A systematic review of whether Health Impact Assessment frameworks support best practice principles

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Policy Analysis
• Environmental Health

Background:

• Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is crucial for evaluating public health impacts of policies.
• Existing HIA frameworks aim to guide practitioners but their alignment with best practices is unclear.
• The International Association for Impact Assessment defines key best practice principles for HIA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review available HIA frameworks.
• To assess the extent to which these frameworks support best practice principles defined by the International Association for Impact Assessment.

Main Methods:

• A systematic review of HIA frameworks was conducted in June 2022.
• Frameworks were identified through database searches, reference list screening, repository searches, and practitioner contact.
• A bespoke quality appraisal tool assessed frameworks against best practice principles.

Main Results:

• 24 HIA frameworks were identified; none fully met all best practice principles.
• Frameworks often listed principles but lacked guidance on implementation across HIA steps.
• Highest ratings were for ethical evidence use and comprehensive health approaches (15 frameworks); lowest for sustainability (11 frameworks rated 'poor').

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in how HIA frameworks support best practice principles.
• Practitioners can enhance HIA practice by integrating elements from diverse frameworks.
• This approach can provide more practical guidance to meet all best practice principles.