Health effects of housing improvements

Despite long-established associations between housing conditions and health, the evidence linking housing improvements to changes in health outcomes is still sparse. Our latest briefing paper, Health Effects of Housing Improvements, reports on changes in physical and mental health outcomes related to housing improvements undertaken in social housing Glasgow since 2003 as part of investment agreed as part of the stock transfer to bring stock up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). The objective of the research was to establish whether there were any differences in the change in physical and mental health outcomes over time between those who did or did not receive four different types of housing improvements. The briefing paper looks at the effects of each of four housing improvements on physical and mental health. It also examines the effects of multiple improvements and of time since the improvements in order to investigate whether the effects change over time. Our findings relating the health improvements following housing improvements are modest. However, while housing improvements may not lead manifest improvements in individual health over the short term but improved and maintained housing stock should lead to longer term health improvements at the population level. Although housing providers improve homes with the expectation of health gains they also aim to improve residential satisfaction and quality of life more generally. Our study highlights the central importance of employment to the health of residents in deprived areas, and supports a case for more attention to be paid to employment as part of regeneration, whether through economic, employability or health-improvement measures

Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning: Challenges for Europe and North America (part of the Nectar Series on Transportation and Communications Networks Research). Geurs, K T, Krizek, K J, Reggiani, A.

No abstract available

Can housing improvements cure or prevent the onset of health conditions over time in deprived areas?

Background: There is a need for more evidence linking particular housing improvements to changes in specific health conditions. Research often looks at generic works over short periods. Methods: We use a longitudinal sample (n = 1933) with a survey interval of 2–5 years. Multivariate logistic regression is used to calculate the odds ratios of developing or recovering from six health conditions according to receipt of four types of housing improvements. Results: Receipt of fabric works was associated with higher likelihood of recovery from mental health problems and circulatory conditions. Receipt of central heating was also associated with higher likelihood of recovery form circulatory conditions. No evidence was found for the preventative effects of housing improvements. Conclusions: Health gain from housing improvements appears most likely when targeted at those in greatest health need. The health impacts of area-wide, non-targeted housing improvements are less clear in our study

Bicycle and car share schemes as inclusive modes of travel? A socio-spatial analysis in Glasgow

Public bicycle and car sharing schemes have proliferated in recent years and are increasingly part of the urban transport landscape. Shared transport options have the potential to support social inclusion by improving accessibility: these initiatives could remove some of the barriers to car ownership or bicycle usage such as upfront costs, maintenance and storage. However, the existing evidence base indicates that, in reality, users are most likely to be white, male and middle class. This paper argues that there is a need to consider the social inclusivity of sharing schemes and to develop appropriate evaluation frameworks accordingly. We therefore open by considering ways in which shared transport schemes might be inclusive or not, using a framework developed from accessibility planning. In the second part of the paper, we use the case study of Glasgow in Scotland to undertake a spatial equity analysis of such schemes. We examine how well they serve different population groups across the city, using the locations of bicycle stations and car club parking spaces in Glasgow, comparing and contrasting bike and car. An apparent failure to deliver benefits across the demographic spectrum raises important questions about the socially inclusive nature of public investment in similar schemes

Household car adoption and financial distress in deprived urban communities: A case of forced car ownership?

This paper explores the relationship between car ownership and financial circumstances for people living in disadvantaged urban communities. Assumptions about cars signifying status and income are problematised by an examination of the characteristics of those who adopt cars. We consider the possibility that, despite low incomes and financial problems, cars may be a necessity for some urban dwellers. Patterns of car ownership and adoption are analysed using cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data collected from communities in Glasgow, between 2006 and 2011, before, during and after the recession. Car ownership rates increased, as more people adopted a car than relinquished vehicles. The likelihood of household car adoption was influenced by changes in household size, increased financial difficulties in relation to housing costs, and where householders gained work. A small but growing proportion of households (up to 8.5% by 2011) are deemed ‘forced car owners’ by virtue of owning a car despite also reporting financial difficulties: three-quarters of this group maintain a car despite financial problems whilst a quarter adopt a car despite financial problems. Findings suggest that poor households are reluctant to relinquish their cars to ease money problems when under financial stress and that, for some, acquiring a car may be seen as necessary to better their circumstances. In neither case can we see evidence that the sustainable transport agenda is reaching disadvantaged communities and there are concerns that regeneration strategies are failing to promote mobility and accessibility for poor communities via transport policies

Neighbourhood perceptions and older adults’ wellbeing: does walking explain the relationship in deprived urban communities?

There is increased awareness of the role of the urban landscape in promoting walking to counter the negative health and wellbeing impacts of age-related immobility. Consideration of neighbourhood design is particularly relevant in the context of local urban regeneration projects, which are designed to have positive health and wellbeing outcomes. However, few studies explicitly investigate how the environment influences walking and wellbeing for older adults living in deprived urban areas. There are strong conceptual and empirical links between walking, the urban environment and mental wellbeing. Many studies have separately demonstrated pairwise associations between all three components. In this paper we address these three concepts empirically, using structural equation modelling to explore walking as a mediator between the perceived social and built environments and mental wellbeing for older adults in deprived urban areas. We found direct and indirect relationships between neighbourhood perceptions and wellbeing. Walking partially mediates relationships between social contact, neighbourhood quality, local amenity use, safety and mental wellbeing. Although neighbourhood problems and the quality of local services and amenities are associated with mental wellbeing, walking is not an explanatory pathway in our model. The relationship between walking and wellbeing is weaker than expected. While promoting walking as a means of achieving positive mental wellbeing among older adults is important for “active ageing”, it is also necessary to consider the context in which this takes place, recognising that walking is not the only potential causal pathway between environment and wellbeing. Where walking is relied upon for transport, the wellbeing implications may be more complex. Given the strong associations between car ownership and wellbeing, future research should explore whether mobility and accessibility, rather than walking itself, is more important for older adults’ wellbeing

Housing improvements, fuel payment difficulties and mental health in deprived communities

This paper examines the effect of warmth interventions on self-reported difficulties affording fuel bills against a backdrop of rising mental health problems, using a longitudinal sample in Glasgow, UK. Following a period of rising fuel prices and stagnating wages, fuel poverty is high on the political agenda and is a particular issue for those living in deprived communities who may be most affected by rising fuel bills and reductions in employment, wages and incomes in the recent period of recession and austerity. Since 2006, the reporting of difficulties paying for fuel bills has been rising in the study population. Alongside fuel prices and income, energy efficiency is the third key driver of fuel poverty. As such the research seeks to establish whether warmth interventions, designed to improve the energy efficiency of homes can provide protection against worsening financial difficulties and lead to better mental health outcomes for residents. Results suggest that those who report greater frequency of financial difficulty also report worsening mental health. There is limited impact of energy efficiency improvements on perceived fuel affordability difficulties, and where there is an effect, central heating is related to more frequent financial hardships

A program evaluation of block and concurrent practicum formats

This study investigated the issues related to block versus concurrent formats for the advanced MSW field placement. Quantitative and qualitative survey data were collected from current MSW students (N=103) and Field Instructors (N=84). Each group identified advantages of both block and concurrent formats for field education. Educational outcomes, the needs and preferences of students and field placement sites, and institutional perspectives should be taken into account when developing field curriculum and policies. Offering both types of practicum formats may be one way to maximize student choice and field placement options

Does risk tolerance change in response to market changes?

Abstract only.Abstract only. Abstract: This study used the 1992-2006 waves of the Health and Retirement Study to investigate changes in risk tolerance levels over time in response to stock market returns. Findings indicate that risk tolerance tends to increase when market returns increase and decrease when market returns decrease. Individuals who change their risk tolerance in this manner are likely to invest in stocks when prices are high and sell when prices are low. Financial advisors and educators should educate investors to help them overcome the bias of overweighting recent news of market performance

The importance of understanding perceptions of accessibility when addressing transport equity: A case study in Greater Nottingham, UK

To deal with issues of equity in transport, increasing attention is being paid to addressing inequalities in accessibility. Existing approaches to measuring accessibility tend to focus on objective measurement, often using journey time as an indicator of spatial separation of people from places. However, using objective measures of spatial accessibility could obscure inequities in accessibility that occur due to differences in perceptions of accessibility among (groups of) individuals. This paper uses data from a case study in Greater Nottingham, UK, to demonstrate that there are differences between self-reported and objective measures of journey time access to destinations. Self-reported journey times to a number of destinations by walking, public transport, and car are compared with a nationally available dataset of accessibility indicators. Then, factors associated with self-reported journey times are investigated to understand what accounts for differences between individual’s self-reported understanding and objective measures of journey time accessibility. Results show that there is a difference between self-reported and objective measures, and that objective measures usually underestimate journey time accessibility. These differences occur because of demographic factors (e.g., age), trip familiarity, and destination definition. If accessibility metrics are to be used to address issues of social inequity related to transport, then there is a need to consider how diverse perceptions of accessibility relate to objective measures and to develop approaches that can account for social as well as spatial variation in accessibility