Survival time analysis of the relationship between the residential environment and residents’ health status

Abstract

Based on numerous cross-sectional analyses, the residential environment has been identified to have an impact on residents’ health status. However, there has been little study of whether these impacts persist in the long term or diminish over time. Accordingly, the present study used data tracking of more than 15,000 residents for nearly 10 years to examine the long-term relationships between the residential environment and residents’ health status using the Kaplan–Meier method and discrete time logit models. The results revealed that higher comprehensive assessment of the thermal, acoustic, light, hygiene, safety, and security environment in the residence is likely to extend the period until health deteriorates. Specifically, the period until low subjective health perception was about 2 years longer for residents in the top 16% of assessments of the residential environment compared with the national average assessment. This trend was also supported by supplementary analyses using the incidence of 10 types of non-communicable diseases: diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular diseases, disorders of conjunctiva, hypertensive diseases, heart diseases, upper respiratory tract disorders, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, dermatitis and eczema, and inflammatory arthropathies. These findings are relevant for a wide range of stakeholders, from individual residents to policymakers, and highlight that a good residential environment effectively promotes healthy longevity. This study will serve as a starting point for further long-term studies.