Abstract

The World Health Organization’s “Healthy Cities” initiative seeks to enhance community well-being by improving urban environments and promoting healthy lifestyles such as smoking cessation, moderate alcohol consumption, and increased physical activity. These efforts aim to reduce chronic diseases and manage obesity. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives often lacks quantitative evaluation, especially regarding the impact on the health lifestyle practices of adults in the community. This study evaluates the impact of the Healthy City Ordinance on local adult health behaviors in 214 Korean municipalities by analyzing data on smoking cessation, alcohol consumption, and walking practice from 2008 to 2020, using ecological analysis. This study assesses the impact of Korea’s Healthy Cities Basic Ordinance on adult healthy lifestyle practices using ecological analyses from 2008 to 2022, finding a significant reduction in smoking and high-risk drinking rates, but no significant change in walking rates, suggesting that while the ordinance positively influences some health behaviors, its effects are not uniformly distributed across all health behavior areas. This study highlights the importance of healthy city ordinances in public health by providing evidence that supports the development of sustainable health promotion strategies, emphasizing the role of ordinances in policy-making, and offering insights that aid in the effective design and implementation of health policies, potentially guiding future research and strategic approaches in the field.

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