II. What are Health Environments?

Google “health environments” –

Settings for Definitions – ORIENTATIONS. Institutions, specializations. SOURCES for data/analysis

1. WHO protect human environment

http://www.who.int/phe/en/

Environmental health comprises those aspects of human health, including quality of life, that are determined by physical, chemical, biological, social, and psychosocial factors in the environment. It also refers to the theory and practice of assessing, correcting, controlling, and preventing those factors in the environment that can potentially affect adversely the health of present and future generations

2. CDC Health environment

http://www.cdc.gov/

building healthy environments

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/children.htm

Children's Health & the Built Environment

Healthy community design can benefit children in many important ways. At a time when obesity and diabetes are rising among children, when asthma continues to be highly prevalent, and when conditions such as attention deficit disorder may be on the rise, it is crucial to seek, understand, and implement environmental design solutions that might help with these health challenges.

 3. Government. local government building health environments

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/localgov/

There are many influences on the health and wellbeing of a community - safe and healthy places to live and work, social networks and support services, opportunities to participate in decisions affecting the community, and good infrastructure such as transport and land use schemes.

Local government is one of a number of players whose actions impact on these areas. Others include the Federal Government, the State Government, and the business and community sectors - each has an important role to play. However, operating at a level so close to the community it serves, means that local government has a unique capacity to make a difference.

This website provides information to support local governments in positively influencing the health and wellbeing of their communities.

 4. Development Studies. health, environment, and development

http://ehs.sph.berkeley.edu/hed/page.asp?id=1

A unique, interdisciplinary, campuswide program designed to help people in developing countries achieve health, reach a reasonable level of well-being, and stabilize populations. These objectives - while at the same time protecting the local, community, and global environments - are among the most compelling and complicated challenges facing the world community.

"The objective of the HED program is to bring an international group of students together to learn how to meet this important set of challenges."

http://www.fic.nih.gov/programs/HEED.html

 Health, Environment, and Economic Development

The HEED Program is an innovative initiative designed to explore the linkages between health, environment and economic development.  The Fogarty International Center, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Aging, the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Technologia (CONACYT) of Mexico, and the United States Geological Survey co-sponsor the program.  

The scientific and public policy communities are increasingly recognizing that the interrelationships between health, environment and economic development need to be understood and addressed if the problems associated with these issues are to be ameliorated in a significant way. To contribute to this effort, HEED provides funding for interdisciplinary exploratory research projects that integrate approaches from the health, social, and natural sciences. The program gives particular attention to research that focuses on developing a better understanding of the economic behavior and incentives of individuals and groups that affect health outcomes through changes in environmental conditions. In addition to increasing scientific understanding of the linkages between these issues, HEED grantees are striving to formulate real and implementable recommendations for public health, environmental, and economic policy decision makers.

 5. Environmental Health

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/

Story 2995:'Work killed my wife' New research shows workplace-related cancers kill four times as many people as official figures show. Why is safety so lax? New research shows workplace-related cancers kill four times as many people as official figures show.

 6. Health Facilities as health environments

Dental offices: http://www.thedesign.com/ THE stands for “Total Health Environments” and is committed to designing highly efficient, attractive and stress-reducing dental offices.

Hospitals: http://www.aia.org/nwsltr_aah.cfm?pagename=aah_a_20050131_CHER

Disability welfar institutions http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bsc/jidr/2006/00000050/00000001/art00004

The general picture of supportive health environments for persons with intellectual disabilities among 121 disability welfare institutions in Taiwan

7. Assessing Health Impact Environmental Change

http://www.silsoe.cranfield.ac.uk/ieh/

8. Health OF the Environment

http://www.envirolink.org/

The EnviroLink Network is a non-profit organization which has been providing access to thousands of online environmental resources since 1991.