Transcript Slide 1

Healthy Communities
and the Built Environment
A collaborative project to
build awareness of the impacts
of the built environment on
human health.
Funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada
Partners
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Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition
Ontario Inclusion Learning Network
Ontario Public Health Association
Ontario Professional Planners Institute
Ontario Smart Growth Network
Region of Waterloo Public Health
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
Waterloo Region Healthy Communities Coalition
Background
This project is a response to growing concerns
about the impact of land use planning and the
built environment on human health, including:
• air pollution and related respiratory illnesses
such as asthma;
• traffic injuries and fatalities; and
• lack of physical activity due to living in low-
density towns and cities, and consequently,
increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes and
cardiovascular disease.
Rationale
To improve the health of Ontarians, there is a
need to encourage:
• more compact development;
• mixed land uses;
• alternate modes of transportation;
• more walkable communities; and
• greater access to green space.
Identified Needs
• OHCC staff, members and clients identified a need for
greater understanding within the general public of
the links between health, land-use planning/design
and the environment.
• Few examples of relevant and local research were
readily available.
• There is little integration between the work of public
health professionals, land-use planners, environment
groups and community and business associations.
Project Goal
To improve the health of Ontarians
and reduce health care costs
through health promotion and
chronic disease prevention
strategies linking health and the
built environment.
Project Components
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Environmental Scan
Literature Review
Indicators and Case Studies of Best Practices
Community Workshops
Regional Forums
Focus Groups
Publication
Conference Presentations
Evaluation
Support for multi-sector collaborations to develop
Healthy Community plans, policies and projects
Environmental Scan Project
Prepared by:
R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd.
Prepared for:
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit
November 2007
Environmental Scan
and Objectives
Purpose: to gather information on strategies, programs
and practices currently being used across Ontario to
promote healthy communities.
Objectives:
• To gain an understanding of the scope and
involvement of public health agencies, environmental
groups and community agencies; and
• To gather resources, tools, examples, documents or
reports that have been developed that can be shared
with other disciplines and sectors to enhance the work
being done across Ontario.
Methodology
• Representatives of all Ontario Health Units (36) were
invited to participate in key informant interviews.
• A sample of community / environmental organizations
(83) was developed, in consultation with OHCC and
the Ontario Smart Growth Network.
• Participation rate was higher from Health Unit
representatives, with 28 Health Units (of 36)
participating and 50 (of 83) community /
environmental organizations participating.
% Participation
100%
80%
78%
60%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Health Units
Community / Environmental
Methodology
Information was collected through interviews
about the activities and roles of respondent
organizations, specifically:
• Awareness and any communication strategies
related to the issue of land use planning and the
built environment;
• Current/future relevant research, including
consultation and information gathering;
• Current/future policies, programs and initiatives;
and
• Current/future partnerships and knowledge
sharing.
Methodology
Key Informant Interviews
• Conducted with representatives from Ontario
Health units and community / environmental
organizations
• Undertaken by telephone
• Interview guide was emailed in advance
• Given the option of allowing one or two coworkers to be interviewed at the same time
• Interviews lasted between 45 minutes and two
hours
• Conducted from July 17 to September 21, 2007
Health Units
Key Informants
• Health program supervisors, coordinators or
managers, Chief Executive Officers, health
specialists and promoters and health policy
planners.
• Employed in a variety of fields, including in the
areas of obesity, environmental health, family
health, disease prevention and substance abuse.
• The length of employment varied greatly from 2 to
35 years, at an average of 10 years.
Equal number of rural, urban and rural / urban
mixed communities represented
Community / Environmental
Groups
Key Informants
• Senior staff such as Executive Directors, Managers
or Coordinators responsible for:
• Program / project start-up, management and delivery;
• Research activities;
• Office / staff management;
• Strategic planning;
• Public / media relations;
• Liaison to Board of Directors; and
• Fundraising.
• Most had an environmental mission in place or were
focused on sustainable development strategies
Cautions and Limitations
• Findings of the study reflect the views and
knowledge of those representatives interviewed
and do not necessarily represent the views of
their entire organizations.
• Key informants were not always aware of all
activities (such as research) being conducted
within their organization.
Summary of Findings:
Awareness and
Communication
Satisfaction with the attention given to
land use issues by governments, local
media and community groups varied
Health Unit
Community / Environmental
% Satisfied with the attention given to the
issue
100%
80%
60%
50%
48%
37%
40%
31%
22%
20%
21%
14%
0%
Municipal
Governments
Provincial
Government
Local Media
Area of Satisfaction
*Only asked by Health Unit representatives
Community/Local
Organizations*
• Approximately half of the
Health Unit informants were
satisfied with the attention
given to land use issues by
the municipal government
and by local community
organizations
• Community / environmental
organizations were less
satisfied than Health units
with the attention given to
land use issues by the
municipal government and
provincial government
Reasons for dissatisfaction with the
attention given by governments, local
media and community groups:
• Health unit representatives noted there is a lack of
understanding about the role of public health in
land use issues.
• Community/environmental organizations noted a
lack of knowledge about land use issues as well as
a focus on short-term gains rather than on the
sustainability of long-term goals.
Perceived level of awareness among
respondents’ staff of the issue
Very Aware
Community /
Environmental
Aware
Somewhat Aware
76%
Health Unit
41%
0%
20%
16%
26%
40%
Not at all Aware
6%
33%
60%
80%
100%
• Most (92%) of community / environmental
organizations’ staff are aware of the impact of land
use issues on building healthy communities
• Approximately two thirds of Health Unit
representatives (67%) are aware.
Agreement that impact is
understood by Stakeholders
Strongly Agree
Engineering/Works
4%
Department, n=28
Transportation
Department, n=28
Disagree
14%
4%
Planning Department,
n= 28
Agree
46%
29%
32%
10%
4%
46%
12%
0%
Don't Know/Not Sure
36%
14%
Target Audience, n=50
Strongly Disagree
21%
56%
20%
30%
32%
40%
18%
12%
50%
60%
70%
80%
12%
90%
100%
Summary of Findings:
Communication Strategies
and Research
Communication Strategies to promote
action and increase attention to how land
use and the built environment affect health
• 86% of Health Units utilize a related communication
strategy. Examples include:
• Community-based workshops, active involvement in advisory
committees & promotional activities
• 80% of community / environmental organizations utilize
a communication strategy including:
• Workshops, newsletters, reports and / or information
booklets and / or media campaigns.
Communication Strategies
• Communication strategies covered a wide series
of topics, including promoting biking, shopping
local, information on promoting clean air,
strategies to promote physical activity,
community gardens, pesticide education, climate
change.
• The built environment/land use planning and the
impact on health is often indirectly addressed
through communication strategies.
Research, Consultations and/or
Data Collection Completed
• The most common areas of research within
Health Units are : accessible parks, paths and
trails; alternate transportation; water quality;
and air quality.
• The most frequently cited areas of research
within community / environmental
organizations are on issues relating to air
quality; alternative transportation; and
preservation of green space / agricultural
land.
Adequate Research Completed
More community / environmental representatives (52%) than
Health Units (29%) agreed or strongly agreed that the amount of
research their organizations had done was adequate.
“There is a lot of work to be done. We have no information on good
solid ways to operationalize solutions.”
~ Health Unit Informant
Health Units
% of respondents satisfied that
adequate resesearch completed
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Community / Environmental
100%
80%
54%
60%
38%
40%
36%
25%
17%
14%
20%
10%
4%
2%
0%
Stongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Stongly Disagree
Don't Know
Research on Developing Healthy
Communities – Future Plans
% planning to
do future research on building healthy
communities
• About half (54%) of the Health Units plan to do future
research on building healthy communities, while 38% of
community / environmental organizations plan to do so.
• Future research planned includes literature reviews,
impact assessments, cost/benefit and policy analyses
100%
80%
60%
54%
38%
40%
20%
0%
Health Unit
Community / Environmental
Research on Developing Healthy
Communities – Barriers
• Health Unit and community / environmental
organization informants identified a number of
barriers to conducting research including:
• Lack of funding
• Lack of human resources, including sufficient
staff and volunteers to do research
• Lack of capacity to do the research internally
• Lack of partnerships, community support
Summary of Findings:
Policies, Programs,
Initiatives and Partnerships
Current Policies, Programs and Initiatives
Health Units
Community/Environmental
100%
80%
67%
67%
62%
60%
%
40%
48%
37%
20%
0%
Have led initiatives
Future policy work
planned
Felt level of involvement
NOT adequate*
*Only asked of Health Unit representatives
Policies, Programs and Initiatives
• More Health Units led initiatives then
community / environmental representatives /
organizations
• About two-thirds of Health Units (67%) and
community / environmental agencies (62%)
plan to implement new relevant programs,
strategies or initiatives in the near future
• Almost half (48%) of Health Unit
representatives thought their Health Units’
involvement in developing policies, programs
or initiatives was inadequate.
Policies, Programs and Initiatives
• Informants describe the success of policies, programs
and initiatives being attributed to:
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Community support and awareness
Public buy-in and media coverage
Strong partnerships
Commitment of membership
• Other policies, programs and initiatives are less
successful as a result of inadequate or a lack of:
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Leadership
Skilled resources
Budget
Follow-up programs
Professional planning resources and government support
Partnerships
Health Units
100%
Community/Environmental
93%
80%
63%
56%
60%
47%
%
40%
20%
0%
Involvment in partnerships
Satisfaction with partnerships
For More Information
• Please see the final report: Building
Healthy Communities – Environmental
Scan Project, which includes additional
resources provided by respondents.