scholarly journals Tracking State-Level Health Impact Assessment Legislation from 2012-2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Joshua Waimberg ◽  
Lindsay K. Cloud ◽  
Andrew T. Campbell ◽  
Ruth Lindberg ◽  
Keshia M. Pollack
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
State Level ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Legislative Activity

Background: To collect and analyze state-level Health Impact Assessment (HIA) legislative activity. Methods: Two longitudinal datasets examining state-level HIA legislation across the United States between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 were developed using the policy surveillance process. One dataset captures the characteristics of all HIA bills that were introduced and failed, or introduced and were still under consideration, during the time period of the study; the second dataset captures the characteristics of all HIA laws that were enacted or amended, including statutes and regulations.  Results: Forty-three HIA bills were introduced that require, encourage, or incentivize the use of an HIA, and three of these bills were enacted or amended into law, between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016. Conclusions: Additional research is necessary to understand the factors that drive success or failure of HIA legislation, and the impacts of such legislation when implemented on decision-making, health determinants and outcomes, and health equity. Policy Implications: Although legislation can encourage further use of HIAs, they need to provide sufficient clarity, guidance, and resources to effectively foster use of HIAs.

scholarly journals Health Impact Assessment of Transportation Projects and Policies: Living Up to Aims of Advancing Population Health and Health Equity?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian L. Cole ◽  
Kara E. MacLeod ◽  
Raenita Spriggs
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Equity ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Policy Makers

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a forward-looking, evidence-based tool used to inform stakeholders and policy makers about the potential health effects of proposed projects and policies and to identify options for maximizing potential health benefits and minimizing potential harm. This review examines how health equity, a core principle of health impact assessment (HIA), has been operationalized in HIAs conducted in the United States in one sector, transportation. Two perspectives on promoting health equity appear in the broader public health research literature; one aims at reducing disparities in health determinants and outcomes in affected populations, whereas the other focuses on facilitating community participation and self-determination. Variations in how these perspectives are applied in HIA informed our typology of five ways of addressing health equity in HIA. Transportation HIAs commonly included two of these—selecting vulnerable populations for the focus of the HIA and stakeholder engagement, seen in more than 70% of the 96 HIAs reviewed. Fewer than half of the HIAs assessed current health disparities or changes in their distribution. Only 15% of HIAs addressed equity by focusing on capabilities development or empowerment. Routinely assessing and reporting how an HIA aims to address health equity might better manage expectations and could make HIA practitioners and users more conscious of how an HIA can realistically be used to advance health equity.

Health determinants in Canadian northern environmental impact assessment

Polar Record ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Bronson ◽  
Bram F. Noble
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Limited Attention

The need to address the human health implications of northern development is well founded, and the role of health determinants in environmental impact assessment is increasingly recognised; however, there is limited understanding of the nature of health determinants and current practices in northern project assessment and decision making. This paper reports on a study of the nature and use of health determinants in Canadian northern environmental impact assessment, and discusses the key challenges to, and opportunities for, improved practice. Four themes emerged from this study. First, the consideration of health is limited to physical environments and the physical determinants of health, with limited attention to broader social and cultural health determinants. Second, when health is considered in northern project impact assessments such considerations rarely carry forward to post-project approval monitoring of health determinants and evaluation of health impact management programmes. Third, while there is general consensus that health determinants should be an integral part of northern impact assessment, there exist different expectations of the role of health determinants in project evaluation and decision making due in large part to different understandings and interpretations of health. Finally, a broader conceptualisation of health and health determinants in northern environmental impact assessment is required; one that takes into consideration northern cultures and knowledge systems, and is adaptive to local context, geography and life cycles.

scholarly journals Health impact assessment: what it takes, what it can and cannot deliver

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Martuzzi ◽  
J Nowacki
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Health Determinants ◽  
Constant Attention ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Political Environments

Abstract WHO, along with other health agencies, has been long promoting intersectoral action between health and all sectors of society, so as to address major, “upstream” determinants of health. Sectors as environment, transport, energy, agriculture etc, influence countless, powerful such determinants, mostly out of reach for the health sector; health-friendly (or at least health-minded) decisions on those determinants can result in a strong leverage for health advocates to achieve primary prevention. This undertaking requires: the establishment of a common language to be used with other sectors; the recognition of the complex web of causation between health determinants and health outcomes; commitment to working with a broad model of health combined with a preparedness to prioritise where necessary; a sound comprehension of the reality of decision making in different political environments; realistic expectations on what can and cannot be achieved through cross-sectoral dialogue; willingness to listen to stakeholders; constant attention towards health equity. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an established approach towards these goals. HIA describes a broad range of methods and tools, building on different disciplines and expertise. HIA aims at estimating and predicting consequences and impacts of proposed policies and plans, with the ultimate goal of influencing decisions, making them more health friendly, equitable, legitimate and sustainable. The practice of HIA has been evolving in the last 20 years. Many years of application have been instrumental in identifying strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats in different settings. HIA has delivered handsomely in some countries or regions, while it struggles to become established in others. A continued critical evaluation of successes and failures remain important to make further progress in this domain. In this presentation, WHO will present recent progress and open questions on the practice of HIA in Europe.

Health impact assessment in the United States: Has practice followed standards?

2014 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Schuchter ◽  
Rajiv Bhatia ◽  
Jason Corburn ◽  
Edmund Seto
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States

scholarly journals Growing the Field of Health Impact Assessment in the United States: An Agenda for Research and Practice

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew L. Dannenberg ◽  
Rajiv Bhatia ◽  
Brian L. Cole ◽  
Carlos Dora ◽  
Jonathan E. Fielding ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research And Practice
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