Relationship between health and urban environment

Public health is determined to a great extent by non-health-related policies, while it is gradually gaining more momentum to consider issues related to people's health and well-being in the face of decision-making. Socioeconomic factors, education and culture, the physical features of different towns and villages, environmental factors, etc., have a greater impact on people's health and quality of life than the health system itself.

A health map (like the one shown here) is an excellent synthesis for showing the complexity of these direct and indirect relationships. The factors that impact on health (health determinants) can be thought of as a series of concentric lenses, one behind the other, that can magnify or diminish the action of other factors that also impact on the overall health picture. The built environment determines the population's activities, social networks and lifestyles and, therefore, its health and well-being.

Scientific evidence confirms the existence of a close relationship between our health and the environment in which we live and work. This relationship, which is constantly updated and expanded, has been known for many years and is internationally recognized. It is complex, with relationships sometimes direct and others much less obvious. For example, many urban environments foster sedentary lifestyles and contribute to the serious health problems currently affecting society, such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. These same environments favour dependence on vehicles, with a clear environmental impact, including air pollution and increased ambient noise, two significant risk factors for health. The impact can also be less obvious, such as the influence of urban transport on isolation and social cohesion.

Given this evidence, it is important to generate synergies among the different areas of political and citizen action to promote healthy urban environments and, by this means, contribute to improving people's health. Taking the health impact into account when designing any element of our towns and villages (urban development plan, park, square, transport network, neighbourhood, amenity, etc.) is the clearest example of the Health in All Policies strategy, as it requires different professionals to cooperate and work together.

Main environment-related health problems

Urban space and lifestyle are related, directly or indirectly, with the incidence and prevalence of some of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. For the five main health problems related with the urban environment, this section briefly outlines the epidemiological data, the risk factors, which are often common to all of them, and some of the recommendations. Much of this information is then explicitly included in the relevant files of the Urban Environment and Health guide.

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