aspects; Road Construction; Transportation & Society; Health; Air Pollution; Social Cohesion; Influence; Physiological Effects Of Noise; Interprofessional Relations; Metropolitan Areas; Motor Vehicles; Public Health; Transportation; Low-birth-weight; Air-pollution; Land-use; Policy
Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Burpee, Heather. (2018). Architecture for Health Is Not Just for Healthcare Architects. Health Environments Research & Design Journal (herd) (sage Publications, Ltd.), 11(2), 8 – 12.
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Keywords
Building Design & Construction; Public Health; Quality Of Life; Built Environment; Public Spaces
Nkyekyer, Esi W.; Dannenberg, Andrew L. (2019). Use and Effectiveness of Health Impact Assessment in the Energy and Natural Resources Sector in the United States, 2007 – 2016. Impact Assessment & Project Appraisal, 37(1), 17 – 32.
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Abstract
Decisions made in the energy and natural resources sector can affect public health. This report reviews the characteristics and assesses the effectiveness of health impact assessments (HIAs) conducted in this sector. A total of 30 HIAs conducted in 14 states in the United States were identified using a targeted literature search. Five HIAs illustrative of the different source and sub-sector categories, and with identifiable impacts on decision-making processes were selected for review. An existing conceptual framework (Wismar) was used to assess the effectiveness of the five selected HIAs on decision-making related to non-renewable energy, renewable energy, mining, and energy conservation. The 30 HIAs were performed for a variety of projects and assessed health impacts ranging from metabolic disorders to community livability. Eight of the 30 reports were incorporated into environmental impact assessments. All five selected HIAs were generally effective and raised awareness of the health effects of the projects being assessed; four were directly effective and led to changes in final project decisions. Their variable effectiveness may be related to the extent of community engagement and consideration of equity issues, differences in the details and quality of monitoring and evaluation plans devised as part of the HIA process, and whether the outcomes of monitoring and evaluation are reported.
Keywords
Health Impact Assessment; Health Equity; Natural Resources; Environmental Impact Analysis; Power Resources; U.s. States; Energy Conservation; United States; Decision-making Effectiveness; Energy And Natural Resources; Wismar Framework; Horizon Oil-spill; Wind Turbine Noise; Quality-of-life; Environmental-health; Gas Development; Mental-health; Exposure; Vicinity; Hazards; Sleep; Environmental Assessment; Public Health; Metabolic Disorders; Renewable Energy; Monitoring; Decision Making; Evaluation; Environmental Impact; Community Involvement; Environmental Impact Assessment; Renewable Resources; Decisions; Impact Analysis; Mining; United States--us
Le, Vi T.; Dannenberg, Andrew L. (2020). Moving Toward Physical Activity Targets by Walking to Transit: National Household Transportation Survey, 2001-2017. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine, 59(3), E115 – E123.
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Abstract
Introduction: Public transportation systems can help people engage in physical activity. This study assesses sociodemographic correlates and trends in the daily time spent walking to and from transit in the U.S. from 2001 to 2017. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the 2001, 2009, and 2017 National Household Transportation Survey. Data were analyzed in 2019 to assess the daily level of physical activity attained solely by walking to and from transit. Regression models were used to examine predictors of daily transit-associated walking. Results: Compared with the full National Household Transportation Survey sample, transit users who walked to and from transit tended to be younger, from households earning <$25,000 per year, in areas with rail infrastructure, and did not have a household-owned car. Transit walkers spent a median of 20 minutes per day (95% CI=18.5, 21.5) walking to and from transit in 2017, compared with a median of 19 minutes (95% CI=17.5, 20.5) in 2001. Among transit walkers, daily transitassociated physical activity was 27% higher for those residing in areas with rail infrastructure (adjusted coefficient=1.27, 95% CI=1.11, 1.46) and 34% higher for those from households earning $99,999 per year (adjusted coefficient=1.34, 95% CI=1.15, 1.56). Conclusions: As documented in a growing literature, most public transit trips include at least some walking; thus, efforts to encourage transit use are favorable to public health. Continued monitoring by transportation surveys is important as new forms of mobility and changing demographics may impact future transit use and associated physical activity. (C) 2020 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
Physical Activity; Household Surveys; Public Transit; Cross-sectional Method; Public Health; Walking; Exercise; Research Funding; Transportation; Replacing Sedentary Time; Public-transit; Travel; Mortality; Adults; Health; Work
Abu Ashour, Lamis; Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Shen, Qing; Fang, Xun; Wang, Yiyuan. (2021). Paratransit Services For People With Disabilities In The Seattle Region During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons For Recovery Planning. Journal Of Transport & Health, 22.
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Abstract
Introduction: Along with all public transit services, paratransit services for people with disabilities experienced substantially reduced demand and an increased need to provide equitable services while protecting their clients and staff's safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paratransit services provide a lifeline for their clients' essential mobility needs, including access to medical appointments and grocery stores. In the absence of pre-existing pandemic response plans, examining transit agencies' responses to provide paratransit services during the pandemic can help inform planning for post-pandemic recovery and future disruptive events. Methods: In September 2020, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 decision-makers, planners, and drivers working for the primary transit agency in the Seattle region - King County Metro - and its paratransit contractors. Interview questions were designed to identify current services, policy gaps, and critical challenges for recovery planning and post-pandemic paratransit services. Interview transcripts were analyzed using NVivo software to obtain essential themes. Results: The interviewees provided insights about (1) paratransit service changes in response to the pandemic, (2) anticipated impacts of a returning demand on paratransit service efficiency, equity, and quality during the recovery period, and (3) innovative approaches for maintaining post-pandemic equitable paratransit services while balancing safety measures with available resources. Conclusions: Study findings suggest that paratransit service providers should consider (1) developing guidelines for future disruptive events, (2) examining alternative methods for food delivery to clients, (3) planning scenarios for delivering equitable services in the post-pandemic recovery period, and (4) increasing resilience possibly by establishing partnerships with transportation network companies.
Keywords
Paratransit; Mobility; Equity; Covid19 Pandemic; Scenario Planning; Recovery
Berrigan, David; Dannenberg, Andrew L.; Lee, Michelle; Rodgers, Kelly; Wojcik, Janet R.; Wali, Behram; Tribby, Calvin P.; Buehler, Ralph; Sallis, James F.; Roberts, Jennifer D.; Steedly, Ann; Peng, Binbin; Eisenberg, Yochai; Rodriguez, Daniel A. (2021). The 2019 Conference on Health and Active Transportation: Research Needs and Opportunities. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 18(22).
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Abstract
Active transportation (AT) is widely viewed as an important target for increasing participation in aerobic physical activity and improving health, while simultaneously addressing pollution and climate change through reductions in motor vehicular emissions. In recent years, progress in increasing AT has stalled in some countries and, furthermore, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created new AT opportunities while also exposing the barriers and health inequities related to AT for some populations. This paper describes the results of the December 2019 Conference on Health and Active Transportation (CHAT) which brought together leaders from the transportation and health disciplines. Attendees charted a course for the future around three themes: Reflecting on Innovative Practices, Building Strategic Institutional Relationships, and Identifying Research Needs and Opportunities. This paper focuses on conclusions of the Research Needs and Opportunities theme. We present a conceptual model derived from the conference sessions that considers how economic and systems analysis, evaluation of emerging technologies and policies, efforts to address inclusivity, disparities and equity along with renewed attention to messaging and communication could contribute to overcoming barriers to development and use of AT infrastructure. Specific research gaps concerning these themes are presented. We further discuss the relevance of these themes considering the pandemic. Renewed efforts at research, dissemination and implementation are needed to achieve the potential health and environmental benefits of AT and to preserve positive changes associated with the pandemic while mitigating negative ones.
Keywords
Improving Arterial Roads; Physical-activity; Cost-effectiveness; Built Environment; Autonomous Vehicles; Walking; Behavior; Impact; Active Transportation; Covid-19; Climate Change; Physical Activity; Public Health; Pandemics; Public Transportation; Collaboration; Transportation; Economic Models; Environmental Impact; Outdoor Air Quality; Vehicle Emissions; Coronaviruses; Hispanic Americans; Fatalities; Systems Analysis; African Americans; Infrastructure; Medical Research; Committees; Land Use; Economic Analysis; New Technology; United States--us