Occupants' Health and Their Living Conditions of Remote Indigenous Communities in New Zealand.

Bin Su,Lian Wu

doi:10.3390/ijerph17228340

Abstract

The New Zealand Ministry of Health reported that respiratory disease affects 700,000 people, annually costs New Zealand NZ$7.05 billion, and is the third-highest cause of death. The hospitalisation rate for asthma of Māori communities is 2.0 higher than that of other ethnic groups, and hospitalisation rates for deprived homes are 2.3 times higher than those of the least deprived homes. Based on physical data and evidence, which were drawn from a mixed methodology that includes field studies of the indoor microclimate, dust-mite allergens, mould growth, and occupants’ Respiratory Health Survey of a number of sample houses of Māori communities in Minginui, Te Whaiti, Murupara, and Rotorua of New Zealand, the study identifies unhealthy indoor thermal conditions, thresholds or ranges of indoor micro-climate related to different levels of dust-mite allergen and mould growth, the most common type of indoor mould, and correlations between dust-mite and mould and correlations. The study not only identified that the poor health of occupants is closely related to their inadequate living conditions, but also identifies the threshold of indoor micro-climates to maintain indoor allergens at the acceptable level, which can be used as a guideline to maintain or improve indoor health conditions for future housing development or retrofitted old housing.

Highlights

Respiratory disease is one obvious consequence of inadequate housing [1,2,3], and the risk increases as indoor temperatures fall below 16 ◦ C [3,4]
According to field-study data of two Rotorua houses, to control indoor dust-mite allergens at an acceptable level, indoor mean relative humidity adjacent to the floor must be maintained below 70%, and indoor relative humidity adjacent to the floor must be maintained below 75% for 20 h (19.7 h in Table 4) a day during winter and below 80% all the time (99% of winter time or 23.8 h per day in Table 4) in winter
If the mould spores never germinate in a house, mould will never grow on indoor surfaces

Summary

Introduction

Respiratory disease is one obvious consequence of inadequate housing [1,2,3], and the risk increases as indoor temperatures fall below 16 ◦ C [3,4]. More than half of the people admitted to hospital with a poverty-related condition are there because of a respiratory problem such as asthma, bronchiolitis, acute infection or pneumonia [5]. According to the New Zealand Health Survey 2017/18, new respiratory disease affects 700,000 people, causes one in 10 hospital stays, costs New Zealand NZ$7 billion in healthcare every year, and is the third-highest cause of death. Māori and Pasifika peoples are, respectively, 2.4 and 2.5 times higher than those of other ethnic groups, and hospitalisation rates for those in deprived homes are 2.3 times higher than those in the least deprived homes [5,6]. Respiratory diseases tend to be chronic in effect, are often developed in childhood and can shorten life expectancy [7]

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion