Joining up detailed health and housing data across Scotland to ensure both our homes and our children are as healthy as they can be. Project Summary 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 to 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? This animation was co-produced with The Parent Group and Cloud Chamber Studios. The video highlights the link between cold homes and chest infections, and explores how data can used responsibly to answer questions which are important to society. Primary Contact Principal Investigator | Dr Olivia Swann – Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease and Wellcome Early Career FellowOlivia.Swann@ed.ac.uk Key People NameRoleOlivia SwannPrincipal InvestigatorTracy JacksonPatient and Public Involvement LeadTim WildingPost Doctoral Data AnalystHannah LawPost Doctoral Data AnalystCaroline FyfePost Doctoral Data AnalystEleanor HarrisonDoctoral StudentPaula ReidMasters StudentRicha KulkarniBachelor of Science StudentFreya SempleBachelor of Science Student Key Publications Olivia Swann | University of Edinburgh Research Explorer Key Collaborations Policy Partners We have built a network of engaged stakeholders to make sure this project is policy-focused and actionable including:Scottish Government (Directorates of Children and Families, Energy and Climate Change, Local Government and Housing)Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory PanelUK Government (Department of Energy Security and Net Zero)Energy Saving TrustRoyal College of Paediatrics and Child HealthPublic Health ScotlandPoverty AllianceOuter Hebrides Housing and EnergyEdinburgh Climate Change Institute Parent Partners We are proud to be working with The Parent Group, a new group of families with experience of living in hard to heat homes across Scotland. Since the start of the study, The Parent Group have shared their views about using different kinds of routine data in research and co-designed the final research questions to ensure they reflect their concerns.The group co-produced a scientific animation to raise awareness of the link between cold, damp homes and childhood chest infections, and to highlight how routine data can be used responsibly to answer important societal questions.We are partnering with Media Education who are supporting the Parent Group to work towards an SCQF Level 5 Community Leadership qualification to acknowledge their input and expertise in a meaningful, practical way. A six minute video presentation from The Parent Group, followed by a three minute animation (also found at the top of this page). Further information and support:How to get rid of damp | Energy Saving TrustRepairs in your home | Shelter ScotlandSave money heating your home | Citizen's Advice ScotlandHome Energy ScotlandChangeworksMedia Education Data Partners We work closely with DataLoch and are helping to develop an environmental dataset for reuse.Visit DataLoch's websiteWe 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) Academic Partners NameDepartmentInstitutionJamie BroganEdinburgh Climate Change InstituteThe University of EdinburghSteve CunninghamInstitute for Regeneration and RepairThe University of EdinburghChris DibbenSchool of GeosciencesThe University of EdinburghRuth DohertySchool of GeosciencesThe University of EdinburghTom ClemensSchool of GeosciencesThe University of EdinburghVittal KatikireddiSchool of Health WellbeingUniversity of GlasgowDuncan LeeSchool of Mathematics and StatisticsUniversity of GlasgowIan HamiltonBartlett School of Environment, Energy & Resources, Faculty of Built EnvironmentUniversity College LondonPia HardelidGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUniversity College LondonRussell VinerGreat Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthUniversity College LondonJonathon TaylorFaculty of Built EnvironmentUniversity of Tampere, Finland Funders Active FundersWellcome Early Career Award [308485/Z/23/Z]Safe Deposits Scotland Charitable TrustDataLochPrevious Funders (Pilot work)European Society for Paediatric Infectious Disease Springboard AwardEdinburgh Clinical Academic Track Starter Grant Scientific themes Fuel Poverty; Housing; Paediatrics; Respiratory Infections; Net Zero Methodology keywords Data Linkage; Interdisciplinary; Machine Learning; National Birth Cohort; Retrospective Cohort Study Related Links Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study Website Summary of Project on Wellcome Website This article was published on 2024-12-07
