The health of 189 women living in a tenant management co-operative based in high-rise housing in Glasgow was compared to 183 women living in a similar area under direct council management. No difference was found in the Medical Outcomes Study Instrument, a health status measure or Hospital Anxiety-Depression Rating scale. Within the co-operative,regular or occasional attendance at co-operative meetings and involvement in the co-operative was associated with better health. Attenders had better social and physical function scores and less anxiety and depression . These differences were still statistically significant after allowing for marital status, age, employment, children, loss of job due to ill health and dampness in the flat and after excluding committee members. No differences in General Practitioner consultation rates or use of hospital services were found. The hypothetical link for this attendance effect could be a rise in self-esteem in those involved in the co-operative protecting the women against illness. Women in the co-operative had a sense of political efficacy. 52 out of 189 women attended the co-operative meetings regularly or occasionally. Those living in the co-operative were more satisfied with their housing . Both areas had high levels of perceived and actual crime. Women living in flats affected by dampness ,mould or a poor state of repair (20%) had significantly lower scores on the General Health perceptions ,Mental health,Physical function and pain scales of the MOSI and more anxiety and depression on the HAD. They also consulted their general practitioners more fi-equently ,but dampness did not affect their reporting of chronic disease or hospital use. The study demonstrates that attendance at the co-operative meetings is associated with better health and less anxiety and depression. Any theoretical difference in health scores between the two housing areas may have been masked by the levels of attendance and involvement in the co-operative , the higher initial level of deprivation in the co-operative area and the relatively short time that the co-operative had been in operation. The report also contains a validation study of the Medical Outcomes Study Instrument (MOSI).It involved a postal survey of 486 women aged 30-40 years in a General Practice in the East of Glasgow using the MOSI and Nottingham Health Profile.Tests of construct validity show the MOSI to be a candidate for Health Status measurement in research and audit in primary care
