Influence of residential environment on residents’ health promotion

Housing plays a critical role in human life, and the establishment of a residential environment that promotes the health of its residents is a pressing issue. Numerous studies on housing have been previously conducted in this social context; however, only a few have considered the comprehensive health risk due to the overall residential environment. In the present study, therefore, a large-scale nationwide self-rated questionnaire survey was conducted to examine the residential environment of detached houses and its impact on residents’ health status. A tool used in the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE), namely, the CASBEE Health Checklist, was distributed to various detached houses throughout Japan to assess the overall residential environment. The CASBEE Health Checklist covers residential environmental elements concerning thermal environment, acoustic environment, light environment, hygiene, safety, and security. Respondents were also asked about their current health status and that of family members. The questionnaire results were cross-tabulated, and odds ratios and significance probabilities (Fisher's exact test) were calculated. Results showed that the overall residential environment was likely an important determinant of health and was associated with prevalence of certain chronic diseases among residents. Odds ratios tended to be less than 1.0 in all cases, indicating that low disease prevalence was associated with a good residential environment.