Children in improved homes 30% less likely to be hospitalized, Otago-led analysis finds

Children living in houses improved through the Healthy Homes Initiative were 30% less likely to be hospitalized in the following five years, according to research led by the University of Otago, Wellington—Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, Pōneke. The research was conducted in partnership with Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora, and the findings are published in Social Science & Medicine, according to Phys.org.

The researchers analyzed hospitalization data for more than 17,000 children ages 2 to 18 whose families were enrolled in the Healthy Homes Initiative from 2014 to 2023. Their modeling showed 2,800 fewer hospital admissions for the children in the program over the five-year follow-up period than there would have been otherwise.

The Healthy Homes Initiative is funded by the central government to improve health outcomes for children in low-income families who are at risk of developing housing-related illnesses. The program is delivered by community providers, who assist families with heating, insulation, curtains and bedding for their homes.

Lead researcher Ellie Johnson, a research fellow in the Department of Public Health, said there are an estimated 27,000 hospitalizations among children in New Zealand every year from preventable conditions linked to poor housing. She said Māori and Pacific children are particularly at risk of illnesses such as pneumonia, chest infections, rheumatic fever and skin infections. Johnson also said 82,000 people are hospitalized and 230 people die each year from conditions associated with housing, including exposure to dampness, mold, cold and overcrowding.

Johnson said the research shows the importance of community organizations working in partnership with the government to improve child health outcomes. She said the program's success is based on providers having close connections to their communities, including through Māori and Pacific leaders, as well as on a supportive policy environment. She said community-led interventions such as the Healthy Homes Initiative can have a significant impact on health outcomes when given sustained government and philanthropic support.

Johnson said the government also needs to invest more by increasing the proportion of publicly funded, affordable public and community housing, which she said is low in relation to other countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The new research follows a five-year evaluation of the Healthy Homes Initiative prepared by the university with Health NZ | Te Whatu Ora and published in 2024. That evaluation reported a five-year return on investment of 507%, with $5.07 in health savings for every $1 spent by Health NZ.