Classified as: very useful research
If you haven't already seen it, the following article is very relevant for those working in health promotion and is of general interest. As far as I know it's not available publicly, but if you have access to a library you should be able to order a copy. I've included the abstract below.
If you haven't already seen it, the following article is very relevant for those working in health promotion and is of general interest. As far as I know it's not available publicly, but if you have access to a library you should be able to order a copy. I've included the abstract below.
Melanie Lowe ‘Obesity and climate change mitigation in
Australia: overview and analysis of policies with co-benefits’ , Australian
and New Zealand Journal of Public Health [Aust N Z J Public Health], ISSN:
1753-6405, 2014 Feb; Vol. 38 (1), pp. 19-24; Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell; PMID:
24494940
Abstract
Objective: To provide an overview of the shared structural
causes of obesity and climate change,
and analyse policies that could be implemented in Australia to both equitably
reduce obesity rates and contribute to
mitigating climate change.
Methods: Informed by the political economy of health theoretical
framework, a review was conducted of the literature on the shared causes of,
and solutions to, obesity and climate change.
Policies with potential co-benefits for climate change and obesity were then
analysed based upon their feasibility and capacity to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and equitably reduce obesity
rates in Australia.
Results: Policies with potential co-benefits fit within
three broad categories: those to replace car use with low-emissions, active modes of
transport; those to improve diets and reduce emissions from the food system; and
macro-level economic policies to reduce the over-consumption of food and fossil
fuel energy.
Conclusion: Given the complex causes of both problems, it is
argued that a full spectrum of complementary strategies across different
sectors should be utilised.
Implications: Such an approach would have significant public
health, social and environmental benefits.
Key words: obesity, climate change, political economy of
health, policy analysis, co-benefits
People working in PCP health promotion are likely to be aware of this I should think. I had seen it myself before, but came across it again recently and thought how practically useful it is, for example for those who are funded to work on obesity related projects but would also like to have an environmental focus in their work.
If you have been able to make use of this evidence in your work, I'd be really interested to hear about it. You can respond in the comments below or by contacting me direct on my email (see side panel).
Here's another relevant article, from Canada. I'll probably come across more as I work through the review I'm doing, so it may be worth checking back if you are interested in this topic.
Here's another relevant article, from Canada. I'll probably come across more as I work through the review I'm doing, so it may be worth checking back if you are interested in this topic.
Cheng JJ & Berry P ‘Health co-benefits and risks of
public health adaptation strategies to climate change: a review of current
literature’ International Journal Of
Public Health [Int J Public Health] 2013 Apr; Vol. 58 (2), pp. 305-11.
Abstract:
Objectives: Many
public health adaptation strategies have been identified in response to climate
change. This report reviews current literature on health co-benefits and risks
of these strategies to gain a better understanding of how they may affect
health.
Methods: A
literature review was conducted electronically using English language
literature from January 2000 to March 2012. Of 812 articles identified, 22
peer-reviewed articles that directly addressed health co-benefits or risks of
adaptation were included in the review.
Results: The
co-benefits and risks identified in the literature most commonly relate to
improvements in health associated with adaptation actions that affect social
capital and urban design. Health co-benefits of improvements in social capital
have positive influences on mental health, independently of other determinants.
Risks included reinforcing existing misconceptions regarding health. Health
co-benefits of urban design strategies included reduced obesity, cardiovascular
disease and improved mental health through increased physical activity, cooling
spaces (e.g., shaded areas), and social connectivity. Risks included pollen
allergies with increased urban green space, and adverse health effects from
heat events through the use of air conditioning.
Conclusions: Due
to the current limited understanding of the full impacts of the wide range of
existing climate change adaptation strategies, further research should focus on
both unintended positive and negative consequences of public health adaptation.
A more policy-related discussion with a focus on non-communicable disease. There is a useful grid of expected co-benefits in the article:
Friel S, Bowen K,
Campbell-Lendrum D, Frumkin H, McMichael AJ and
Rasanathan K ‘Climate change, noncommunicable diseases, and development:
the relationships and common policy opportunities’ Annual Review Of Public
Health [Annu Rev Public Health] 2011; Vol. 32, pp. 133-47
Abstract:
The rapid growth
in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including injury and poor mental health, in
low- and middle-income countries and the widening social gradients in NCDs
within most countries worldwide pose major challenges to health and social
systems and to development more generally. As Earth's surface temperature
rises, a consequence of human-induced climate change, incidences of severe heat
waves, droughts, storms, and floods will increase and become more severe. These
changes will bring heightened risks to human survival and will likely exacerbate
the incidence of some NCDs, including cardiovascular disease, some cancers,
respiratory health, mental disorders, injuries, and malnutrition. These two
great and urgent contemporary human challenges-to improve global health,
especially the control of NCDs, and to protect people from the effects of
climate change-would benefit from alignment of their policy agendas, offering
synergistic opportunities to improve population and planetary health.
Well-designed climate change policy can reduce the incidence of major NCDs in
local populations.
