The Relationship between Infectious Diseases and Housing Maintenance in Indigenous Australian Households

Shahmir H. Ali, Tim Foster and Nina Lansbury Hall
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Shahmir H. Ali: Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Tim Foster: Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney 2007, Australia
Nina Lansbury Hall: School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane 4006, Australia

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-11

Abstract: This research aimed to identify systemic housing-level contributions to infectious disease transmission for Indigenous Australians, in response to the Government program to ‘close the gap’ of health and other inequalities. A narrative literature review was performed in accordance to PRISMA guidelines. The findings revealed a lack of housing maintenance was associated with gastrointestinal infections, and skin-related diseases were associated with crowding. Diarrhoea was associated with the state of food preparation and storage areas, and viral conditions such as influenza were associated with crowding. Gastrointestinal, skin, ear, eye, and respiratory illnesses are related in various ways to health hardware functionality, removal and treatment of sewage, crowding, presence of pests and vermin, and the growth of mould and mildew. The research concluded that infectious disease transmission can be reduced by improving housing conditions, including adequate and timely housing repair and maintenance, and the enabling environment to perform healthy behaviours.

Keywords: housing; health; Australia; aboriginal peoples; infectious diseases; maintenance and repair; crowding; policy; remote communities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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