The Relationship of Housing and Population Health: A 30-Year Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveWe analyzed the relationship between health status and housing quality over time.MethodsWe combined data from two nationally representative longitudinal surveys of the U.S. population and its housing, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the American Housing Survey, respectively. We identified housing and health trends from approximately 1970 to 2000, after excluding those trends for which data were missing or where we found no plausible association or change in trend.ResultsChanges in housing include construction type, proportion of rental versus home ownership, age, density, size, moisture, pests, broken windows, ventilation and air conditioning, and water leaks. Changes in health measures include asthma, respiratory illness, obesity and diabetes, and lead poisoning, among others. The results suggest ecologic trends in childhood lead poisoning follow housing age, water leaks, and ventilation; asthma follows ventilation, windows, and age; overweight trends follow ventilation; blood pressure trends follow community measures; and health disparities have not changed greatly.ConclusionsHousing trends are consistent with certain health trends over time. Future national longitudinal surveys should include health, housing, and community metrics within a single integrated design, instead of separate surveys, in order to develop reliable indicators of how housing changes affect population health and how to best target resources. Little progress has been made in reducing the health and housing disparities of disadvantaged groups, with the notable exception of childhood lead poisoning caused by exposure to lead-based paint hazards. Use of these and other data sets to create reliable integrated indicators of health and housing quality are needed.

Who Settles for Less? Subjective Dispositions, Objective Circumstances, and Housing Satisfaction

“…Barresi et al 1984). Dissatisfaction with housing may result in costly relocation for some and in undesirable health outcomes such as stress or even ordeal for those who are unable to do so due to limited resources (Pevalin et al 2008;Jacobs et al 2009). Therefore, it has been argued that housing satisfaction should be at the centre of housing policy and that enhancing our knowledge of the mechanisms producing such satisfaction would aid the design of more effective housing programs.…”

Contributors to the obesity and hyperglycemia epidemics. A prospective study in a population-based cohort

“…1,29 Furthermore, the rising trend in central AC could provide an incentive for people to remain indoors and exercise less. 7 We found a nonlinear relationship between mean HT and BMI and fasting glucose levels at follow-up; a twofold increased risk for both incident obesity and hyperglycemia was estimated in subjects living at an indoor temperature 4201C. It might be hypothesized that metabolic processes are favorably affected by an ambient temperature within the thermal neutral zone, that is, not requiring energy expenditure to be allocated to maintaining a constant body temperature.…”

“…Recently, attention has been directed to other contributors, that may influence the balance between energy expenditure and intake. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] Furthermore, dietary and exercise habits are not easily modifiable, and the search for risk factors that are more amenable to change might be potentially interesting and relatively unexplored in European cohorts. The average amount of sleep per night has been reported to be declining slightly, 9 and an increased incidence of obesity and hyperglycemia has been noted along with this decrease in sleep, particularly in younger cohorts.…”

Our Homes Our Health: Humanizing Health Care through Cultural Humility, Transformative Complicity, and Empowerment

“…These include physical factors such as the type of heating and cooling units and their maintenance; chemical factors such as tobacco smoke or lead; biological factors including humidity, mold, and dust mites; building factors that may affect the rate of injuries and accidents; and social factors that deal with type and location of the housing. 10 This correlation between the WHO's list and the description of inadequate housing in the US 7 is concerning. In addition, very few studies have been carried out to provide a good understanding of the difficulties faced by the elderly.…”