Autor/a:
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Grellier, James; White, Mathew P.; Albin, Maria; Bell, Simon; Elliott, Lewis R.; Gascon, Mireia; Gualdi, Silvio; Mancini, Laura; Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark J.; Sarigiannis, Denis A.; Bosch, Matilda van den; Wolf, Tanja; Wuijts, Susanne; Fleming, Lora E.
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Abstract:
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INTRODUCTION: Proximity and access to water have long been
central to human culture and accordingly deliver countless
societal benefits. Over 200 million people live on Europe's
coastline, and aquatic environments are the top recreational
destination in the region. In terms of public health,
interactions with 'blue space' (eg, coasts, rivers, lakes) are
often considered solely in terms of risk (eg, drowning,
microbial pollution). Exposure to blue space can, however,
promote health and well-being and prevent disease, although
underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. AIMS AND METHODS:
The BlueHealth project aims to understand the relationships
between exposure to blue space and health and well-being, to map
and quantify the public health impacts of changes to both
natural blue spaces and associated urban infrastructure in
Europe, and to provide evidence-based information to
policymakers on how to maximise health benefits associated with
interventions in and around aquatic environments. To achieve
these aims, an evidence base will be created through systematic
reviews, analyses of secondary data sets and analyses of new
data collected through a bespoke international survey and a wide
range of community-level interventions. We will also explore how
to deliver the benefits associated with blue spaces to those
without direct access through the use of virtual reality.
Scenarios will be developed that allow the evaluation of health
impacts in plausible future societal contexts and changing
environments. BlueHealth will develop key inputs into
policymaking and land/water-use planning towards more
salutogenic and sustainable uses of blue space, particularly in
urban areas. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Throughout the BlueHealth
project, ethics review and approval are obtained for all
relevant aspects of the study by the local ethics committees
prior to any work being initiated and an ethics expert has been
appointed to the project advisory board. So far, ethical
approval has been obtained for the BlueHealth International
Survey and for community-level interventions taking place in
Spain, Italy and the UK. Engagement of stakeholders, including
the public, involves citizens in many aspects of the project.
Results of all individual studies within the BlueHealth project
will be published with open access. After full anonymisation and
application of any measures necessary to prevent disclosure,
data generated in the project will be deposited into open data
repositories of the partner institutions, in line with a formal
data management plan. Other knowledge and tools developed in the
project will be made available via the project website
(www.bluehealth2020.eu). Project results will ultimately provide
key inputs to planning and policy relating to blue space,
further stimulating the integration of environmental and health
considerations into decision-making, such that blue
infrastructure is developed across Europe with both public
health and the environment in mind. |