IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2020i8p2959-d350170.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Health Impact Assessments in Spain: Have They Been Effective?

Author

Listed:
  • Maite Morteruel

    (Department of Nursing, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
    OPIK-Research Group for Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain)

  • Amaia Bacigalupe

    (OPIK-Research Group for Social Determinants of Health and Demographic Change, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
    Department of Sociology 2, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Spain)

  • Elena Aldasoro

    (Department of Health, Basque Government, 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain)

  • Isabel Larrañaga

    (Department of Health, Basque Government, 20013 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain)

  • Elena Serrano

    (Department of Health, Basque Government, 20013 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain)

Abstract

Background: Health impact assessment (HIA) has scarcely been developed in Spain, in comparison with other European countries. Moreover, little is known about the effectiveness of HIA, taking into account direct impacts—changes on the decision-making process—as well as indirect impacts or those related to the process outcomes. From this broad perspective of HIA usefulness, the purpose was to assess the effectiveness of five HIAs carried out in Spain at the local level, and the role played by context and process factors on these impacts. Methods: We carried out a qualitative study based on 14 interviews to HIAs participants from different sectors. A documentary review and nonparticipant observation techniques were implemented for an in depth understanding. Results: The direct effectiveness of the HIAs was partial, but they had indirect effectiveness in all cases. The institutional and socio-political context, however, was not favorable to effectiveness. The elements of the process were largely determined by the context, although their influence, mediated by the role of proactive individuals, favored the effectiveness of the HIAs. Conclusions: When assessing HIA effectiveness, it is important to take into account a broad perspective on the nature of impacts and those factors influencing direct and indirect effectiveness. In Spain, the institutional and sociopolitical context was less favorable to HIA effectiveness than process-related factors. In order to implement the Health in All Policies strategy, will be necessary to improve context-related factors, such as institutional facilitators for HIA and democratic quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Maite Morteruel & Amaia Bacigalupe & Elena Aldasoro & Isabel Larrañaga & Elena Serrano, 2020. "Health Impact Assessments in Spain: Have They Been Effective?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2959-:d:350170
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2959/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/8/2959/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guglielmin, Maria & Muntaner, Carles & O’Campo, Patricia & Shankardass, Ketan, 2018. "A scoping review of the implementation of health in all policies at the local level," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(3), pages 284-292.
    2. Jeffery Spickett & Dianne Katscherian & Helen Brown & Krassi Rumchev, 2015. "Health Impact Assessment: Improving Its Effectiveness in the Enhancement of Health and Well-Being," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-6, April.
    3. Harris, Patrick & Sainsbury, Peter & Kemp, Lynn, 2014. "The fit between health impact assessment and public policy: Practice meets theory," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 46-53.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Françoise Jabot & Julie Romagon & Guilhem Dardier, 2024. "A New Framework for Monitoring and Evaluating Health Impact Assessment: Capitalising on a French Case Study with the Literature in Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(9), pages 1-13, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meelan Thondoo & David Rojas-Rueda & Joyeeta Gupta & Daniel H. de Vries & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, 2019. "Systematic Literature Review of Health Impact Assessments in Low and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Moss, Charlie & Anselmi, Laura & Morciano, Marcello & Munford, Luke & Stokes, Jonathan & Sutton, Matt, 2023. "Analysing changes to the flow of public funding within local health and care systems: An adaptation of the System of Health Accounts framework to a local health system in England," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    3. Nelius Wanjiku Wanjohi & Reema Harrison & Ben Harris-Roxas, 2021. "Health Impact Assessments of Health Sector Proposals: An Audit and Narrative Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-16, October.
    4. Boswell, John & Cairney, Paul & St Denny, Emily, 2019. "The politics of institutionalizing preventive health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 202-210.
    5. Nishita Dsouza & Anitha Devadason & Araliya M. Senerat & Patrin Watanatada & David Rojas-Rueda & Giselle Sebag, 2023. "Sustainability and Equity in Urban Development (S&EUD): A Content Analysis of “Bright Spots” from the Accelerating City Equity (ACE) Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, April.
    6. Harris, Patrick & Kent, Jennifer & Sainsbury, Peter & Thow, Anne Marie, 2016. "Framing health for land-use planning legislation: A qualitative descriptive content analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 42-51.
    7. Tor-Ivar Karlsen & Charlotte Kiland & Gro Kvåle & Dag Olaf Torjesen, 2022. "‘Health in All Policies’ and the Urge for Coordination: The Work of Public Health Coordinators and Their Impact and Influence in Local Public Health Policies: A Cross-Sectional Study," Societies, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, January.
    8. Djoeke van Dale & Lidwien Lemmens & Marieke Hendriksen & Nella Savolainen & Péter Nagy & Edit Marosi & Michela Eigenmann & Ingrid Stegemann & Heather L. Rogers, 2020. "Recommendations for Effective Intersectoral Collaboration in Health Promotion Interventions: Results from Joint Action CHRODIS-PLUS Work Package 5 Activities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-20, September.
    9. Amri, Michelle & Chatur, Ali & O'Campo, Patricia, 2022. "An umbrella review of intersectoral and multisectoral approaches to health policy," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    10. Tanja Brüchert & Paula Quentin & Sabine Baumgart & Gabriele Bolte, 2021. "Barriers, Facilitating Factors, and Intersectoral Collaboration for Promoting Active Mobility for Healthy Aging—A Qualitative Study within Local Government in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-17, April.
    11. Sharon Friel & Patrick Harris & Sarah Simpson & Anjana Bhushan & Britta Baer, 2015. "Health in All Policies Approaches: Pearls from the Western Pacific Region," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(2), pages 324-337, May.
    12. Johanna Cresswell-Smith & Tapani Kauppinen & Taina Laaksoharju & Tuulia Rotko & Pia Solin & Jaana Suvisaari & Kristian Wahlbeck & Nina Tamminen, 2022. "Mental Health and Mental Wellbeing Impact Assessment Frameworks—A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, October.
    13. Meelan Thondoo & Daniel H. De Vries & David Rojas-Rueda & Yashila D. Ramkalam & Ersilia Verlinghieri & Joyeeta Gupta & Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen, 2020. "Framework for Participatory Quantitative Health Impact Assessment in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-20, October.
    14. Sharon Ron & Noelle Dimitri & Shir Lerman Ginzburg & Ellin Reisner & Pilar Botana Martinez & Wig Zamore & Ben Echevarria & Doug Brugge & Linda S. Sprague Martinez, 2021. "Health Lens Analysis: A Strategy to Engage Community in Environmental Health Research in Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, February.
    15. Liz Green & Kathryn Ashton & Mark A. Bellis & Timo Clemens & Margaret Douglas, 2021. "‘Health in All Policies’—A Key Driver for Health and Well-Being in a Post-COVID-19 Pandemic World," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-16, September.
    16. McGreevy, Michael & Harris, Patrick & Delaney-Crowe, Toni & Fisher, Matt & Sainsbury, Peter & Riley, Emily & Baum, Fran, 2020. "How well do Australian government urban planning policies respond to the social determinants of health and health equity?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Owusu-Addo, Ebenezer & Renzaho, Andre M.N. & Smith, Ben J., 2020. "Developing a middle-range theory to explain how cash transfers work to tackle the social determinants of health: A realist case study," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    18. Hussein Thabit & Husnain Haider & Abdul Razzaq Ghumman & Wael Alattyih & Abdullah Alodah & Guangji Hu & Md. Shafiquzzaman, 2023. "Fuzzy-Based Human Health Risk Assessment for Shallow Groundwater Well Users in Arid Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-20, November.
    19. Schoemaker, Casper G. & van Loon, Jeanne & Achterberg, Peter W. & van den Berg, Matthijs & Harbers, Maartje M. & den Hertog, Frank R.J. & Hilderink, Henk & Kommer, Geertjan & Melse, Johan & van Oers, , 2019. "The Public Health Status and Foresight report 2014: Four normative perspectives on a healthier Netherlands in 2040," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(3), pages 252-259.
    20. Melianova, Ekaterina & Morris, Tim T & Leckie, George & Manley, David, 2024. "Local government spending and mental health: Untangling the impacts using a dynamic modelling approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:8:p:2959-:d:350170. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.