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A health impact assessment of an environmental management plan: the impacts on physical activity and social cohesion
Author(s) -
Neville Leonie,
Furber Susan,
Thackway Sarah,
Gray Erica,
Mayne Darren
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he05194
Subject(s) - health impact assessment , local government , business , cohesion (chemistry) , social determinants of health , social capital , public health , government (linguistics) , environmental planning , environmental resource management , environmental health , medicine , political science , public administration , geography , nursing , economics , linguistics , chemistry , philosophy , organic chemistry , law
Issue addressed This article describes a prospective health impact assessment (HIA) on a local government environmental management plan, the Shellharbour Foreshore Management Plan (SFM Plan). The health outcomes of interest were physical activity and social cohesion. Methods The procedures undertaken include: screening; scoping; assessment of potential health impacts; negotiation; and decision‐making. The potential positive and negative health impacts of the SFM Plan were assessed and opportunities to enhance the positive and mitigate the negative were identified. Results Implementation of the SFM Plan was supported as the HIA showed a potential to benefit the health of local residents and visitors to the Shellharbour Foreshore area by increasing physical activity and social cohesion. Conclusion The HIA provided a useful framework for establishing a collaborative relationship between the local government and health sector. It improved the local government's understanding of the inter‐relationship between the environment and physical activity and social cohesion and enabled health authorities to have an impact on a capital works program to maximise health gain. So what? This paper provides a description of a HIA that assessed the impact of the physical environment on health in an Australian setting. It provides support for the use of HIAs to ensure health is on the agenda of other government sectors and contributes to the discussion on the methodology of HIAs, particularly the negotiation and decisionmaking stages.