Speaker
Description
Authors: Geoff Bates (University of Bath, United Kingdom), Eleanor Eaton (University of Bath, United Kingdom), Jack Newman (University of Bristol, United Kingdom), Sarah Ayres (University of Bristol, United Kingdom)
Background: Urban environments are important determinants of health. Prevention of many diseases can be supported by policies that improve the quality and design of urban areas, for example by reducing air and noise pollution or improving housing conditions. However, engaging in prevention is challenging for policymakers working outside the health sector who often lack the incentives, capacity and expertise to prioritise health outcomes. Building on an intervention to incentivise and enable preventative policymaking shaping urban environments in the national government of the United Kingdom (UK), this presentation makes recommendations to support effective collaborations between research and policy teams to promote prevention.
Methods: We collaborated with government officials to co-develop a health economic model to embed health evidence and prevention early on in urban policymaking. A process evaluation was undertaken to identify the barriers and enablers for enhancing preventative policymaking outside the health sector and potential intervention impacts. Findings were based on analysis of qualitative interviews with 30 cross-sector policymakers and notes from over 100 meetings between researchers and officials from across government departments during intervention development and implementation.
Results: Following the formal adoption of our economic model by the UK government, the evaluation shows how its use will influence preventative policymaking and funding decisions at the national level. Key factors that facilitated the collaboration and helped in implementation included demonstrating co-benefits of prevention for delivering on sectoral priorities, creating opportunity spaces for discussion between health and urban officials, and engaging stakeholders across the wider system in the research.
Discussion: Enhancing prevention in areas of policy that are key determinants of health is challenging in the context of significant political and structural barriers. Policymakers are however receptive to doing more on prevention and effective collaboration with research teams can help to enable this and integrate health early on in decision-making.
| Conflict of interest | The authors declare no conflict of interest |
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