In this study we examine associations between substandard housing and the risk of COVID-19 infection and severity during the first year of the pandemic by linking individual-level housing and clinical datasets. Residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts who were tested for COVID-19 at any Mass General Brigham testing site and who lived at a property that had received a city housing inspection were included (N = 2873). Chelsea is a densely populated city with a high prevalence of substandard housing. Inspected properties with housing code violations were considered substandard; inspected properties without violations were considered adequate. COVID-19 infection was defined as any positive PCR test, and severe disease defined as hospitalization with COVID-19. We used a propensity score design to match individuals on variables including age, race, sex, and income. In the severity model, we also matched on ten comorbidities. We estimated the risk of COVID-19 infection and severity associated with substandard housing using Cox Proportional Hazards models for lockdown, the first phase of reopening, and the full study period. In our sample, 32% (919/2873) of individuals tested positive for COVID-19 and 5.9% (135/2297) had severe disease. During lockdown, substandard housing was associated with a 48% increased risk of COVID-19 infection (95%CI 1.1-2.0, p = 0.006). Through Phase 1 reopening, substandard housing was associated with a 39% increased infection risk (95%CI 1.1-1.8, p = 0.020). The difference in risk attenuated over the full study period. There was no difference in severe disease risk between the two groups. The increased risk, observed only during lockdown and early reopening - when residents were most exposed to their housing - strengthens claims that substandard housing conveys higher infection risk. The results demonstrate the value of combining cross-sector datasets. Existing city housing data can be leveraged 1) to identify and prioritize high-risk areas for future pandemic response, and 2) for longer-term housing solutions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101629 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
January 2025
Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Dengue remains the most rapidly advancing vector-borne disease in the world, and while the disease burden is predominantly in low-to-middle-income countries, the association with poverty remains in question. Consequently, a study was undertaken to evaluate the prevalence of anti-dengue antibodies among individuals residing in the People's Housing Program (PPR), a government-sponsored low-cost housing initiative targeting low-income earners. This type of public housing often faces challenges, including substandard housing facilities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasit Vectors
January 2025
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
Rapid urbanization and migration in Latin America have intensified exposure to insect-borne diseases. Malaria, Chagas disease, yellow fever, and leishmaniasis have historically afflicted the region, while dengue, chikungunya, and Zika have been described and expanded more recently. The increased presence of synanthropic vector species and spread into previously unaffected areas due to urbanization and climate warming have intensified pathogen transmission risks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
December 2024
Design Studies Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
An increasing body of literature has investigated the implications of housing quality on health, confirming the negative consequences of poor housing quality on physical and mental health. Despite this increased focus on the salutogenic impacts of housing, the relationship between housing quality and cognitive health remains understudied. This study examined how the housing quality in urban informal settlements, where living conditions are often substandard, affects women's cognitive functioning, with a specific focus on executive function (EF) skills.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGerontologist
January 2025
College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Background And Objectives: Aging in the Right Place (AIRP), the process of occupying housing that meets one's unique preferences and needs, is a critical component of aging well. Homelessness in later life compromises AIRP. This qualitative study examined the factors that informed housing options before, during, and after episodes of homelessness in later life and the indicators of AIRP that those options embodied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Anim Sci
December 2024
Teagasc, Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork P61 C996, Ireland.
The objective was to evaluate the effect of providing dry pelleted starter diet (DPS) or a liquid mixture of milk replacer and starter diet (LMR+S) to suckling pigs housed in farrowing pens of sub-standard or optimal hygiene conditions on pig growth to slaughter, and post-weaning (PW) intestinal parameters. On day (d) 107 of gestation, 87 sows were randomly allocated to one of four treatments in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. The factors were creep feeding (DPS or LMR+S) and pre-farrowing hygiene routine (SUB-STANDARD or OPTIMAL).
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