The relationship between housing conditions and health status of rooming house residents in Toronto
The relationship between housing conditions and health status of rooming house residents in Toronto
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DOI：
10.1007/bf03405081
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发表时间：
2003-11-01
影响因子：
4.3
通讯作者：
Hulchanski, JD
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hwang, SW;Martin, RE;Hulchanski, JD
背景：住房是低收入加拿大人住房的重要来源。关于这一弱势群体的住房条件与健康状况之间关系的资料很少。方法：对多伦多市171套住房的295名居民进行有代表性的访谈。使用SF-36评估健康状况。使用多相环境评估程序对每间客房的物理吸引力进行评级。研究了居民的健康状况与住房的外形吸引力和组织特征之间的关系。结果：35岁及以上的合租屋居民的健康状况明显比加拿大普通人群的健康状况差。在SF-36评估的个人健康状况的十个维度中，有八个维度与个人居住的公寓的外表吸引力显著相关。然而，居民的健康状况与宿舍的非营利性状态、膳食供应或现场房东的存在之间没有显著的关联。结论：合租公寓居民健康状况不佳的发生率较高。报告健康状况最差的居民集中在条件最差的房间里。这种关系可能是由将病情最严重的人安置在质量最低的宿舍的选择过程和/或不利的住房条件对健康状况的直接影响所介导的。需要进一步的研究来阐明这些过程并改善这一弱势群体的健康。
Background: Rooming houses are an important source of housing for low-income Canadians. Little information is available on the relationship between housing conditions and health status in this vulnerable population.Methods: Interviews were conducted with a representative sample of 295 residents in 171 rooming houses in Toronto. Health status was assessed using the SF-36. The physical attractiveness of each rooming house was rated using the Multiphasic Environmental Assessment Procedure. Associations between the health status of residents and the physical attractiveness and organizational characteristics of rooming houses were examined.Results: Rooming house residents aged 35 years and older had significantly poorer health status than their counterparts in the Canadian general population. Eight of the ten dimensions of individual health status assessed by the SF-36 were significantly correlated with the physical attractiveness of the rooming house in which the individual lived. However, there was no significant association between residents' health status and the rooming house's non-profit status, provision of meals, or the presence of an on-site landlord.Conclusions: Rooming house residents suffer from a high prevalence of ill health. Residents reporting worst health are concentrated in rooming houses in the poorest physical condition. This relationship may be mediated by selection processes that place the sickest individuals in the lowest-quality rooming houses, and/or by a direct effect of adverse housing conditions on health status. Further research is needed to elucidate these processes and to improve the health of this vulnerable population.