Publication date: 03/07/2023 at 8:23 am
Residents of Brabant are very concerned about the consequences of the physical living environment, climate change and energy crisis on their own health. In addition, many residents of Brabant experience nuisance from various aspects of the physical living environment, such as noise and odor. Nevertheless, most residents are positive about their own living environment.
This is evident from the results of the Monitor Healthy Living Environment 2022. The GGDs in Brabant call on municipalities to use these results to improve the physical living environment together with residents and to make residents aware of their own influence on this. This is in line with the principles of the Environmental Act and the Healthy Active Life Agreement (GALA).
Mark van Beers sector manager Health research and policy of the GGD West-Brabant on behalf of the three Brabant GGDs: “Healthy living starts with an environment that is designed for it. If we join hands, there is a future where health is the number one priority. For everyone and everywhere. Also for initiatives in the spatial domain. Working together on an environment that invites people to meet, that contributes to health gains for current and future generations. The results from this monitor provide insight into where we need to support vulnerable residents together.”
Focus on a healthy physical living environment that invites you to move and meet
Most residents are positive about the living environment: Brabant people find the neighborhood attractive to move around in, experience sufficient greenery in the neighborhood and rate their own living environment with a satisfactory. At the same time, fewer and fewer residents comply with the exercise guideline and less often walk or cycle to work. Almost half of the residents also experience insufficient social cohesion in the neighbourhood. A healthy and attractive layout of the physical living environment promotes health and gets people moving more and invites people to meet.
Protect vulnerable residents against health risks
Many people from Brabant experience nuisance from the physical living environment. More than one in five residents feel seriously annoyed by noise. Traffic is the biggest cause of noise nuisance. In addition, more than one in ten inhabitants is seriously annoyed by odor. Research shows that unfavorable environmental factors occur more often in vulnerable neighbourhoods, such as moisture and mold in the home. And the figures show that residents who have difficulty making ends meet are much more often very or extremely concerned about the energy crisis. They are also more likely to have to deal with mould/moisture in the living room/bedroom. Therefore, when designing the physical living environment, focus on vulnerable neighbourhoods.
Realize health benefits through clean(er) air
More than two out of three residents in Brabant are concerned about the health risks of exposure to particulate matter and almost two out of three residents are concerned about exposure to nitrogen. Sources that contribute to poor air quality include road traffic, wood smoke, industry and livestock farms. Residents are concerned about these sources and/or experience nuisance from them. These figures underline the importance of clean air for achieving health gains for residents. In 2022, the Brabant GGDs concluded on the basis of research that residents of Brabant live on average almost a year (358 days) shorter as a result of air pollution. The GGDs in Brabant are therefore calling on municipalities to join the Clean Air Agreement (SLA) if they haven’t already done so. When municipalities join the SLA, they gain access to instruments and examples for shaping policy and support in drawing up implementation plans.
Protect residents from the effects of climate change
Of world health organization (WHO) calls climate change the greatest threat to public health. Two-thirds of the inhabitants of Brabant are (a little) concerned about the influence of climate on their own health. Nearly one in ten residents are extremely concerned. In the approach to climate adaptation, attention must be paid to technical measures, and it is also very important to pay attention to the perspective of the inhabitants.
Monitor healthy living environment, unique in the Netherlands
The healthy living environment monitor is a survey of the perception of the living environment among residents aged 18 and older in Brabant. The three Brabant GGDs took the initiative for this monitor. The healthy living environment monitor has only been added in Brabant as an extra module to the Corona Health Monitor for Adults and the Elderly in 2022. We combine these perception figures about the living environment with actual figures about the living environment on the Brabant Environment Scan (BrOS).
2023-07-03 06:27:16
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