Dr Elinor Chisholm's research speciality is housing and health. She has a particular interest in housing quality assessment, rental housing regulation, and evaluating the effect of housing interventions on health. She is a research fellow at He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme, which was awarded the Prime Minister’s Science Prize in 2014..

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Building Health Through Better Housing

 

Exposures and health risks in the home environment are critically important because of the large amount of time people spend there. Although the association between poor housing and ill health is known, the links that make up the causal chain have until recently been poorly understood. This presentation examines some of the key pathways through which housing affects health. It outlines the results of several New Zealand studies that have shown how improving housing, through providing insulation, heating, safety modifications, and other measures, improves health. Finally, a number of innovative studies that are currently underway are discussed. These build on previous research, aiming to identify and evaluate housing-related interventions to improve individual, family and community health.