Evidence-based health strategies for buildings and communities
Domain 2: Evidence-based health strategies for buildings and communities
This domain tests how well you connect Fitwel strategies to public-health evidence and to the seven Health Impact Categories. You need to know why a strategy earns points, who it affects, and what documentation proves it operates in practice.
Core rules
- The seven Health Impact Categories are: Impacts Community Health; Reduces Morbidity and Absenteeism; Supports Social Equity for Vulnerable Populations; Instills Feelings of Well-Being; Enhances Access to Healthy Foods; Promotes Occupant Safety; Increases Physical Activity.
- A strategy is not the same as a category. A stair prompt, for example, supports Increases Physical Activity; daylight and views support well-being; tobacco-free policy supports safety and morbidity reduction.
- Evidence quality matters. Fitwel draws on public-health research and guidance, and the reference guide explains the intended outcome and verification. Prefer strategies with a plausible mechanism, a defined population, and measurable implementation.
- Design and operations both count. A bike room without access rules, signage, or maintenance may not deliver the intended behavior change; a healthy-food policy without implementation records is weak evidence.
- Equity is not an add-on. Consider whether vulnerable occupants can access the benefit: affordability, language, disability access, safety, and proximity all affect who actually experiences the health strategy.
Worked example
An office has low stair use and wants physical-activity points. The team proposes a gym. A stronger Fitwel case is a package: visible stair prompts at the elevator lobby, well-lit and secure stairwells, and showers/changing rooms for active commuters. The team maps the package to Increases Physical Activity, documents signage and maintenance, and surveys stair use before and after. The gym may still earn points, but it does not replace access, visibility, and operations.
Traps
- Naming a Health Impact Category when the question asks for a strategy, or vice versa.
- Claiming healthy food because one fruit bowl exists, without a policy or availability standard.
- Assuming a feature affects all occupants equally; vulnerable groups may face access barriers.
- Double-counting one feature under multiple strategies without checking the scorecard.
- Relying on design intent without operational evidence.