Housing and immediate environment conditions and their association with health in a health center region

Objectives: The aim of this research is to determine the housing and immediate environment conditions and, to evaluate the associations between health, housing, and immediate environment, in a health center region. Methods: In this cross-sectional research, data were collected from a sample of 210 houses using two standard questionnaires (Inhabitant Questionnaire, Housing and Health Questionnaire), and an observation form (Housing Inspection Survey Sheet) which were 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 528 people participated. Results: Most of the buildings were flats. In the half of the selected households 3 or 4 people lived, in 75%, one or two persons lived per bedroom. There were damp (31,4%), mold (24,8%), sound insulation (67.1%), water quality (5.7%), heating (25.8%), air quality (29.5%), noise (49.6%), pest/insect (48.5%), and fire security (80.0%) problems in these houses. Immediate environmental (22.7%), building (13.1%), and dwelling conditions (58.3%) were inadequate, according to the indexes designed. Prevalence of dissatisfaction with the residential environment were due to general characteristics of the house (12.9%), heating system (21.4%), thermal insulation (26.2%), air quality (12.4%), the size (17.1%) and the layout of the dwelling (22.9%), with equipment/ installations in the bathroom (13.3%), and in the kitchen (12.9%). Fifty one point five feel unsafe in the region, and nearly 40% reported sleep disturbances due to environmental noise. Of the respondents 58.3% were living in bad housing conditions. Conclusion: Associations were determined between diarrhea and water quality problems, sleep disorders and noise problems, hypertension and sleep disorders, depression and inadequate immediate environmental conditions, chronic bronchitis/emphysema and damp. But associations with housing and health need to be evaluated in more comprehensive and qualitative researches. Key words: Housing, immediate environment, health, disease, symptom, housing and health