The impact of the built environment on health behaviours and disease transmission in social systems

Abstract

The environment plays an important role in disease dynamics and in determining the health of individuals. Specifically, the built environment has a large impact on the prevention and containment of both chronic and infectious disease in humans and in non-human animals. The effects of the built environment on health can be direct, for example, by influencing environmental quality, or indirect by influencing behaviours that impact disease transmission and health. Furthermore, these impacts can happen at many scales, from the individual to the society, and from the design of the plates we eat from to the design of cities. In this paper, we review the ways that the built environment affects both the prevention and the containment of chronic and infectious disease. We bring examples from both human and animal societies and attempt to identify parallels and gaps between the study of humans and animals that can be capitalized on to advance the scope and perspective of research in each respective field. By consolidating this literature, we hope to highlight the importance of built structures in determining the complex dynamics of disease and in impacting the health behaviours of both humans and animals.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'.

A multimethod approach for county-scale geospatial analysis of emerging infectious diseases: a cross-sectional case study of COVID-19 incidence in Germany

“…Spatial analysis of SES has thus been widely used to investigate social and economic risk factors, predict high-risk areas, and target interventions [24,25]. It is well understood that the built environment exerts an influence on patterns of human mobility and social interaction, which are in turn key factors in the transmission and prevalence of infectious disease [26]. For example, the aforementioned study on the risk respiratory infections indicates that the location of contact is important for the risk of transmission [23].…”

“…For example, the aforementioned study on the risk respiratory infections indicates that the location of contact is important for the risk of transmission [23]. Furthermore, the spatial configuration of buildings can have an impact on disease transmission, for example, by affecting the density of persons moving through a confined space [26]. However, the density of features of the built environment has, to our knowledge, not yet been comprehensively modelled for spatial-epidemiological analysis of infectious disease, presenting an important avenue for investigation which this study seeks to begin to address.…”

Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour

“…The built environment can facilitate positive experiences, can increase longevity and promote healthy behaviours, reducing chronic disease. In a review of the literature, Pinter-Wollman et al [61] discuss the ways in which the built environment can prevent and contain the chronic and infectious disease in both humans and wildlife. They take an interdisciplinary approach that melds perspectives from the fields of architecture, social science and biology.…”

Impact of the Built Environment and the Neighborhood in Promoting the Physical Activity and the Healthy Aging in Older People: An Umbrella Review

“…These demographical, epidemiological and geographical transitions move our attention to older people considered in the local urban context of the neighborhood. For these evident relationships between environment and health, since the beginning of the new century, collaborations between urban planning/architecture and public health have increased, with the aim of finding solutions to problems such as physical inactivity, obesity and mental illness (in terms of social exclusion, lack of social participation and sense of cohesion) [ 8 ].…”