The aim of this study was to analyse the time trends in Barcelona before and during the adverse context of COVID-19, energy crisis, and climate change in 1) the energy poverty (EP) prevalence; 2) the association between EP and health and 3) the impact of EP on health, according to the axes of inequality (sex, age, social class, and country of birth). We conducted a cross-sectional trends study using data from the 2016 and 2021 Barcelona Health Survey. This study clearly recognizes that EP continues to be an important public health problem in the context of Barcelona.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Housing is considered a social determinant of health. In Catalonia and Spain, ensuring affordable housing is challenging and cooperative housing under a grant-of-use emerges as an alternative, challenging traditional housing models. This study aims to quantify its impact on health before and after moving to the cooperative house.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnergy poverty is a serious social problem with well-known adverse health consequences. This problem has been addressed mainly through improvements in the energy efficiency of housing. Still, little is known about the effects of information-based measures on energy poverty and their impacts on health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To analyze by gender the relationship of forced displacements due to neglected housing insecurity with the physical and mental health of renters in Barcelona in 2019, distinguishing between economic (EHI) and legal (LHI) housing insecurity.
Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on the Survey of the Living Conditions of Renters in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area 2019 (1021 women; 584 men). Self-reported health and mental well-being were the dependents variables; the main explanatory variable was neglected housing insecurity.
Objective: To describe and compare the health status between vulnerable population participating in a program to tackle energy poverty (Energía, la justa) and the non-energy poor Barcelona (Spain) population and to analyse among participants the effect of energy poverty intensity on health.
Method: Cross-sectional study based on data from program participants obtained before the intervention. Participants (1799 women and 671 men) were compared to non-energy poor population of Barcelona (1393 women and 1215 men) sampled from the Barcelona Public Health Survey (2016).
Superblocks are currently being introduced in Barcelona to respond to the city's scarcity of green spaces and high levels of air pollution, traffic injuries, and sedentariness. The aim is to calm the streets by reducing the number of square meters dedicated to private vehicles and to reclaim part of this public space for people. Salut als Carrers (Health in the Streets) is a project to evaluate the potential environmental and health effects of the superblock model with an equity perspective in Barcelona.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the " Energía, la justa " program, aimed at reducing energy poverty in the city of Barcelona, from the point of view of the target population and the workers involved in the intervention.
Methods: A qualitative, descriptive and exploratory pilot study was carried out, with a phenomenological approach. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted: to three users, three energy agents who performed interventions in the homes, and six professionals who participated in the program coordination.