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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.