College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E5, Canada.
Department of Medicine, Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 2Z4, Canada.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 3;18(7):3744. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073744.
Inadequate housing is commonplace in First Nations in Canada, often leading to environmental impacts on housing such as dampness and mold. First Nations communities suffer from a higher prevalence of respiratory-related health conditions than the general Canadian population. There is limited Canadian literature evaluating the relationship between housing factors and the respiratory health of adults within First Nations communities. This study was undertaken with two Saskatchewan First Nations communities. The study population consisted of 293 individuals within 131 households. The individuals completed questionnaires on their general and respiratory health, and one member of each household completed a household questionnaire. The collection of environmental samples from within the house was undertaken. The respiratory outcomes of interest focused on the individuals with ever wheeze, reported by 77.8% of the individuals, and shortness of breath, reported by 52.6% of the individuals. Body mass index, the nontraditional use of tobacco (i.e., current and ex-smoking), the nontraditional use of tobacco in the house (i.e., smoking in the house), dampness in the house in the last 12 months, and always having a smell of mold in the house were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms. The results reveal that respiratory symptom rates were high in the population and housing factors were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms. Addressing and redressing housing inadequacies in First Nations communities are important in preventing additional burdens to health.
在加拿大的第一民族中，住房不足是很常见的，这往往导致住房对环境产生影响，如潮湿和发霉。第一民族社区的呼吸道相关健康状况比加拿大一般人口更为普遍。加拿大的文献资料有限，评估住房因素与第一民族社区成年人呼吸道健康之间的关系。本研究在萨斯喀彻温省的两个第一民族社区进行。研究人群由 131 户家庭中的 293 人组成。这些人完成了关于他们一般和呼吸道健康的问卷，每户家庭中的一名成员完成了一份家庭问卷。还从房屋内采集了环境样本。感兴趣的呼吸道结果集中在那些曾经有过喘息症状的人（77.8%的人报告过）和呼吸急促的人（52.6%的人报告过）。体重指数、非传统烟草使用（即当前和曾经吸烟）、房屋内非传统烟草使用（即在房屋内吸烟）、过去 12 个月房屋内潮湿以及房屋内总是有发霉气味与呼吸道症状显著相关。结果表明，该人群的呼吸道症状发生率很高，住房因素与呼吸道症状显著相关。解决第一民族社区的住房不足问题对于预防健康负担的增加非常重要。
