The "inverse housing law" and respiratory health.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether there is a mismatch within Britain between climate severity and housing quality ("inverse housing law") and whether this mismatch is associated with respiratory health.


METHODS
Cross sectional observational study. Britain (Scotland, Wales and England). The 3023 male and 3694 female Health and Lifestyle Survey participants with valid data available on all relevant items.


RESULTS
Geographical mapping shows a mismatch between climate severity and housing quality. Individual level analysis shows that lung function is associated with climate and housing, and their interaction, independently of cigarette smoking status. The physical quality of the housing seems to be most important to respiratory health in areas with harsh climate.


CONCLUSIONS
Interpretation must be cautious because cross sectional data have been used to investigate processes that are longitudinal and, possibly, selective. Nevertheless, there does seem to be an "inverse housing law", such that some of the worst quality housing is found in areas with severe climate; and, on the balance of probabilities, this inverse housing law affects respiratory health.
Blane
D
D
Division of Population Science, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London. d.blane@ic.ac.uk
Mitchell
R
R
Bartley
M
M
D002980:Climate; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006798:Housing / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006113:United Kingdom; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology