Participatory process for mapping socio-environmental determinants of health by community agents: Contributions to urban management and planning

Studies about socio-environmental determinants are recognized as important to better understand the factors that influence health and quality of life, and how they operate to generate inequalities. This article reports the mapping of socio-environmental determinants of health, carried out by community health agents from the community of Paraisópolis, the second-largest slum in the city of São Paulo (state of São Paulo), seeking to analyze potential contributions of this participatory process to urban management and planning. As part of an action research study and following the stages of Paulo Freire’s Research Itinerary (Culture Circles), the mapping was carried out by integrating the Talking Map technique with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in what has been called Participatory GIS or Geographic Information Systems with Social Participation (PGIS). Positive aspects were recognized and addressed by community agents, as well as several situations of socio-environmental vulnerability as a result of the agglomerated nature of the place, directly related to urban management and planning needs. This shows that, through a participatory mapping process, citizens cannot only better identify, but also more effectively communicate their needs and qualify intervention strategies in the territory. Therefore, it is possible to address the residents’ priorities more representatively, especially in places where traditionally marginalized social groups live. And also, community health agents, who play a central role in this research process because they live and work in the same place, are fundamental to boost, mobilize, and support the complex aspects involved, both in Primary Health Care, as well as in urban management and planning.

Socioeconomic and Environmental Determinants of Health Outcomes: The Case of Transition Economies

This study examines the effects of economic and socio-demographic factors on the health status of men and women separately. The annual data of 16 selected transition countries for the period 2000-2016 were used. Life expectancy at birth was used as an indicator of health status in the study. Economic and environmental variables such as GDP per capita, health expenditures, unemployment, carbon emissions, access to safe water, and urbanization are considered as factors affecting life expectancy at birth. In the study, the Autoregressive Distributed Lags (ARDL) model was used. The findings show that the effects of socioeconomic and environmental factors on life expectancy differ according to men and women. It has been found that above-mentioned factors are more effective on life expectancy of men than women in selected transition economies. Therefore, it can be recommended to prioritize economic and environmental targets in improving the health outcomes of countries.

Climate “Psychopathology”

Climate change is now widely recognized as the greatest threat faced by humanity for thousands of years and is known to affect the social and environmental determinants of health; including access to clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food, and secure shelter ( WHO, 2018 ). Anthropogenic climate change has already resulted in warming and precipitation trends that claim 150,000 lives annually, and a recent report from the WHO forecasts that between 2030 and 2050 climate change will cause an additional 250,000 additional deaths per year ( WHO, 2018 ). The interaction between climate change, mental health, and physical health is not yet well understood. This review addresses the question of how climate change is affecting mental health and will demonstrate that climate psychopathologies really matter in the face of the climate emergency.

Paradigm Shifting From Bio-Medical to Bio-Psycho-Social and Role of Medical Social Work

The health miseries emerged after the horrific incident of Second World War challenged the bio-medical model dominating the healthcare perceptions during the 19th century. The healthcare interventions in post war years have had to change toward a new idea, the social perspective of health. In 1977, Engel introduced a new approach “bio-psycho-social” (BPS) which emphasized that merely bio-medical intervention by ignoring the psycho-social determinants cannot be helpful in achieving absolute recovery. Although this paradigm shift in healthcare was widely acknowledged but the application of the approach is limited. In the context, the role of Medical Social Work, a profession focused on the reduction of the psycho-social and environmental determinants of health for absolute recovery, is considerable. This review study concludes that the interventions of Social work profession with its unique attributes such as breadth, holistic care and believe in absolute rehabilitation, can make the health system more responsive. Keywords: Healthcare, determinants, Medical Social Work, Social, Psychological

Changing Settlement Patterns Into Rural Built Environments: Impacts on Social and Environmental Determinants of Health For Immigrants in Region of Peel, Ontario.

This study examined changing settlement patterns into rural built environments and impacts on social and environmental determinants of health for immigrants in the rural town of Caledon, Ontario. Data was collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews with immigrant residents in addition to key informant interviews with service providers, and those with expertise in rural planning and/or immigrant settlement. Audie recordings were transcribed and thematically analyzed using NViso 12. This study is one of the first to integrate healthy built environments frameworks with social determinants of health frameworks and findings indicate that food system infrastructure; housing and rental stock; inclusive greenspaces are all factors that are important to the health and well being of immigrants in Caledon. The major challenge faced in terms of built form is inadequate public transit, which could have impacts on their mental and physical health. Further this study flags the importance of culturally appropriate religious and spiritual built amenities and services, something that is overlooked in healthy built environment research, underscoring the importance of an equity, diversity and inclusion lens. Various policy recommendations are provided that have the potential to enhance health and well-being of newcomers in the rural environments in Canada.

Changing Settlement Patterns Into Rural Built Environments: Impacts on Social and Environmental Determinants of Health For Immigrants in Region of Peel, Ontario.

This study examined changing settlement patterns into rural built environments and impacts on social and environmental determinants of health for immigrants in the rural town of Caledon, Ontario. Data was collected through focus groups and in-depth interviews with immigrant residents in addition to key informant interviews with service providers, and those with expertise in rural planning and/or immigrant settlement. Audie recordings were transcribed and thematically analyzed using NViso 12. This study is one of the first to integrate healthy built environments frameworks with social determinants of health frameworks and findings indicate that food system infrastructure; housing and rental stock; inclusive greenspaces are all factors that are important to the health and well being of immigrants in Caledon. The major challenge faced in terms of built form is inadequate public transit, which could have impacts on their mental and physical health. Further this study flags the importance of culturally appropriate religious and spiritual built amenities and services, something that is overlooked in healthy built environment research, underscoring the importance of an equity, diversity and inclusion lens. Various policy recommendations are provided that have the potential to enhance health and well-being of newcomers in the rural environments in Canada.

Disentangling the COVID-19 Health Disparities in African Americans: Biological, Environmental and Social Factors

The stark racial disparities related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., wherein minority populations are disproportionately getting infected and succumbing to the disease, is of grave concern. It is critical to understand and address the underlying causes of these disparities that are complex and driven by interacting environmental, social and biological factors. In this article we focus on the AA community and examine how social and environmental determinants of health intersect with biological factors (comorbidities, underlying genetics, host immunity, vitamin D levels, epigenetics) to exacerbate risk for morbidity and mortality.