Area-Based Policies and Potential Health Benefits: A Quasi-Experimental Cohort Study in Vulnerable Urban Areas of Andalusia (Spain)
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The article proposes a critical review of area-based policies by placing them in the Fundamental Cause Theory. The proposed case concerns marginal urban areas of Andalusia. The paper has an architecture that combines cohort data with quasi-experimental methodology; the aim is to reveal some weaknesses of local policies. The paper has good scientific soundness; the bibliography is coherent and updated; objectives, methodology and discussion of the results are well highlighted. The use of cartography would have helped and supported the reading.Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. The attached file details the response to the reviewer.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Minor revision
row 112: mechanisms. [20-22]. - consider change to mechanisms [20-22]. ("in the text, reference numbers should be placed before the punctuation");
row 188: 2002-2016, provided - consider change to 2002-2016, provided
row 262: between the period and - consider change to between the period and
row 334: Figure 1. - consider change to Figure 1.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. The attached file details the response to the reviewer.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
The article is interesting, well structured and argued in its various parts. Probably, it would have been of further and great interest to refer to the incidence of mortality on the different age groups and on the gender.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. The attached file details the response to the reviewer.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 4 Report
My background is not related with health sciences, but with urban transformations, urban planning and policies. For this reason I don't feel qualificate to discuss about the bibliography, the theoretical framework or the statistical methods employed. Nevertheless I have a deep knowledge about ARBs and Urban programs, especially the ones executed in Seville.
I would like to see more details about the areas included in the study, i.e. a table with the cities analyzed and their global population. It is evident that the effects on historic centers of first urban plans in big cities like Seville or Malaga are hardly comparable with smaller villages, so it would help to have a better picture of the research, and also for other studies to take this one as reference. I'm not sure if segregated data could also help to have a better understanding of the effects of these plans.
I have only a concern about the conclusion related with the reduction of preventable mortality in ARBs+Urban areas. While the authors correctly recognize (477-482) changes in the population after Urban programs, the assumption of "the original population of the neighborhood could be modifying their practices in line with influence exerted by the collective expression of new healthy practices more prevalent among people who moved into the neighborhood after the intervention" (483-5), is only a possible reading which should be completed with other hipotesis. Especially in more dense cities, gentrification has pushed more vulnerable neighbours to leave their houses, so the reduction of preventable mortality could be originated by a different cohort of subjects with better health conditions, especially in the last years considered.
The authors should reflect on this issue, incorporating their reflections to the discussion/results.
Author Response
Thank you very much for your comments and suggestions. The attached file details the response to the reviewer.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
