Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study

Respiratory infections are the main reason for hospital admission in preschool children and are associated with cold, damp housing. Childhood respiratory infections have lifelong consequences, increasing the risk of asthma and premature adult death. In Scotland, at least 1 in 5 households struggle to heat their homes. We do not yet know how many preschool respiratory infections could be prevented by tackling underheating.

The Scottish Government are carrying out measures such as installing insulation or replacing a boiler try to make homes easier to heat. However, as well as keeping warm air in, some measures also trap in mould, smoke and air pollution, potentially increasing the risk of respiratory infections.

For the first time, we can now link data on a child’s health with every home they have ever lived in across Scotland. This means we can look at the link between housing and children’s health in more detail than ever before. This study is creating a new anonymous dataset linking electronic health records with data on home energy efficiency and energy use, smart meters, high street banking, air pollution and climate. 

The Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study is investigating:

• What is the best way to identify children who are living in cold homes?
• How many preschool respiratory infections could we avoid if every home was properly heated?
• What is the best way to make a home warmer AND children healthier?

Principal Investigator | Dr Olivia Swann – Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease and Wellcome Early Career Fellow

Olivia.Swann@ed.ac.uk

We have built a network of engaged stakeholders to make sure this project is policy-focused and actionable. 

• Scottish Government (Directorates of Children and Families, Energy and Climate Change, Local Government and Housing)
• UK Government (Department of Energy Security and Net Zero)
• Energy Saving Trust
• Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Public Health Scotland
• Institute of Health Equity
• Poverty Alliance
• Outer Hebrides Housing and Energy
• Edinburgh Climate Change Institute

We are proud to be working with a newly establish group of families living in hard to heat homes across Scotland who have co-designed this project to ensure it reflects their concerns. Our strong Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) strategy is lead by Dr Tracy Jackson. The families are helping us co-produce a scientific animation to highlight the link between cold homes and chest infections. Our PPI group are currently using this experience to work towards a Community Leadership qualification to ensure acknowledgement of their work in a way that is most meaningful to them. 

We work closely with DataLoch and are helping to develop an environmental dataset for reuse. We are also linking aggregated prepayment smart meter and financial data with national electronic health records for the first time. Data Controllers include:

• Data Communications Company (prepayment smart meter data)
• UrbanTide (AI fuel poverty risk score)
• Smart Data Foundry (high street banking data at area-level)

• Wellcome Early Career Award (£1.1 million)
• David and Janet Kilmurry Trust (TBC)
• DataLoch (£4000)

• European Society for Paediatric Infectious Disease Springboard Award (€30,000)
• Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track Starter Grant(£30,000)

AI4BI 4 year funded PhD opportunity – “How do different ways of making a home warmer affect risk of preschool respiratory infections? Using artificial intelligence to make homes and children healthier.”

Summary of Project on ai4biomed