Author/Authors :
Asadi-Lari, Mohsen Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Vaez-Mahdavi, Mohammad R Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Faghihzadeh, Soghrat Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Montazeri, Ali Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Farshad, Ali A Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Kalantari, Nasser Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Maher, Ali Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Golmakani, Mohammad M Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Salehi, Gholam H Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Motevallian, S. Abbas Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran , Malek-Afzali, Hossein Department of Epidemiology - Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract :
Background: Inequalities in health are ever increasing among different communities
of either affluent or disadvantaged especially in urban areas. To identify and address inequalities
in health and its determinants among societies, urban health equity assessment
and response tool (Urban HEART) in four 'policy domains' related to social determinants
of health, has been developed by WHO Kobe Centre (WKC) and piloted in several countries.
The tool was extended to six policy domains in Tehran and the number of indicators
was doubled. This paper describes the concept of Urban HEART, its development, study
protocol and pilot implementation in Tehran.
Methods/Design: Sixty five indicators in 6 domains related to inequalities in health
and social determinants of health (SDH) namely 'physical and infrastructure', 'human and
social', 'economic', 'governance', 'health', and 'nutrition', were developed and approved in
an international workshop held in Tehran in April 2008. Acomprehensive questionnaire
with 12 sections was developed to be administered in a large population based survey in
Tehran.
Discussion: This is the first report of urban health equity assessment and response tool
(Urban HEART) project which was conducted in Tehran. Year 2010 has been devoted to
'Urbanisation and Health' by the World Health Organisation, when 1000 cities are supposed
to join a global plan to raise health in the urban areas. The Urban HEART project is
supposed to play an important role henceforth.
