Housing Factors and Perceived Health Status among Japanese Women Living in Aggregated Dwelling Units

Abstract

An epidemiologic survey was conducted of the 818 households in a community consisting of aggregated dwelling units in Tokyo, Japan, in order to assess the relationship between housing environment and psychological or physical health status of the female residents. Psychological health status was assessed by the 28-item General Health Questionnaire in Japanese translation. Main housing factors such as internal density (person-to-room ratio) and floor level (vertical location) of the dwelling unit did not have significant effects on the psychological health status of the sample of Japanese women, but the internal density generally did not exceed 1.5 persons per room. However, physical health status might be associated with floor level: women living at the highest levels complained of more symptoms than did those at lower floor levels, when the type of dwelling unit (i.e., high-rise, low or medium height building) was not taken into account. Poor psychological health status was found among women who were dissatisfied with the plan of their house or with the room arrangement, were anxious about earthquake or other accidents, perceived the house as inadequate for the children, were annoyed by indoor noise, and complained of outdoor noise.