What the Cuban context provides health researchers: the feasibility of a longitudinal multi-method study of the impact of housing improvements on health in Havana, Cuba.
BACKGROUND
From extensive participatory research in inner city communities in Central Havana, Cuba, we found housing to be the largest perceived source of health risk. The objective of this study, therefore, was to ascertain the feasibility of conducting a multi-method longitudinal evaluation of the impact of housing improvements on health.


METHODS
Meetings with community and governmental stakeholders were held; housing policy documents were reviewed; key informants were interviewed; decisions were made by a collaborative interdisciplinary team regarding measurement instruments for health as well as housing quality; training was conducted for use of new measurement tools; and a 3 month multi-method trial with repeated measures was conducted on individuals in good housing and poor housing in the inner city of Central Havana. Questionnaires were administered at monthly intervals for 3 months to 25 adults living in good housing and 25 in poor housing.


RESULTS
Cuba's housing policies made it easy to identify a suitable cohort and control group for possible longitudinal study. Consent to participate was enthusiastically obtained, and no difficulties were encountered in collecting or analysing the data. Housing quality measurements were conducted using validated instruments with minimal difficulties. There was strong community involvement and support for a comprehensive longitudinal study.


CONCLUSIONS
Cuba, although a poor country, has the necessary infrastructural support and capacity to make it an excellent site for health and housing intervention studies.
Spiegel
Jerry
J
Liu Institute for Global Issues, University of British Columbia, 6476 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2. jerry.spiegel@ubc.ca
Barceló
Carlos
C
Loucks
Eric B
EB
Bonet
Mariano
M
Aldama
Alfredo
A
Yassi
Annalee
A
D000328:Adult; D003256:Community Participation; D003462:Cuba / Q000453:epidemiology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006798:Housing / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011640:Public Policy; D012107:Research Design; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires