Abstract
The influence of spatial aspects on people’s health is internationally proven by a wealth of empirical findings. Nevertheless, questions concerning public health still tend to be negotiated among social and health scientists. This was different in the elaboration of the Austrian Action Plan on Women’s Health (AAPWH). On the example of the target group of older women, it is shown whether and to what extent the inclusion of the spatial planning perspective in the discussion of impact goals and measures is reflected in the respective inter-ministerial policy paper. The retrospective analysis on the basis of a document analysis of the AAPWH and qualitative interviews with public health experts who were also invited to join, or rather were part of, the expert group, brings to light the following key reasons for the high degree of spatial-related abstraction of the content of this strategic health policy paper: the requirement for general formulations, the lack of public and political awareness for the different living situations in different spatial archetypes, and the lack of external perception of spatial planning as a key discipline with regard to the creation of equivalent living conditions. Nonetheless, this research has promoted the external perception of spatial planning as a relevant discipline in public health issues in Austria. Furthermore, first thematic starting points for an in-depth interdisciplinary dialogue were identified.
Highlights
Women’s health is in the focus of global interest [1,2] and is a central concern of the WHO [3]
Other relevant issues are the increase in the absolute and relative proportion of older women in the population and a growing heterogeneity of women relating to educational level, fertility behavior and economic status related to life phases [13,14]
It should be noted that the Austrian Action Plan on Women’s Health (AAPWH) argues that discrimination against women in terms of access to services regardless of age is associated with income, migration background and social disintegration, and not with where women live, work and care
Summary
Women’s health is in the focus of global interest [1,2] and is a central concern of the WHO [3]. (in particular sub-targets 11.3, 11.7 and 11.a) [5] Goals” (in particular sub-targets 17.14 and 17.17) [5] In Austria (women’s) health is already an important public responsibility [6,7]. This becomes evident when it comes to the international comparison of the availability and quality of the supply structures of health care facilities [8,9], the life expectancy of women (at old age) [10] and self-rated state of health [11]. Other relevant issues are the increase in the absolute and relative proportion of older women in the population and a growing heterogeneity of women relating to educational level, fertility behavior and economic status related to life phases [13,14]
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