It has been observed that people who share common working or living spaces are affected by the environment in the same way. The aspects of the physical environment that can affect health include but are not limited to community, land, water, and air. The community has an important role to play in public health. The design of the built environment to provide recreational facilities and jogging parks has a positive effect on the health of the inhabitants. The presence of sidewalks, bikeways, and clean streets has an effect on the choice of transport that people use. These facilities encourage walking as an alternative to driving and this has positive long-term impacts on health and bodily well-being (Mitchell & Popham, 2008). In relation to land, there are many physical aspects that can affect health, these are land pollutants, land use management, and solid waste management. Pollutants can either be caused by humans or naturally occurring. The stink, negative visual impact, and disease affect the health of people living in the area. These pollutants should be managed so as to improve the state of the environment. These issues reflect the wants and wishes of society and should be included in policy-making by the stakeholders (Pollock, 2015). Water use in an area can have an impact on the health of humans. Issues such as wastewater treatment, drinking water, and pollutants in water have to monitor closely as they could be fatal or beneficial to health. Water to be consumed must be treated and be in constant supply. The benefits of clean water are innumerable. Wastewater should also be treated and conveyed to areas that will not be harmful to the environment which could in turn have an effect on the people in this environment. The air quality is of great importance to the health and well-being of the people living in the area. The sources of air pollution could be natural or caused by man. Studies show that areas with low air quality have health issues ranging from physical to mental health problems. It is imperative for the administration and stakeholders to prioritize high standards for air quality and discourage tobacco use. Rapid review methods can be used to streamline these issues and hasten decision-making without an adverse effect on the people or environment (Polisena, Garritty, Kamel, Stevens & Abou-Setta, 2015).
References
Mitchell, R., & Popham, F. (2008). Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. The Lancet , 372 (9650), 1655-1660.
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Polisena, J., Garritty, C., Kamel, C., Stevens, A., & Abou-Setta, A. M. (2015). Rapid review programs to support health care and policy decision making: a descriptive analysis of processes and methods. Systematic reviews , 4 (1), 26.
Pollock, A. M. (2015). Morality and Values in Support of Universal Healthcare Must Be Enshrined in Law; Comment on 'Morality and Markets in the NHS'.
