Testing a health impact assessment tool by assessing community opinion about a public park

The purpose of this study was to assess a health impact assessment (HIA) tool to determine the perceived health impact by the public of a public park. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study from March to April, 2011, using this HIA questionnaire to collect data and through focus group discussions. We also assessed community concerns about the park and obtained recommendations of how to mitigate possible negative aspects of the parks. Four aspects were listed as possible benefits of the park: physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. The negative aspects mentioned by participants were that a park could be a potential place of assembly for teenagers, a place for theft and crime and accidents among children. The HIA tool used for this research seemed appropriate. The next challenge is to use this tool to assess a more controversial project.