Over the last 100 years, average life expectancy in the United States has increased by approximately 40 years -- from age 46 to age 77.6. Only 7 of those years can be attributed to improved disease care and management. The rest of this change is a direct result of public health interventions such as improved preventive care and environmental conditions. As communities developed and were enhanced in the early 1900s, the nation's health was dramatically improved.
In the 21st century, there are still many public health challenges affecting our population, especially children, as the health and well-being of a child depend heavily on the physical, social, and the built environment in which they live. The built environment can be defined as any infrastructure with which children come in contact on a daily basis, including homes, schools, parks, roads, walkways, and businesses.
The specific challenges include access to medical and preventive health services, quality of and access to schools and housing, economic opportunities, social capital, air and water quality, and opportunities for physical activity. Just a few examples of how the built environment affects children include the following:
Over the last 20 years, the prevalence of childhood asthma has increased dramatically. Researchers estimate that the elimination of residential risk factors for asthma would reduce 39% of asthma diagnoses in the United States and save $402 million each year.
In 1999, children aged 15 and younger accounted for 30% of nonfatal pedestrian injuries. Recent reductions in childhood injury are directly linked to new safety measures required for housing construction and roadway planning.
According to results of the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s.
The impact of the built environment is greater on minorities and low-income communities. Without access to quality housing, disadvantaged populations are disproportionately exposed to lead, pest, air pollutants, contaminates, and great social risk.
Well-designed communities are essential in preventing injury, obesity, air pollution, and disparities in access to and equity of care to ensure that children achieve optimal health and development. Many common pediatric conditions, such as asthma, lead poisoning, and obesity, are associated with risk factors linked to a child's built environment; yet parents, community leaders, and policy-makers do not always make the connection to how building and land use could ultimately affect the health of our children.
The national observance of National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2006 is April 3-9, 2006. During NPHW, the American Public Health Association (APHA) will aim to improve the understanding of the relationship between built environments -- homes, schools, parks, and community design -- and the health and safety of children by promoting solutions that families, communities, and policy-makers can use to improve children's health in their communities.
Working with select partners with experience in built community assessment, APHA developed a pop-quiz that policy makers, public health officials, and partner groups can use to evaluate the current state and impact of the built environment on children in their communities. The pop-quiz includes evaluation of the built environment as it relates to the specific issues of access and equity, physical activity, injury prevention, and asthma.
During NPHW, each day will focus on the relationship between the built environment and a core children's health issue, with additional focus on effective solutions based on case studies from model communities.
Monday: Designing Healthy Communities: Raising Healthy Kids
Tuesday: Surrounding Our Kids With Equal Opportunities
Wednesday: Surrounding Our Kids With Physical Activity
Thursday: Surrounding Our Kids With Safety
Friday: Surrounding Our Kids With Clean Air
During the week, APHA and its partners will: (1) educate policy-makers about the built environment and encourage them to get involved in taking proactive measures toward improving built environments to protect children's health and safety; (2) garner national and local press about the built environment and children's health, as well as the various steps that governments, communities, and individuals can take to protect children's health and safety; (3) encourage advocates to evaluate the state of their communities and use community evaluation and assessment as an advocacy tool to educate local, state, and federal policy-makers; and (4) encourage community leaders to implement APHA's community assessment tool to evaluate the state of their built environments and to enact model solutions.
APHA will also identify 5 Blue Ribbon Communities for raising healthy kids, as well as provide solutions to some of the current built-environment problems that communities are facing. Tools to create building blocks in developing healthy communities and healthy kids will also be provided.
Look for NPWH content featured on the APHA Web site as well as the Medscape Pediatrics, Public Health & Prevention, Family Medicine/Primary Care, and Women's Health homepages.
Please join in our efforts by becoming a sponsor, partner, or resource during NPHW!