Indoor Annual Sunlight Opportunity in Domestic Dwellings May Predict Well-Being in Urban Residents in Scotland

Abstract

Abstract Indoor sunlight improves health in hospitals, schools, and workplaces, and there is clinical evidence for the impact on depression. But the impact of indoor sunlight on residents' health and well-being in domestic dwellings is unclear. Understanding this relationship could have important implications for building design and residents' indoor behavior, and impacts on health. Using a cross-sectional survey, we investigated the relationship between annual indoor sunlight opportunity and psychological well-being in 40 residents of high-rise dwellings in a socioeconomically deprived area in Glasgow, Scotland. Perceived physical health, physical activity, psychological distress, and indoor environmental factors were potential mediators of the relationship between annual sunlight opportunity and well-being. We used novel simulation modeling of window size, orientation, occlusion, and occupant behavior to measure annual sunlight opportunity. We found a significant positive association between well-being ...