Levels of stress linked to the type of housing accommodation in UK

Levels of inflammation and stress may be linked to the housing type and tenure people are living in according to a new study.

The link between damp and cold indoor temperature – one of the “hard” physical characteristics that have a direct impact on health – is well known. But attention is now being paid to the potential role of “soft” factors, such as housing affordability.

The researchers wanted to look at a more objective and reproducible measure of health, so they opted for C-reactive protein (CRP), a chemical in the body that is associated with stress and inflammation.

They drew on data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), an annual survey covering around 40,000 households in the UK. The data included extensive information from individuals and households, including housing tenure and type.

Blood samples were collected around five months after the main survey interview for 13,107 adults to assess CRP levels.

The final analysis was restricted to 9,593 participants with over 800 from Scotland to include those aged over 21 – to capture people less likely to still be in education and living with their parents – and those with CRP levels below 10 mg/l, as levels this high are indicative of recent infection.

Around one in five (just over 22 per cent) of participants had a raised CRP level above 3 mg/l – a threshold associated with cardiovascular disease.

After taking account of potentially influential factors, certain housing types and tenure were associated with raised CRP, the findings showed.

Renters in the private sector had significantly higher CRP levels than home owners with a mortgage. And those living in semi-detached and terraced houses and flats had higher CRP than those living in detached properties.

Surprisingly, those with below average incomes who spent more than a third of it on housing had lower CRP. But this might be because higher proportional expenditure on housing secures better quality accommodation, the health benefits of which might outweigh any financial strain, suggest the researchers.

The researchers from the Economic and Social Research Institute said: “The significant findings for housing type and tenure point to an influence of autonomy and control. Where control is low, [the sense of] security is reduced, which may affect health through chronic stress responses.