Improving Health in the United States: The Role of Health Impact Assessment

Many Americans Believe That The United States Has One Of The Best Health-care Systems In The World And That Consequently Americans Enjoy Better Health Than Most Of The World's Populations. The Data, However, Do Not Support That Belief. In Fact, The United States Is Ranked 32nd In The World In Life Expectancy Even Though It Is Ranked Third In Total Expenditures On Health Care As A Percentage Of Gross Domestic Product (gdp). Clearly, Good Health Is Determined By More Than Money Spent On The Health-care System. In Fact, A Growing Body Of Research Indicates That Living Conditions - Including Such Factors As Housing Quality, Exposure To Pollution, And Access To Healthy And Affordable Foods And Safe Places To Exercise - Have A Greater Effect On Health. That Research Highlights The Importance Of Considering Health In Developing Policies, Programs, Plans, And Projects, Including Ones That May Not Appear At First To Have An Obvious Relationship To Health. Health Impact Assessment (hia) Has Arisen As An Especially Promising Way To Factor Health Considerations Into The Decision-making Process. It Has Been Defined In Various Ways But Essentially Is A Structured Process That Uses Scientific Data, Professional Expertise, And Stakeholder Input To Identify And Evaluate Public-health Consequences Of Proposals And Suggests Actions That Could Be Taken To Minimize Adverse Health Impacts And Optimize Beneficial Ones--publisher's Description. Improving Health In The United States: The Role Of Health Impact Assessment -- Summary -- Introduction -- Why We Need Health-informed Policies And Decision-making -- Elements Of A Health Impact Assessment -- Current Issues And Challenges In The Development And Practice Of Health Impact Assessment -- Structures And Policies For Promoting Health Impact Assessment -- Structures And Policies For Promoting Health Impact Assessment -- Experiences With Health Impact Assessment -- Biographic Information On The Committee On Health Impact Assessment -- Statement Of Task Of The Committee On Health Impact Assessment -- Glossary -- Summary Of Health Impact Assessment Guides -- Analysis Of Health Effects Under The National Environmental Policy Act. Committee On Health Impact Assessment, Board On Environmental Studies And Toxicology, Division On Earth And Life Studies, National Research Council Of The National Academies. Includes Bibliographical References. Supported By The National Academy Of Sciences And Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 66737 Supported By The National Academy Of Sciences And The California Endowment 20091397 Supported By The National Academy Of Sciences And Dhhs/cdc 200-2005-13434 Suppored By The National Academy Of Sciences And Dhhs/nih N01-od-4-2139