Health Impact Assessment of Household Waste Management: A Scoping Review

Niloufar  Bahrampour; Seyed Vahid Ahmadi  Tabatabaei; Maryam Faraji  Pari; Aliakbar  Haghdoost

doi:10.18502/ijre.v21i1.19497

Niloufar Bahrampour MSc in Epidemiology, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Seyed Vahid Ahmadi Tabatabaei Assistant Professor, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Maryam Faraji Pari Assistant Professor, Environmental Health Engineering Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Aliakbar Haghdoost Professor, HIV/STI Surveillance Research Center, and WHO Collaborating Center for HIV Surveillance, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijre.v21i1.19497

Keywords: Health impact assessment, Waste management, Health effects, Household waste management, Scoping review

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Waste refers to solid, liquid, and gaseous materials (excluding sewage) generated from human activities and considered discardable by the producer. The production of household waste also rises with the increase in population. Therefore, evaluating the effects of household waste management on health is a critical issue. Effective interventions can be implemented to mitigate its impacts by identifying the problems and risks associated with this type of waste.

Methods: This study is a scoping review aimed at health impact assessment of household waste management. In this study, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science electronic databases were searched in English between 2014 and 2024, and the results were entered into Endnote software and screened.

Results: From the initial search of 3,504 studies, 109 full-text articles were ultimately included in the review. The results indicated that most of the research was conducted in developing countries. The primary data collection tools were laboratory samples, and most of the studies were quantitative. Most of these studies have focused on the effects of household waste management on physical health, while the least explored dimension was spiritual health.

Conclusion: This study shows that household waste management, in addition to its effects on physical health and environmental pollution, can affect mental, social, and spiritual health. Therefore, by identifying these effects, we should seek solutions for better household waste management to minimize negative health effects.