Feasibility path for implementing health impact assessment system in China: a grounded theory-based analysis

  Objective  To explore the feasibility path of implementing health impact assessment system in China and to provide references for promoting the implementation of Healthy China strategy.

  Methods  With purposive sampling, we selected 15 experts and scholars engaged in traffic impact assessment, environmental impact assessment and other studies in governmental departments and research institutions and conducted interviews among the experts during November 2017. The collected information on feasible path of implementing the health impact assessment system in China were analyzed based on grounded theory.

  Results  We sorted out 255 initial concepts and 73 categories summarized into 5 main categories and 19 sub-categories and then established a story line. The story line indicates that there are good social atmosphere and strong administrative support for the implementation of health impact assessment system and that lack of resources and long time cycle for establishing such a system are major barriers for the implementation.

  Conclusion  The implementation of health impact assessment system is an inevitable requirement for social development. The participation of the whole society is an effective way to implement health impact assessment and procedural legalization is the ultimate way to guarantee the implementation.