TY - JOUR
T1 - Can we identify older people most vulnerable to living in cold homes during winter?
AU - Sartini, Claudio
AU - Tammes, Peter
AU - Hay, Alastair D.
AU - Preston, Ian
AU - Lasserson, Daniel
AU - Whincup, Peter H.
AU - Goya Wannamethee, S.
AU - Morris, Richard W.
PY - 2017/12/4
Y1 - 2017/12/4
N2 - Purpose: Living in a cold home increases the risk of dying in winter, especially in older people. However, it is unclear which individual factors predict whether older people are living in cold homes.
Methods: 1402 men aged 74-95 from a UK population-based study reported difficulties in keeping warm during winter answering four simple “yes/no” questions. Associations between individual’s characteristics and each of the four self-reported measures of cold homes were estimated using logistic regression models. Next, we investigated whether measures of cold homes predict mortality over the subsequent 2.1 years.
Results: Manual social class, difficulties making ends meet, and not being married were each associated (p<0.05) with each of the four measures of cold homes (adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.61 to 4.68). Social isolation, poor respiratory health and grip strength were also associated with reports of cold homes. 126 men died; those who reported the presence of at least three measures cold homes had increased mortality [adjusted hazard ratios 2.85 (95%CI 1.11-7.30, p=0.029)].
Conclusions: Older people who find it hard to keep warm in winter, and have an elevated mortality, could be identified using a self-report questionnaire.
AB - Purpose: Living in a cold home increases the risk of dying in winter, especially in older people. However, it is unclear which individual factors predict whether older people are living in cold homes.
Methods: 1402 men aged 74-95 from a UK population-based study reported difficulties in keeping warm during winter answering four simple “yes/no” questions. Associations between individual’s characteristics and each of the four self-reported measures of cold homes were estimated using logistic regression models. Next, we investigated whether measures of cold homes predict mortality over the subsequent 2.1 years.
Results: Manual social class, difficulties making ends meet, and not being married were each associated (p<0.05) with each of the four measures of cold homes (adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.61 to 4.68). Social isolation, poor respiratory health and grip strength were also associated with reports of cold homes. 126 men died; those who reported the presence of at least three measures cold homes had increased mortality [adjusted hazard ratios 2.85 (95%CI 1.11-7.30, p=0.029)].
Conclusions: Older people who find it hard to keep warm in winter, and have an elevated mortality, could be identified using a self-report questionnaire.
U2 - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.11.008
DO - 10.1016/j.annepidem.2017.11.008
M3 - Article
SN - 1047-2797
JO - Annals of Epidemiology
JF - Annals of Epidemiology
ER -