Influence of residential indoor environment on quality of life in China

• Published in: Building and environment 2023-03, Vol.232, p.110068, Article 110068
• Main Authors: Chen, Yu, Li, Meng, Lu, Jifu, Chen, Bin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: China; Combined effect; Cross-sectional survey; Quality of life; Residential indoor environment
• ISSN: 0360-1323; 1873-684X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110068

The residential indoor environment has been acknowledged as one of the main settings affecting quality of life. However, complex relationships exist between residential indoor environment and quality of life. Most studies frequently tend to address a narrow range of residential environmental factors and associated quality of life. Therefore, this study is to identify the relationships between overall residential indoor environment and quality of life, and how relationships can be influenced by potential confounding factors, based on the Pan-China residential environment and health survey data. Results showed that the prominent residential environmental issues reported by participants were thermal problems. There was a statistically significant association between the increase in physical/mental health conditions and the reduction in reported frequency of residential environmental problems, including thermal, indoor air quality, lighting, acoustic, hygiene, safe and security environment, even after adjustment for age, sex, education, smoking status, drinking status, and number of residents per household. Furthermore, the significant combined effects on physical/mental health were found for paired residential environmental problems, including temperature and humidity, thermal environment and air quality/noise/mold, air quality and noise, and fall risks and wet problems, after adjustment for confounders. This paper attempted to disentangle complex relationships between residential indoor environment and quality of life, which will provide a basis to develop strategies for improving quality of life. •The most prominent residential indoor environmental issues were thermal problems.•Association between indoor environmental factors and quality of life was established.•Significant combined effects of environmental factors on quality of life were found.