Relationship between the housing coldness/warmth evaluation by CASBEE Housing Health Checklist and psychological distress based on TMM Community-Based Cohort Study: a cross-sectional analysis. (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kanno, I.; Hasegawa, K.; Nakamura, T.; Kogure, M.; Itabashi, F.; Narita, A.; Tsuchiya, N.; Hirata, T.; Nakaya, N.; Sugawara, J.; Kuriyama, S.; Tsuji, I.; Kure, S.; Hozawa, A.
• Is Part Of: Public health. Volume 208(2022)
• Page Start: 98
• Page End: 104
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: CASBEE Housing Health Checklist -- Cross-sectional study -- Housing environment -- Kessler 6 scale -- Mental health; Public health -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.05.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-3506

Abstract

Abstract: Objectives: Previous studies have reported the relationship between housing environment and health, although due to cost and effort, it was difficult to conduct housing condition surveys on a large scale. The CASBEE Housing Health Checklist (the Checklist) made it possible to easily evaluate the housing condition from the resident's perspective. This study examined the relationship between housing coldness/warmth evaluation using the Checklist and psychological distress in a large-scale general Japanese population. Study design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: We analysed data from 29, 380 people aged ≥20 years who lived in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. As an assessment of housing coldness/warmth, we used the Checklist. We classified participants' total scores on the Checklist related to coldness/warmth into quartiles. The Kessler 6 scale was used as an indicator of psychological distress. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Adjusted OR and P -values for linear trends were calculated using the quartiles of the Checklists' score. Results: Among participants in Q1 (i.e., poorer subjective house condition), the percentage of people with psychological distress was high. Compared to the highest quartile, Q1 showed poorer evaluation of housing coldness/warmth, and higher OR for psychological distress. The OR (95% CI) of psychological distress for Q3, Q2, and Q1 compared with Q4 were 1.93 (1.74–2.14), 2.82 (2.55–3.12), and 5.78 (5.25–6.35), respectively. Conclusions: Housing coldness/warmth evaluation was significantly related to psychological distress. This finding suggests that maintaining a comfortable thermal environment at home could be important for residents' mental health.