Residential location is a fundamental determinant of health and wellbeing for urban communities, especially in deprived neighbourhoods where compositional and contextual disadvantages have been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, depression and diabetes. Neighbourhood disadvantages are triggered by a wide range of factors which can be grouped into compositional factors (e.g., residents’ genetic and behavioural traits, socioeconomic) and contextual factors (e.g., urban forms and design, land-use patterns, transportation arrangements, and pollution levels). Recently, the relationship between neighbourhood and health has become a major concern in urban studies, where an emerging strand of research is shedding light on how regeneration programs can directly intervene on urban determinants of health in order to indirectly influence community’s health and wellbeing. Yet, little is known about how regeneration can affect individuals and community health at the neighbourhood level. Also, the existing literature is silent in regard to a neighbourhood-based regeneration scheme aiming to indirectly enhance public health and wellbeing of the community through specific regeneration interventions. For this reason, the objective of this research is to introduce the concept of Neighbourhood Advantage for Health (NAH) which relies on specific neighbourhood-based compositional and contextual factors that are more relevant for community health and wellbeing. The final objective of this study is to provide guidelines for urban regeneration to foster NAH within residential areas in order to indirectly affect community’s health and wellbeing. To this end, this research explores and describes the extent to which NAH associates with the State of Perceived Health and Wellbeing (SPHW) of 11 communities living in 11 neighbourhoods featuring different socioeconomic and spatial characteristics. Specifically, this study investigates the associations between individuals’ perception of their health and wellbeing and their neighborhood. For doing this, the author carried out a cross-sectional survey study, augmented with objective and on-field observations, to 11 communities based in Pellaro (Reggio Calabria, Italy), using primary data from 400 participants (25yo to 69yo) collected via self-reported surveys for assessing perceived health and wellbeing and for investigating built and natural environment features within the neighbourhood. This study relies on a quantitative strategy of inquiry led by two research questions: To which extent Neighbourhood Advantage for Health (NAH) associates with State of Perceived Health and Wellbeing (SPHW)? Which specific factors of Neighborhood Advantage for Health (NAH) are more relevant for State of Perceived Health and Wellbeing (SPHW) of the community, and thus to consider for urban regeneration interventions at the neighborhood level? To tackle the research questions, the author carried out an iterating analysis, namely a systematic, repetitive, and recursive process for analysing quantitative primary and secondary data collected for this study. Findings suggest that NAH does positively associate to the SPHW within the community as neighbourhoods where higher performances of NAH were registered boast greater score in SPHW. Such associations are related to specific compositional and contextual factors within the neighbourhood. Specifically, compositional factors include (1) individuals’ awareness about the determinants of and risk factors for health, (2) individuals’ socioeconomic position (SEP), (3) propensity for practicing physical activities; (4) safety within the neighbourhood; (5) social support within the community; and (6) accessibility to the economic domain of the local community. Instead, contextual factors encompass (1) architectural and aesthetic features of the visual and functional dimensions of the man-made environment; (2) land-use distribution; (3) presence of and accessibility to recreational spaces for leisure time, resting, and practicing physical activities; (4) housing quality and overall performances of the disposable residential units. Finally, considering the implications of the results of this study in the urban regeneration field, the author provides guidelines for fostering NAH through neighbourhood-based socioeconomic and spatial interventions.
Il quartiere di residenza è un determinante cruciale per la salute e il benessere delle comunità urbane, specialmente in quartieri maggiormente svantaggiati che sono stati associati ad una forte incidenza di malattie cardiovascolari, problemi respiratori, depressione e diabete. Gli svantaggi che influenzano la salute all’interno del quartiere sono innescati da un'ampia gamma di fattori, socioeconomici e spaziali, che possono essere classificati in spiegazioni compositive e contestuali. Recentemente, l’argomento è diventato una questione di interesse primario negli studi urbani, in cui un emergente filone di ricerca sta indagando su come i programmi di rigenerazione urbana possano intervenire direttamente sui determinanti urbani della salute al fine di influenzare indirettamente la salute e il benessere della comunità urbana. Tuttavia, la letteratura in rigenerazione urbana per la salute è ancora molto limitata rispetto alle possibilità di espansione. Per questi motivi, questa tesi introduce il concetto di “Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute” (NAH ), ovvero un costrutto basato sui fattori compositivi e contestuali del quartiere che sono più significativi per la salute e il benessere della comunità di residenti. L’obiettivo finale di questo studio è fornire delle linee guida e interventi per la rigenerazione urbana al fine di favorire il Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute (NAH) nel quartiere e quindi influenzare positivamente e indirettamente la salute e il benessere della comunità di residenti. Per farlo, questo studio esplora e descrive come il Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute (NAH) è associabile allo Stato di Salute e Benessere Percepito (SPHW ) di 11 comunità residenti in 11 quartieri con caratteristiche socioeconomiche e spaziali diverse, indagando le relazioni esistenti tra lo stato di salute e benessere percepito dalla comunità e le caratteristiche socioeconomiche e spaziali del quartiere di residenza. I dati primari analizzati sono stati raccolti tramite osservazioni dirette e questionari auto-somministrati a 400 individui di età compresa tra 25 e 69 anni e residenti a Pellaro (Reggio Calabria, Italia), mentre i dati secondari sono stati acquisiti dal database ISTAT. Questo studio è guidato da due domande di ricerca: (1) In che misura il Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute (NAH) nel quartiere si associa allo Stato di Salute e Benessere Percepito (SPHW) dalla comunità residente? (2) Quali fattori del Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute (NAH) sono più rilevanti per lo Stato di Salute e Benessere Percepito (SPHW) dalla comunità, e quindi da considerare per gli interventi di rigenerazione urbana a livello di quartiere? Per rispondere alle domande di ricerca, l’autore ha effettuato un'analisi iterativa basata su un processo sistematico e ripetitivo per l'analisi quantitativa dei dati. Dai risultati delle analisi emergono delle correlazioni positive e significative tra il Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute (NAH) e lo Stato di Salute e Benessere Percepito (SPHW), in quanto quartieri con maggiore presenza di NAH vantano un punteggio più alto di SPHW. Tali correlazioni sono attribuibili a specifici fattori compositivi e contestuali del quartiere. Specificatamente, i fattori compositivi includono: (1) consapevolezza dei residenti sui determinanti di salute e comportamenti individuali che influenzano la salute e il benessere; (2) posizione socioeconomica dei residenti; (3) propensione dei residenti per l’attività fisica; (4) sicurezza, (5) supporto sociale e (6) accessibilità economica all’interno del quartiere. Invece, i fattori contestuali comprendono: (1) caratteristiche architettoniche ed estetiche dell'ambiente costruito; (2) destinazione d’uso degli spazi e degli edifici del quartiere; (3) accessibilità agli spazi ricreativi, per il riposo, attività fisica e tempo libero; e (4) qualità costruttiva, esposizione ai fattori ambientali e comfort interno degli insediamenti residenziali. In conclusione, considerando i risultati ottenuti, l’autore suggerisce linee guida per favorire il Vantaggio Urbano per la Salute (NAH) all’interno del quartiere attraverso interventi educativi, socioeconomici e di trasformazione dell’ambiente costruito.
Fostering neighbourhood advantage for health. Implications and guidelines for urban regeneration
ERRIGO, Antonio
2019
Abstract
Residential location is a fundamental determinant of health and wellbeing for urban communities, especially in deprived neighbourhoods where compositional and contextual disadvantages have been linked to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, depression and diabetes. Neighbourhood disadvantages are triggered by a wide range of factors which can be grouped into compositional factors (e.g., residents’ genetic and behavioural traits, socioeconomic) and contextual factors (e.g., urban forms and design, land-use patterns, transportation arrangements, and pollution levels). Recently, the relationship between neighbourhood and health has become a major concern in urban studies, where an emerging strand of research is shedding light on how regeneration programs can directly intervene on urban determinants of health in order to indirectly influence community’s health and wellbeing. Yet, little is known about how regeneration can affect individuals and community health at the neighbourhood level. Also, the existing literature is silent in regard to a neighbourhood-based regeneration scheme aiming to indirectly enhance public health and wellbeing of the community through specific regeneration interventions. For this reason, the objective of this research is to introduce the concept of Neighbourhood Advantage for Health (NAH) which relies on specific neighbourhood-based compositional and contextual factors that are more relevant for community health and wellbeing. The final objective of this study is to provide guidelines for urban regeneration to foster NAH within residential areas in order to indirectly affect community’s health and wellbeing. To this end, this research explores and describes the extent to which NAH associates with the State of Perceived Health and Wellbeing (SPHW) of 11 communities living in 11 neighbourhoods featuring different socioeconomic and spatial characteristics. Specifically, this study investigates the associations between individuals’ perception of their health and wellbeing and their neighborhood. For doing this, the author carried out a cross-sectional survey study, augmented with objective and on-field observations, to 11 communities based in Pellaro (Reggio Calabria, Italy), using primary data from 400 participants (25yo to 69yo) collected via self-reported surveys for assessing perceived health and wellbeing and for investigating built and natural environment features within the neighbourhood. This study relies on a quantitative strategy of inquiry led by two research questions: To which extent Neighbourhood Advantage for Health (NAH) associates with State of Perceived Health and Wellbeing (SPHW)? Which specific factors of Neighborhood Advantage for Health (NAH) are more relevant for State of Perceived Health and Wellbeing (SPHW) of the community, and thus to consider for urban regeneration interventions at the neighborhood level? To tackle the research questions, the author carried out an iterating analysis, namely a systematic, repetitive, and recursive process for analysing quantitative primary and secondary data collected for this study. Findings suggest that NAH does positively associate to the SPHW within the community as neighbourhoods where higher performances of NAH were registered boast greater score in SPHW. Such associations are related to specific compositional and contextual factors within the neighbourhood. Specifically, compositional factors include (1) individuals’ awareness about the determinants of and risk factors for health, (2) individuals’ socioeconomic position (SEP), (3) propensity for practicing physical activities; (4) safety within the neighbourhood; (5) social support within the community; and (6) accessibility to the economic domain of the local community. Instead, contextual factors encompass (1) architectural and aesthetic features of the visual and functional dimensions of the man-made environment; (2) land-use distribution; (3) presence of and accessibility to recreational spaces for leisure time, resting, and practicing physical activities; (4) housing quality and overall performances of the disposable residential units. Finally, considering the implications of the results of this study in the urban regeneration field, the author provides guidelines for fostering NAH through neighbourhood-based socioeconomic and spatial interventions.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14242/85964
URN:NBN:IT:UNIRC-85964