Health Benefits of Physical Activity Related to an Urban Riverside Regeneration

Cristina Vert, Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, Mireia Gascon, James Grellier, Lora E. Fleming, Mathew P. White and David Rojas-Rueda
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Cristina Vert: ISGlobal (Global Health Institute Barcelona), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Mark Nieuwenhuijsen: ISGlobal (Global Health Institute Barcelona), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Mireia Gascon: ISGlobal (Global Health Institute Barcelona), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
James Grellier: European Centre for Environment and Health, University of Exeter College of Medicine and Health, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK
Lora E. Fleming: European Centre for Environment and Health, University of Exeter College of Medicine and Health, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK
Mathew P. White: European Centre for Environment and Health, University of Exeter College of Medicine and Health, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3HD, UK
David Rojas-Rueda: ISGlobal (Global Health Institute Barcelona), 08003 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: The promotion of physical activity through better urban design is one pathway by which health and well-being improvements can be achieved. This study aimed to quantify health and health-related economic impacts associated with physical activity in an urban riverside park regeneration project in Barcelona, Spain. We used data from Barcelona local authorities and meta-analysis assessing physical activity and health outcomes to develop and apply the “Blue Active Tool”. We estimated park user health impacts in terms of all-cause mortality, morbidity (ischemic heart disease; ischemic stroke; type 2 diabetes; cancers of the colon and breast; and dementia), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and health-related economic impacts. We estimated that 5753 adult users visited the riverside park daily and performed different types of physical activity (walking for leisure or to/from work, cycling, and running). Related to the physical activity conducted on the riverside park, we estimated an annual reduction of 7.3 deaths (95% CI: 5.4; 10.2), and 6.2 cases of diseases (95% CI: 2.0; 11.6). This corresponds to 11.9 DALYs (95% CI: 3.4; 20.5) and an annual health-economic impact of 23.4 million euros (95% CI: 17.2 million; 32.8 million). The urban regeneration intervention of this riverside park provides health and health-related economic benefits to the population using the infrastructure.

Keywords: urban regeneration; urban health; blue spaces; physical activity; health impacts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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