Mechanisms by which area-based regeneration programmes might impact on community health: a case study of the New Deal for Communities initiative

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore mechanisms by which area-based regeneration initiatives may impact on health. DESIGN: Case study of the New Deal for Communities programme, part of the UK National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal. MAIN RESULTS: Health impacts may result from three mechanisms: sociospatial stigma, community participation and the commissioning of projects designed to change the distribution of determinants of health, including access to services and healthy lifestyles. CONCLUSIONS: The present UK National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal includes improving health status as one of its key outcome measures. Area-based regeneration schemes such as the New Deal for Communities initiative should, intuitively, bring about health gain through their participatory approach to changing the physical and socio-economic environments. At present, however, the direction and magnitudes of these impacts are not clear.