Place and Communities health briefing
This NHS Health Scotland briefing paper focusses on the role of place and communities in supporting health and wellbeing.
Health inequalities are the unfair and avoidable differences in people’s health across social groups and between different population groups.
The characteristics of place, and the interactions between them, have an important influence on our health and wellbeing throughout our lifetime. Some aspects of place will nurture and promote good health while others can be detrimental. The distribution of these characteristics is not equal. Those living in areas of greater deprivation are more likely to be exposed to harmful environmental factors, such as poor air quality, and less likely to have access to beneficial ones, such as greenspace. This report sets out how actions in a Place can help reduce inequalities.