Influence of residential performance on residents' health status (part II): Nationwide survey of environmental performance of apartment buildings and residents' health status

Abstract

The residential environment clearly affects health. For example, a previous study has established relationships between specific environmental factors and the health status of residents in detached houses. However, studies focused on apartment buildings are still insufficient. Therefore, in this study, a large nationwide questionnaire survey of residents of apartments was conducted. The residential environment was subjectively evaluated using a Japanese Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE) tool: the CASBEE Health Checklist. The results showed that residents living in apartments who score higher on the checklist tend to have a lower prevalence of various diseases, indicating that residential environment may be an important determinant of health. Furthermore, the odds ratios for residents living in apartment buildings were lower for diabetes mellitus, hypertensive diseases, heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and inflammatory polyarthropathies compared with residents living in detached houses. These findings support the general link between the residential environment and residents' health and suggest that housing typology is an important factor.

Housing hierarchy of needs that contribute to the well-being of residents

“…In addition, the impact of housing on subjective well-being is about one-fifth that of subjective health, which is significant, given that health and well-being are often analyzed as the same concept [21]. In addition, previous studies have shown that the housing environment has a significant influence on residents' health [2,3], and indirect influences from housing to subjective well-being through health are expected to exist. The importance of housing will be further enhanced if indirect effects from housing to subjective well-being are identified.…”

“…People spend 60%-70% of their day at home, and thus housing is infrastructure that plays an important role in residents' well-being [1]. In fact, poor-quality housing environments have been strongly linked to a wide range of health problems, including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, injuries, and mental health [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Furthermore, a house is one of the most important assets for many families; for example, home ownership is a crucial indicator of social capital, reflecting safety, independence, and privacy [10].…”