Review of evidence on housing and health - Background document

This document gives an overview of the work within the area of housing and health. It defines firstly what is healthy housing, then how housing impacts on health, and deals with a survey made in 8 cities in Europe.

Towards a new European programme for healthy indoor air EFA recommendations

The author, basing on the present knowledge on healthy indoor air, asks for a reenforcement of indoor environment in Europe, without delay.

Dampness in buildings and health (DBH) : report from an ongoing epidemiological investigation on the association between indoor environmental factors and health effects among children in Sweden

The aim of this paper is to identify the link between indoor environmental factors and asthma or allergic symptoms among small children and their parents. That four-phases Swedish study will be lasting from 2000 until 2008 : First step : an epidemiological cross-sectional questionnaire on housing and health involving 14,077 preschool children (2000).Second step : a nested case-control study including 198 children with symptoms and 202 healthy controls.

On the history of indoor air quality and health

Main environmental studies are today, outdoor air quality, but not indoor air quality though there is mounting evidence that exposure to IAQ is the cause of excessive morbidity and mortality.Research within the areas of developing countries has had a low priority during the last half century compared with research on ambient air or industrial air.

Thermal performance characteristics of an energy-efficient, healthy house

A collaborative effort between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tuskegee University has resulted in an energy-efficient, healthy house that is built on Tuskegees experiment station farm to conduct various energy efficiency and indoor air quality studies. The house is well insulated and possesses other energy-efficient features, such as airtight construction, reflective roofing, and unventilated crawlspace. The energy efficiency and thermal performance of the house are investigated in view of electric power consumption as well as indoor and outdoor temperature and relative humidity data.

Indoor air quality of an energy-efficient, healthy house with mechanically induced fresh air

Issues associated with indoor air quality (IAQ) and its impact on occupant health have prompted research into the design and construction of healthy houses. Most of the houses constructed have been upscale housing. An affordable, energy-efficient, healthy house was built at Tuskegee

Estimating effects of moisture damage repairs on students' health - a long-term intervention study

The aim of that study that lasted 5 years was to assess the effect of repairs made to moisture-damaged school buildings on the students' health. With repeated questionnaires it was possible to compare the occurrences of symptoms before and after the repairs in school.

Exposure assessment for respirable particulates associated with household fuel in rural districts of Andhra Pradesh, India

This study quantified the daily average concentrations of respirable particulates in rural homes from three Indian districts. Thanks to this data a model is being developed to predict quantitative categories of population exposure based on survey information on housing and fuel characteristics. A better estimation of health risks will be possible.

Personal, indoor and outdoor VOC exposures in a probability sample of children

This paper reports the distribution of VOC exposures, and explores the statistical associations between concentrations and common sources and modifiers of exposure, and examines the associations between personal, indoor, and outdoor exposure levels in children.

Levels and predictors of endotoxin in mattress dust samples from East and West German homes

In so far as prevalence of asthma and allergies is different from East to West Germany, a suggestion that it was associated with lifestyle factors was made. The endotoxin levels in dust collected from more than 4000 infants and mothers mattresses were compared. But none of the predictors analyzed and even a combination of predictors can be used as a surrogate for high or low mattress dust endotoxin levels in epidemiological studies.

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