Health Dynamics in the Built Environment: An Urban Intensity Perspective – An Exploratory Study in Trinidad and Tobago

The built environment encompasses the physical components of the environment, inclusive of infrastructure, households, buildings, streets, and open spaces, within which individuals reside and carry out their daily activities. It affects both indirectly and directly on the outdoor and indoor physical environment as well as the socio-economic environment. The elements which comprise the built environment and those of the physical and socio-economic environments, which are affected by it, are recognised as key determinants of health. In this study, health dynamics in the built environment are explored along the urban-rural gradient in Trinidad and Tobago. The gradient is measured by a statistically validated Urban Intensity Index developed previously, using physical data from the built environment. Published physical health data from National Surveys as well as data collected on perceptions of health care access and environmental quality are utilised in conjunction with the Urban Intensity Index values to model chronic illness. Multivariate statistical analysis and maps are used to explore and illustrate these dynamics. Ultimately, the outputs of this study can potentially support efforts to diminish the gap between rhetoric and reality, through provision of critical information for policy and decision making, as the global development agenda moves towards evidence-based policy making.