Housing, Insulation and Health Study

NCT ID: NCT00437541

Last Updated: 2007-02-21

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 4000 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2001-07-31
• Study Completion Date: 2002-12-31

Brief Summary

In six communities we will seek out households where someone who has a history of respiratory problems. For the first winter we will measure temperature and humidity of the house and health of occupants. We will insulate half the houses and the next winter compare them with the uninsulated houses to see if warmer houses improve health.

Detailed Description

Damp, cold indoor environments are bad for the health of people who live in them, particularly if they have respiratory problems or are vulnerable, such as the young or the very old. This is a community based study designed to test the hypothesis that insulating domestic houses will make them warmer and that this increase in indoor temperature will improve their health and wellbeing.

Following two pilot studies, the first among older people in city council flats and the second among home owners in Waitara. We have followed the "Waitara model" where community networks will be mobilised to identify households in each community where there is someone with a on going respiratory problem. Seven communities have been selected to help test these hypotheses and have agreed to participate Otara, Gisborne, Mahia/Nuhaka, Taranaki, Porirua, West Coast and Christchurch. Low income areas with high Maori populations have been deliberately selected to maximise the potential health gains.

Two hundred houses in each community will be insulated free of charge to the occupants. The workers who will insulate the homes will be local people employed through the Department of Work and Income (WINZ).

Once the houesholds are selected they will be randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. During the first winter, all 1400 households will be monitored for temperature and humidity and their comfort, health and healthcare utilization will be recorded. Half the households, assigned to the intervention group, will be fully insulated during the spring. The following winter, all the initial measurements taken from both the intervention and control group will be repeated. At the end of the study period, all control houses will be insulated.

This study has developed from a natural intervention being carried out by the Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority (EECA) to insulate domestic houses in New Zealand and is a major collaborative effort, which will shed light on the effectiveness of insulation in improving health and wellbeing. The impact of housing refurbishment on health has not previously been examined. There is considerable government and policy interest in promoting healthy housing and there is strong community interest in ensuring the housing stock is improved in order to lower health risks.

Conditions

Respiratory Illness; Asthma

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Interventions

Insulation retrofitted into house

Intervention Type: DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Live in Study area
• At least one person in the household must had had respiratory illness within the last year, well members of the same household may also participate
• house currently uninsulated
• interested in taking part in research

Exclusion Criteria

• Intending to move within study period

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Otago

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Principal Investigators

Philippa L Howden-Chapman, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Otago

Julian Crane, FRCP

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Michael G Baker, FRACMA

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Chris Cunningham, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Massey University

Kay Saville-Smith, MA Hons

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

CRESA

Nick Waipara, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Landcare Research Limited

Alistair Woodward, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Des O'Dea, BSc Hons

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Tony Blakely, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Cheryl Brunton, FAFPHM

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Otago

Locations

Otara Health Inc

Otara, Auckland, New Zealand

Crown Public Health

Christchurch, Christchurch, New Zealand

Te Iwi O Rakaipaaka

Mahia/Nuhaka, Gisborne, New Zealand

Te Wahine O Kahungungu

Mahia/Nuhaka, Gisborne, New Zealand

Opotiki Trade Training

Opotiki, Gisborne, New Zealand

Te Puni Kokiri

New Plymouth, Taranaki Region, New Zealand

Porirua Housing Action Group

Porirua, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Maori Womans Welfare League

Rata - Hokitika, West Coast, New Zealand

Countries

New Zealand

References

Howden-Chapman P, Crane J, Matheson A, Viggers H, Cunningham M, Blakely T, O'Dea D, Cunningham C, Woodward A, Saville-Smith K, Baker M, Waipara N. Retrofitting houses with insulation to reduce health inequalities: aims and methods of a clustered, randomised community-based trial. Soc Sci Med. 2005 Dec;61(12):2600-10. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.04.049. Epub 2005 Aug 2.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 16061320 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

01/06/068

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

Insulation study

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id