Unhealthy homes cause illness, flu-like symptoms and fatigue among Europeans

Large numbers of Europeans suffer from health problems and lack of well-being every single day. This is bad for quality of life and is also a likely cause of significant loss of productivity in the economy. A new study conducted by the VELUX Group in collaboration with Humboldt University, Germany, points to five indications that unhealthy homes are part of the problem. The potential costs to society are billions of Euros in sick days and lower quality of life.

The Healthy Homes Barometer study surveyed 14,000 people across 14 European countries in order to achieve a better understanding of how Europeans’ homes affect their health.

How to diagnose an unhealthy home

The study points to five characteristics of European homes that determine whether our homes are healthy or unhealthy. They are: good sleeping conditions; comfortable indoor temperatures; sufficient amounts of daylight; fresh air; and healthy levels of humidity.

The evidence is clear. Europeans who live in cold houses or have mould in their home are approximately 50% more likely to suffer from illnesses like nose or throat infections. Meanwhile, if the home allows for a good night’s sleep, Europeans are 50% more likely to feel they have good health and feel energized. Having enough daylight in the home almost halves the risk of being low on energy, while people who never air out their homes are twice as likely to suffer from low energy levels compared to Europeans who do so two-to-four times daily.

These characteristics are related to both home construction and habits of everyday use.

Health and home satisfaction go hand in hand

Healthy homes are good not only for our bodies, but they also lift our sense of home satisfaction. For example, good sleep quality, lots of fresh air, plenty of daylight and appropriate levels of humidity are all amongst the top contributors to home satisfaction. Good indoor climate even trumps the expense of energy costs when looking at what creates most home satisfaction.

Raising quality of life – saving society billions

The potential for lifting European health and quality of life are huge. In the study, one in four feel their health is below par, one in four never feel energized and half of all Europeans suffer from sore throats and runny noses.

Data from the UK Office of National Statistics show that 27 million working days were lost in 2013 in the UK alone due to minor illnesses like coughs, colds or flu. Preventing these could save society billions and increase productivity.

The results of the study will be presented at the 2nd Healthy Buildings Day conference on April 20th in Brussels, Belgium.

The consequences of unhealthy homes in Europe

• Europeans who live in cold houses are approximately 50% more likely to suffer from nose and throat infections
  78% of Europeans live in houses that were too cold at some point during the last winter. 15% report this to be the case all or most of the time.

• Europeans whose home allows for a good night’s sleep are 50% more likely to feel they have good health and are energized
  71% of Europeans do not have optimal sleeping conditions in their home. One in three report their sleep quality within the last four weeks as either very bad or fairly bad.

• Europeans who never air out their homes are twice as likely to suffer from low energy levels compared to Europeans who air out 2-4 times daily
  59% of Europeans do not air out at least twice a day.

• Having enough daylight in the home almost halves the risk of being low on energy
  40% of Europeans who lack daylight in their living room never or very seldom feel energized. If daylight levels are appropriate, the share drops to 23%.

• Europeans who have mould in their home are 50% more likely to suffer dryness or irritation of the throat
  Among Europeans with mould in their home, up to 60% experience dryness or irritation of the throat. For Europeans who do not have this problem the share is 40%.

Download the Healthy Homes Barometer 2016 at http://emagcreator.com/VELUX/HHB_2016/

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