scholarly journals The nature and extent of healthy architecture: the current state of progress

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 244-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louis Rice

Purpose The design of the built environment is a determinant of health. Accordingly, there is an increasing need for greater harmonization of the architectural profession and public health. However, there is a lack of knowledge on whether designers of the built environment are changing their practices to deliver healthier urban habitats. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a multi-method approach to data analysis, including: systematic mapping study, structured review and thematic analysis. Findings The research finds that there are almost no requirements for the compulsory inclusion of health across institutions and agencies that have the power to execute and mandate the scope of architectural profession, training, education, practice or knowledge. Despite the urgent need for action and the myriad entreatments for greater integration between architecture and health, there is very little evidence progress. Practical implications The research has implications for the architectural profession and architectural education. Health and well-being is not currently an integral part of the educational or professional training requirements for architects. University educational curriculum and Continuing Professional Development criteria need to better integrate health and well-being into their knowledge-base. Social implications The design of the built environment is currently undertaken by an architectural profession that lacks specialized knowledge of health and well-being. There is a risk to society of environments that fail to adequately protect and promote the health and well-being of its inhabitants. Originality/value The research evidences, for the first time, the lack of integration of “health and wellbeing” within the architecture profession training or education systems.

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 304-311
Author(s):  
Rohit Gumber ◽  
John Devapriam ◽  
David Sallah ◽  
Sayeed Khan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the current competencies and training needs for being an expert witness of trainees (CT3, ST4-6) and career grade psychiatrists (consultants and staff grade, associate specialist and specialty doctors) in a UK health and well-being Trust. Design/methodology/approach – This was completed through an online survey, developed by the authors, of all career grade and trainee psychiatrists within the Trust. Findings – Only 9 per cent of respondents reported that they felt they had adequate training to feel competent as an expert witness. Despite low levels of training and confidence, 73 per cent of respondents had written an expert report. As well as shortage of training opportunities for psychiatrics acting as expert witnesses, the findings indicated increasing fear of litigation and lack of direct experience of court proceedings during training. Practical implications – Doctors need to be offered formal training opportunities including simulated training, ideally organised within Trust, Continuing Professional Development (CPD) committees or Education committees. Implementation of the RCPsych report guidance into speciality curricula and CPD opportunities for doctors would ensure a robust curriculum-based delivery of these essential skills. Originality/value – A wealth of guidance is available for expert witnesses, but no previous study had identified the specific training issues and overall confidence in competency to act as an expert witness amongst psychiatrists. It will be valuable to all psychiatrists involved in court work and organisations involved in training psychiatrists, especially in light of recent relevant court cases and removal of expert witness immunity.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 222-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Reading ◽  
Charlotte Loppie ◽  
John O’Neil

Purpose Almost 20 years after the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, indigenous peoples living in Canada continue to pursue their legitimate aspirations for greater control over factors affecting their lives. The purpose of this paper is to summarize two major policies (the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC)) that aimed to create equity for indigenous peoples’. Design/methodology/approach Commentary and rapid communication to inform and clarify evolving high-priority policy and governance issues related to indigenous peoples’ of Canada. Findings A need exists to create a platform for implementing the TRC actions to protect and promote education, language and culture, justice, youth programming, and professional training and development. Research limitations/implications Innovative intervention research needs to develop solutions to multi-generational disparities in health and well-being for indigenous peoples of Canada and globally. Practical implications Failure to implement longstanding changes to improve indigenous health and well-being will result if a growing burden of premature morbidity and mortality among indigenous population of Peoples’ of Canada, the fastest growing population group with the most challenging health status in Canada. Social implications Indigenous peoples continue to experience profound health vulnerability leading to high health risks, growing health disparities and unequal access to health care services. Originality/value Connecting policy over two decades, for implementation to proceed, sharing of knowledge is essential to formulate innovative approaches, to engage research and build capacity to implement policy actions related to closing educational gaps, to developing culturally appropriate curricula acknowledging and protecting Aboriginal languages, as well as skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution and respect for human dignity and human rights equality in settings of anti-racism and free of all forms of prejudice and discrimination.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael French

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the evolution of “push” marketing in the confectionery industry in Britain during the 1930s. It examines the interplay between a manufacturer and advertising agency in creating advertising for cocoa and chocolate. Design/methodology/approach A survey of the literature examines the uses of health and well-being in the design of advertising in Britain between the wars. The records of Rowntree and its main advertising agency, J Walter Thompson, are used to examine the themes and tactics used in advertising for cocoa and Aero chocolate bars during the 1930s. Findings The paper emphasises the different ways in which health and nutrition was used in advertising for the two products. The campaigns of the 1930s built on earlier use of these themes. J Walter Thompson looked for ways of presenting commodities as “new and improved” and their role extended into pressing for changes to production methods and the nature of products. Themes of modernity, sexuality and lifestyles all featured, confirming conclusions of earlier studies. However, targeting of mothers and of different age and gender groups indicated that market segmentation was used extensively via print media and tailored advertising messages. Originality/value Although Cadbury, Rowntree and confectionery have been studied in depth before, this paper emphasises their role in applying new advertising ideas to everyday items. It points to the influence of advertising on the mass of consumers compared to the middle- and upper-income groups targeted in the marketing of houses, motor-cars and new consumer durables.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 195-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Seymour ◽  
Michael Murray

Purpose There is increasing evidence that participation in various art forms can be beneficial for health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of participating in a poetry reading group on a group of older residents of an assisted living facility. Design/methodology/approach Six poetry sessions, each on a different theme, were conducted with a group of volunteer participants. These sessions, those of pre- and post-study focus groups and interviews with the group facilitator and staff contact were audio-recorded. The transcripts of the recordings were then subjected to a thematic analysis. Findings Overall the participants were enthused by the opportunity to participate in the project and the benefits were confirmed by the support staff. In addition, reading poetry on particular themes promoted different types of discussion. Research limitations/implications The number of participants in this study was small and the study was conducted over a short period of time. Practical implications This paper confirms the impact of poetry reading for older people. The challenge is to explore this impact in more detail and over community as well as residential settings. Originality/value This paper is the first empirical report on the value of poetry reading for older people.


Significance Electricity companies wanted a near-38% rise amid soaring international market prices, but the ERC wanted to avoid a price shock. In November, the government declared an ‘energy crisis’ at the ERC’s request, thanks to reduced domestic electricity supply and the global market situation, and extended it in December for six months. Impacts Investment in infrastructure and technologies should contribute to economic growth and create jobs. Care will have to be taken that closing established mines and power plants do not depress economies locally and raise unemployment. Rising domestic utility prices will inflict political damage on a fragile government. Phasing out coal will improve air quality and population health and well-being, with knock-ons for healthcare priorities and spending.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. McCord ◽  
Sean MacIntyre ◽  
Paul Bidanset ◽  
Daniel Lo ◽  
Peadar Davis

Purpose Air quality, noise and proximity to urban infrastructure can arguably have an important impact on the quality of life. Environmental quality (the price of good health) has become a central tenet for consumer choice in urban locales when deciding on a residential neighbourhood. Unlike the market for most tangible goods, the market for environmental quality does not yield an observable per unit price effect. As no explicit price exists for a unit of environmental quality, this paper aims to use the housing market to derive its implicit price and test whether these constituent elements of health and well-being are indeed capitalised into property prices and thus implicitly priced in the market place. Design/methodology/approach A considerable number of studies have used hedonic pricing models by incorporating spatial effects to assess the impact of air quality, noise and proximity to noise pollutants on property market pricing. This study presents a spatial analysis of air quality and noise pollution and their association with house prices, using 2,501 sale transactions for the period 2013. To assess the impact of the pollutants, three different spatial modelling approaches are used, namely, ordinary least squares using spatial dummies, a geographically weighted regression (GWR) and a spatial lag model (SLM). Findings The findings suggest that air quality pollutants have an adverse impact on house prices, which fluctuate across the urban area. The analysis suggests that the noise level does matter, although this varies significantly over the urban setting and varies by source. Originality/value Air quality and environmental noise pollution are important concerns for health and well-being. Noise impact seems to depend not only on the noise intensity to which dwellings are exposed but also on the nature of the noise source. This may suggest the presence of other externalities that arouse social aversion. This research presents an original study utilising advanced spatial modelling approaches. The research has value in further understanding the market impact of environmental factors and in providing findings to support local air zone management strategies, noise abatement and management strategies and is of value to the wider urban planning and public health disciplines.


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sian Lockwood

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore the potential of micro‐enterprises to assist local health and well‐being boards in delivering their strategies, especially in relation to tackling health inequalities, prevention and community support.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on experience gained by Community Catalysts from its work supporting social care and health micro‐enterprise across the UK. There has been little formal research into social care and health micro‐enterprise and so the paper relies heavily on data gathered by Community Catalysts in the course of its work and uses local case studies to illustrate points.FindingsThe paper explains the importance of social care and health micro‐enterprise to the work of health and well being boards, emphasising its potential to help tackle health inequalities and contribute to effective health and well‐being strategies.Originality/valueThere are no examples as yet of imaginative health and well‐being boards engaging effectively with micro‐providers, but boards can draw on learning from local authorities actively stimulating and supporting local micro‐enterprise.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 911-929
Author(s):  
Jennifer McCleary ◽  
Tonya Horn ◽  
Paw Wah Toe ◽  
Ehtaw Dwee ◽  
Shana Sniffen

While refugee integration is defined as a bidirectional process of mutual learning and adaptation, in practice, the U.S. resettlement program continues to emphasize refugees’ acculturation processes and places little emphasis on cultural or logistical adaptation of existing services. When adaptation does happen, it is often structured around dominant notions of health and well-being. There is a need to explore bidirectional integration processes and existing systems adaptations to accommodate people with refugee backgrounds at the institutional level. This article details a framework to build a sustainable collaboration between a refugee community and existing health and social service systems to reduce harmful alcohol use. The conceptual framework emphasizes three components: 1) adaptation of refugees’ indigenous expertise, networks, systems, and resources; 2) adaptation of existing systems to serve new groups in culturally relevant and effective ways; and 3) the participatory processes through which refugees and existing systems collaborate to achieve mutual goals. This paper describes the application of this framework and concludes with a discussion of lessons to support replication of the framework in other settings. Lessons learned include: equalizing power, paying attention to relationships and roles, engaging in deep cultural adaption of interventions, and building individual and organizational capacity to support partners.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Lee ◽  
Robin Man-biu Cheung

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze how professional cultures in schools and school systems could improve the well-being of students, with a particular emphasis on teacher-health partnerships, which would not naturally occur without a specific intentional intervention. Implemented with a whole-school approach, the Health Promoting School (HPS) is one of the most effective intentional interventions to achieve improvements in both the health and educational outcomes of students through the engagement of key stakeholders in education and health to create a healthy physical/psycho-social environment. This paper emphasizes collaboration and the building of professional cultures in schools that share collective responsibility for the whole student. Design/methodology/approach Student outcomes in schools should include both academic and health and well-being outcomes that promote positive pathways throughout adulthood. This paper connects HPS research with policy analysis drawing on Hong Kong’s unique context as being at the top of the PISA rankings and striving toward a positive health culture and well-being in its schools. Findings Evidence has been gathered extensively about what schools actually do in health promotion using the HPS framework. The HPS framework has served to assist schools and authorities to concentrate on the gaps and affirm best practices. This paper also reports how teachers have created a professional and collegial community with health partners to address outbreaks of infectious diseases in schools and obesity in students. Practical implications The concept of HPS can serve as an ecological model to promote the positive health and well-being of students, fostering their personal growth and development, and as an alternate model for school improvement. Social implications This paper has highlighted that structured school health programs such as HPS could have positive effects on educational outcomes, while also changing professional cultures and communities in schools with an emphasis on students’ physical health, emotional health, social health, or spiritual health. The Assessment Program for Affective and Social Outcomes is used as a tool by schools in Hong Kong, reflecting the affective and social developments of the students in the school under review as a whole, and how they relate to the school. It resembles the core areas of action competencies, and school social environment; the two key areas of HPS. Originality/value Hong Kong is often analyzed from an educational rankings perspective. However, it offers broader lessons on educational change, as it has in recent years emphasized dual goals in student outcomes and professional communities – the importance of whole student health and well-being as a both a precursor and key component to the educational outcomes schools seek. Globally, very few schools are able to implement HPS in its entirety. Continuing development of HPS in Hong Kong would add value to international literature in terms of which types of data would influence adoption of HPS in which types of school and policy contexts.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Billie Oliver

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the health and well-being benefits of outdoor, cold water swimming. Design/methodology/approach This paper describes the personal experience of one cold water swimmer. It also explores some of the research literature suggesting there is evidence of the benefits to the health and well-being of people of all ages. Findings The paper explores literature suggesting there is evidence of the benefits of “blue therapy” to the health and well-being of people of all ages. Originality This paper describes the personal experience of one cold water swimmer. However, a growing body of published literature suggests there is value in “blue therapy” informing future social prescribing programmes.


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