In the reading “A Joint Urban Planning and Public Health Framework: Contributions to a Health Impact Assessment” by Northridge et al., authors ask the question: What are the health consequences of inadequate housing? Drawing on the other readings (re: social and built environments) explore this idea and try to answer this question.
In the Learning Journal, be sure to describe:
- What you learned
- Any preconceived ideas or notions and how this activity and reading helped to add or dispel those ideas or notions
Be sure that your Learning Journal entry is a minimum of 500 words.
1. What are the health consequences of inadequate housing? Drawing on the other readings (re: social and built environments) explore this idea and try to answer this question.
The built environment refers to the artificial spaces in which we live, work and live daily, including the buildings, public facilities, and spaces we construct; and it is correlated with social capital and related to society's material, informational, and emotional elements (Koohsari, et al., 2021). The built environment includes buildings such as residences, parks, public facilities such as stations and airports, and infrastructure that supports life, such as water supply and electricity.
Nearly two billion people live in urbanized areas of developing countries, most of whom suffer from poverty, malnutrition, inadequate or no housing, and lack of drinking water; in such an environment, people's health cannot be protected and promoted, as evidenced by high HIV/AIDS infection rates and infant mortality (Northridge & Sclar, 2003). A striking example is the slums around the world. The slums are littered with piles of rubbish brought in by residents, and some people find recyclable items from the banks and sell them for a living. We live a life in which we are exposed to pathogens daily. In addition, since there is no sewage system, domestic wastewater flows directly into the alleys.Those inadequate sanitation facilities, such as toilets and hand-washing stations, are a major cause of diarrheal disease and child mortality. Diarrheal diseases account for 15% of deaths in children under five years of age in low- and middle-income countries, and 88% of diarrheal diseases are caused by unsafe sewage, water, and sanitation (Buttenheim, 2008).
Preventing diarrhea symptoms by improving sanitation enables efficient nutrient absorption and promotes normal growth and development (Buttenheim, 2008). Children who grow up healthy in this way will be resistant to disease even when they grow up and will be able to work well in good health. In that way, the health of the whole community can be improved. In converse, if they do not improve unsanitary housing and the surrounding environment, they will never be able to escape poverty and unhealthy conditions.
Additionally, the social environment affects our health in invisible ways. The social environment is the totality of social conditions that directly or indirectly affect our lives, such as production and consumption, and it includes community organizations, institutions, and structures, as well as classes and customs (Law Insider, n.d.). I think it is necessary to fundamentally improve the habits and awareness of the people in the slums and the hygiene concept of the entire community.
2. What you learned, Any preconceived ideas or notions, and how this activity and reading help to add or dispel those ideas or notions
I was born and raised in a hygienic, safe, and stable area where I could drink clean water, wash my hands with soap, and sanitize my hands. I knew that people in slums were living in inadequate housing and did not have free access to water, but it was an unrealistic problem for me, and I could not imagine how badly it would affect me. Although deaths from diarrhea are sporadic in Japan, it turned out to be an extremely formidable enemy to those staying in such unsuitable housing and environments. While studying in this course, I believed that educating people would be the most conducive to improving health at the community level. I was. There is an urgent need to develop infrastructure that is effective in slums and has a low economic burden, which is a different way from developed countries.
Thank you, professor. (589 words)
References
Buttenheim A. M. (2008). The sanitation environment in urban slums: implications for child health. Population and environment, 30(1-2), 26–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11111-008-0074-9
Koohsari, M., Nakaya, T., McCormack, G., Shibata, A., Ishii, K., Yasunaga, A., Hanibuch, T., & Koichiro, O. (2021). Traditional and novel walkable built environment metrics and social capital. Landscape and Urban Planning, 214. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2021.104184
Law Insider. (n.d.). Social environment definition. Retrieved from https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/social-environment
Northridge, M. E., & Sclar, E. (2003). A joint urban planning and public health framework: Contributions to health impact assessment. American Journal of Public Health, 93(1), 118-21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447705/
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