Abstract
Residential energy conservation has been increasing in number of houses treated, frequency, and scope, but few studies have examined whether modern energy conservation measures improve the health status of the occupants. We measured self-reported general, respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health via structured telephone interviews using an adaptation of the National Health Interview Survey at baseline and follow-up in 2009–2012 [n = 248 households in Boston, Chicago, and New York City (248 adults and 75 children)]. Housing included buildings with one to three units (n = 106 units) located in Boston and buildings with >3 units/building (n = 142) located in Chicago and New York. The energy conservation typically included insulation, heating equipment, and ventilation improvements. Adult respondents reported a 0.29-point improvement in the mean general health score (1 = excellent, 2 = very good, 3 = good, 4 = fair, 5 = poor) (3.07 to 2.78, p < 0.001). Sinusitis, hypertension, overweight, and reduced use of asthma medication during asthma attacks showed 5 %, 14 %, 11 %, and 20 % differentials between improvement and worsening (p = 0.038, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.077, respectively). Forty-two adult respondents reported doctor-diagnosed asthma at baseline. Two measures of asthma severity worsened (days with problems sleeping—differential between improvement and worsening −28 %, p = 0.009; and frequency of symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath—differential between improvement and worsening −26 %, p = 0.031). Nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide were low and showed no significant changes from baseline to follow-up in 41 housing units. This study found that residential energy conservation work conducted by trained professionals that balances energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality improves general health, sinusitis, and reduced asthma medication. Further research is needed to understand asthma-related outcomes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apte, M. G., Fisk, W. J., & Daisey, J. M. (2000). Associations between indoor CO2 concentrations and sick building syndrome symptoms in U.S. office buildings: an analysis of the 1994–1996 BASE study data. Indoor Air, 10, 246–257.
ASHRAE. (2010). Standard 62.2. Ventilation and acceptable indoor air quality in low-rise residential buildings. Atlanta: American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers.
Bliss, S. (1985). The almost too-tight house. Solar Age. 10(4).
Brown, M.A., Berry, L.G., Kinney, L.F. (1994). Weatherization works: final report of the national weatherization evaluation. U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory CON-395.
Engvall, K., Norrby, C., & Norback, D. (2003). Ocular, nasal, dermal and respiratory symptoms in relation to heating, ventilation, energy conservation, and reconstruction of older multi-family homes. Indoor Air, 12, 206–211.
Finnegan, M. J., Pickering, C. A. C., & Burge, P. S. (1984). The sick building syndrome: prevalence studies. Br Med J, 289, 1573–1575.
Frank, D. A., Neault, N. B., Skalicky, A., Cook, J. T., Wilson, J. D., Levenson, S., et al. (2006). Heat or eat: the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and nutritional and health risks among children less than 3 years of age. Pediatrics, 118(5), e1293–302.
Howden-Chapman, P., Matheson, A., Crane, J., Viggers, H., Cunningham, M., Blakely, T., Cunningham, C., Woodward, A., et al. (2007). Effect of insulating existing houses on health inequality. Br Med J. doi:10.1136/bmj.39070.573032.80. accessed 16 July 2012].
Lawrence Berkley National Lab Indoor Environment Department (2012). Impacts of building ventilation on health and performance. http://www.iaqscience.lbl.gov/vent-home.html. Accessed 12 March 2012.
Leech, J. A., Raizene, M., & Gusdorf, J. (2004). Health in occupants of energy efficient new homes. Indoor Air, 14(3), 169–73.
Manuel, J. (2011). Avoiding health pitfalls of home energy-efficiency retrofits. Environmental Health Perspectives, 119, a76–a79. doi:10.1289/ehp.119-a76. Accessed 16 July 2012.
Rothman, K. J. (1990). No adjustments are needed for multiple comparisons. Epidemiology, 1, 43–46.
Rudge, J. (2011). Indoor cold and mortality. In: Braubach M, Jacobs DE, Ormandy D (eds.) Environmental burden of disease associated with inadequate housing: a method guide to the quantification of health impacts of selected housing risks in the WHO European Region. World Health Organization (Europe). Available: http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/environment-and-health/Housing-and-health/publications/2011/environmental-burden-of-disease-associated-with-inadequate-housing.-full-version. Accessed 16 July 2012.
Sterling, E., Sterling, T., & McIntyre, D. (1983). New health hazards in sealed buildings. American Institute of Architects Journal, 64–67.
Turiel, C. D., Hollowell, R. R., Miksch, J. V., Young, R., Young, A. A., & Coye, M. J. (1983). The effects of reduced ventilation on indoor air quality in an office building. Atmospheric Environment, 17, 51–64.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (2005). National Health Interview Survey, United States. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus05.pdf. Accessed 30 Nov 2009.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010). Behavioral risk factor surveillance system. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/BRFSS. Accessed 6 January 2010.
U.S. Department of Energy (2010). Building energy data book, U.S. Department of Energy. http://buildingsdatabook.eren.doe.gov/ChapterIntro1.aspx. Accessed 12 March 2012.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (2012). National Survey of Lead and Allergens in Housing, Resident Questionnaire. http://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/clinical/assets/docs/i_agree.pdf. Accessed 16 July 2012.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2012). Healthy indoor environment protocols for home energy upgrades. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pdfs/epa_retrofit_protocols.pdf. Accessed 5 February 2013.
Woodhouse, P. R., Khaw, K. T., & Plummer, M. (1993). Seasonal variation of blood pressure and its relationship to ambient temperature in an elderly population. Journal of Hypertension, 11(11), 1267–74.
World Health Organization (2005). Report on the WHO Technical Meeting on Quantifying Disease from Inadequate Housing, Bonn Germany, November 28–30, 2005, World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/98674/EBD_Bonn_Report.pdf. Accessed 4 February 2013.
Acknowledgments
We thank the residents who participated in this study, Amanda Escobar-Gramigna of CNTEnergy, and John Wells and Eva Jacobs of Action for Boston Community Development. This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control, Grant # ILLHH0191-08. The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009” under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests. This study was approved by an Institutional Review Board.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wilson, J., Dixon, S.L., Jacobs, D.E. et al. Watts-to-Wellbeing: does residential energy conservation improve health?. Energy Efficiency 7, 151–160 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-013-9216-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12053-013-9216-8