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The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on March 26, 2008
The European Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckn015
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Home warmth and health status of COPD patients

Liesl M. Osman1, Jon G. Ayres1, Carole Garden1, Karen Reglitz1, Janice Lyon2 and J. Graham Douglas3

1 Department of Environmental & Occupational Medicine, University of Aberdeen, Liberty Safe Work Research Centre, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZP, UK
2 Aberdeen City Council, St Nicholas House, Broad Street, Aberdeen, UK
3 Chest Clinic, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN, UK

Correspondence: Liesl M. Osman, NDM-Strategic, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Richard Doll Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, tel: 44 1224 558186, fax: 44 1224 551826, e-mail: med078{at}abdn.ac.uk; osman{at}well.ox.ac.uk

Received November 1, 2007 , accepted February 11, 2008

Background: Home Energy Efficiency guidelines recommend domestic indoor temperatures of 21°C for at least 9 h per day in living areas. Is health status of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) associated with maintaining this level of warmth in their homes? Methods: In a cross-sectional observational study of patients, living in their own homes, living room (LR) and bedroom (BR) temperatures were measured at 30 min intervals over 1 week using electronic dataloggers. Health status was measured with the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and EuroQol: EQ VAS. Outdoor temperatures were provided by Met Office. Results: One hundred and forty eight patients consented to temperature monitoring. Patients’ mean age was 69 (SD 8.5) years, 67 (45%) male, mean percentage of predicted Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) 41.7 (SD 17.4). Fifty-eight (39%) were current smokers. Independent of age, lung function, smoking and outdoor temperatures, poorer respiratory health status was significantly associated (P = 0.01) with fewer days with 9 h of warmth at 21°C in the LR. A sub analysis showed that patients who smoked experienced more health effects than non-smokers (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Maintaining the warmth guideline of 21°C in living areas for at least 9 h per day was associated with better health status for COPD patients. Patients who were continuing smokers were more vulnerable to reduction in warmth.

Keywords: health status, indoor environment, monitoring elderly, respiratory disease, symptoms and COPD


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