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Housing in early life and later mortality
D Coggon1, D J Barker, H Inskip
1MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital.
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|October 1, 1993
Summary
Early life housing conditions like crowding and lack of amenities were examined for their impact on mortality. Findings suggest limited long-term effects on overall mortality, but childhood crowding may increase risk for some causes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Social Determinants of Health
Background:
- Understanding the long-term health impacts of early life socioeconomic conditions is crucial for public health interventions.
- Historical housing conditions, including domestic crowding and access to amenities, may influence later life health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between early life domestic crowding and household amenities with all-cause mortality and specific causes of death.
- To examine the influence of housing conditions in the 1930s on mortality from stomach cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatic heart disease later in life.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study utilizing housing survey data from 1936 and census data from 1939.
- Follow-up of 8138 individuals born after 1900 through the National Health Service Central Register from 1951 to 1989.
- Analysis of mortality data in relation to housing variables, including crowding and hot water availability.
Main Results:
- Overall mortality showed no consistent relationship with examined housing variables in the full cohort.
- Among subjects who were children during the housing survey, higher death rates were observed in those from crowded homes or homes lacking a hot water tap.
- No significant associations were found between specific diseases (stomach cancer, COPD, rheumatic heart disease) and domestic crowding or housing amenities.
Conclusions:
- Early adult housing conditions in Chesterfield during the 1930s appeared to have minimal impact on subsequent mortality.
- Further long-term follow-up of this cohort is recommended to draw more definitive conclusions regarding the influence of housing at younger ages.