From causal loop diagrams to future scenarios: Using the cross-impact balance method to augment understanding of urban health in Latin America

2021
Urban health is shaped by a system of factors spanning multiple levels and scales, and through a complex set of interactions. Building on causal loop diagrams developed via several group model building workshops, we apply the crossimpact balance (CIB) method to understand the strength and nature of the relationships between factors in the food and transportation system, and to identify possible future urban health scenarios (i.e., permutations of factor states that impact health in cities). We recruited 16 food and transportation system experts spanning private, academic, non-government, and policy sectors from six Latin American countries to complete an interviewer-assisted questionnaire. The questionnaire, which was pilot tested on six researchers, used a combination of questions and visual prompts to elicit participants' perceptions about the bivariate relationships between 11 factors in the food and transportation system. Each participant answered questions related to a unique set of relationships within their domain of expertise. Using CIB analysis, we identified 21 plausible future scenarios for the system. In the baseline model, 'healthy' scenarios (with low chronic disease, high physical activity, and low consumption of highly processed foods) were characterized by high public transportation subsidies, low car use, high street safety, and high free time, illustrating the links between transportation, free time and dietary behaviors. In analyses of interventions, low car use, high public transport subsidies and high free time were associated with the highest proportion of factors in a healthful state and with high proportions of 'healthy' scenarios. High political will for social change also emerged as critically important in promoting healthy systems and urban health outcomes. The CIB method can play a novel role in augmenting understandings of complex urban systems by enabling insights into future scenarios that can be used alongside other approaches to guide urban health policy planning and action.
SOCIAL SCIENCE & MEDICINE
卷号:282
ISSN:0277-9536
收录类型
SSCI
发表日期
2021
学科领域
循证公共卫生
国家
美国
语种
英语
DOI
10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114157
其他关键词
RAPID-TRANSIT SYSTEM; AGENT-BASED MODEL; DYNAMICS; WALKING; BUS; DISEASE; ENVIRONMENT; COMPLEXITY; PREVENTION; THINKING
EISSN
1873-5347
资助机构
Wellcome Trust, UKWellcome Trust [205177/Z/16/Z]; National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico (CNPQ); FAPA grant of the Universidad de los Andes; Universidad de Ibague, Colombia [17-528-INT]
资助信息
The Salud Urbana en America Latina (SALURBAL)/Urban Health in Latin America project is funded by the Wellcome Trust, UK [grant 205177/Z/16/Z]. More information about the project can be found at www.lacurbanhealth.org.AALF is a productivity fellowship recipient from the National Council of Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). FM and UAF received funding from the FAPA grant of the Universidad de los Andes. JDM was funded by the Universidad de Ibague, Colombia [Project 17-528-INT].
被引频次(WOS)
1
被引更新日期
2022-01
来源机构
Drexel University South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) University of the Andes Colombia University of the Andes Colombia Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Drexel University Case Western Reserve University University of the Andes Colombia Washington University (WUSTL) Brookings Institution The Santa Fe Institute
关键词
Urban health Complex system Cross-impact balance Chronic disease Diet Transportation Latin America