The psycho-social benefits of home: A cross-sectional study from Turkey

Objectives:
The aim of this research is to evaluate the associations between housing conditions and psychosocial benefits of home in a health center region.
Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional research, data were collected from a sample of 210 houses using two standard questionnaires, which was used in the WHO’s Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) project, and applied by face- to-face interviews and observations. In total, 413 people over fifteen years old participated.
A psychosocial benefit of home scale is used to measure benefits from the home. A Likert scale was used to reflect these items, a psychosocial benefit score is calculated and the values over the median were accepted as “good”.
A composite index is developed to assess the housing conditions. Housing conditions were accepted “bad” if the index score was below the median.
Results:
In the half of the households 3 or 4 people lived, in 75% one or two persons lived per bedroom, 73.8% were owners of the house.
The housing conditions of 36.3% of the respondents were determined as “bad”. The psychosocial benefit score was low in 45.8%. A statistical difference is found between the owners and renters, for the perception of the home as a private place, and a source of status (p<0.001), and a place makes them feel they are doing well in life (p<0.05). Over 85% of the respondents perceived their homes as a private, safe and important place in their lives.
The score was low in 47.3%, and 44.9% of the respondents in bad and good housing conditions, respectively (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The ownership of the house is important for psycho-social wellbeing. The  psycho-social effect of the home needs to be evaluated in more comprehensive and qualitative researches.
Key words: Housing, health, psycho-social benefits, LARES, housing conditions