Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, 08023, Pl. Lesseps 1, Barcelona, Spain.
Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
J Urban Health. 2022 Jun;99(3):549-561. doi: 10.1007/s11524-022-00642-6. Epub 2022 May 27.
Energy poverty is a serious social problem with well-known adverse health consequences. This problem has been addressed mainly through improvements in the energy efficiency of housing. Still, little is known about the effects of information-based measures on energy poverty and their impacts on health. A quasi-experimental study was implemented to assess the effectiveness of an energy-counseling home visit intervention targeting the vulnerable population in a southern European city, Barcelona, in alleviating energy poverty and improving health. The intervention had beneficial impacts on keeping homes at an adequate indoor temperature and reducing primary care visits. No effects were found on self-perceived health or self-reported anxiety and depression. After the intervention, participants reported a decrease in arrears on utility bills, but less pronounced than in the comparison group. In conclusion, the study showed that information-based measures lead to psychosocial gains and reduced healthcare use. Nevertheless, the impact of these measures could be enhanced by combining them with policies and programmes that address the structural determinants of energy poverty.
能源贫困是一个严重的社会问题，其带来的健康危害众所周知。这个问题主要通过提高住房能源效率来解决。然而，对于基于信息的措施对能源贫困的影响及其对健康的影响知之甚少。本研究采用准实验设计，评估了一项针对南欧城市巴塞罗那弱势群体的能源咨询家访干预措施在缓解能源贫困和改善健康方面的效果。研究发现，该干预措施对保持家庭适宜的室内温度和减少初级保健就诊有积极影响。但对自我感知健康或自我报告的焦虑和抑郁没有影响。干预后，参与者报告拖欠水电费的情况有所减少，但不如对照组明显。综上所述，本研究表明，基于信息的措施可带来心理社会收益，并减少医疗保健的使用。然而，这些措施的影响可以通过将其与解决能源贫困结构性决定因素的政策和方案相结合来加强。
