Bringing health into transportation and land use scenario planning: Creating a National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM)

Publication date: Available online 12 July 2018Source: Journal of Transport & HealthAuthor(s): Jessica Schoner, Jim Chapman, Allen Brookes, Kara E. MacLeod, Eric H. Fox, Nicole Iroz-Elardo, Lawrence D. FrankAbstractThere is mounting evidence linking land development and transportation investments to physical activity with resulting implications for chronic disease prevention. Links between the physical environment and health have traditionally focused on harmful exposures such as air pollution, noise, and traffic injury. Given limited funds and competition for how and where investments are made, there is a need to prioritize and target resources to maximize health benefits that can include activity related chronic disease prevention. The ability to apply this evidence to decision making has been limited by the complexity and inconsistency of research methods, and lack of a direct connection with the planning contexts in which decisions are made. Scenario planning tools provide a method to apply evidence with spatial planning decisions at a range of geographic scales. The US Environmental Protection Agency commissioned the development of a National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM). This project utilized built and natural environment data at the block-group level and large population surveys to model the relationships of the environment with several health outcomes for a range of age and income groups. N-PHAM is the first health assessment tool that can connect to multip...
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research