7,000 excess winter deaths in Australia and 1,500 in New Zealand each year
For the 10-year period, 1998-2007, Australia had excess winter deaths of 6,779 per yr out of a total of 131,613 deaths per yr (avg.) This works out to 5.2% of all deaths per yr (on avg). Cold homes have been linked to poor health by many studies; the extreme example of this is the phenomenon of excess winter deaths. Some studies link particular health outcomes with temperature; one important study shows a minimal in cardiovascular mortality at a daily mean temperature of about 20 degrees C.
Research also indicates that heart attacks and strokes in particular are more prevalent during winter as opposed to during the summer. These health outcomes are strongly associated with poverty (Asplund 2003) but Wilkinson et al (2001) found that cold related mortality was greatest in the coldest homes. Healy found higher ratios of winter deaths to summer deaths in warmer climates than those of the coldest EU-14 countries (the highest was Portugal with 28% more deaths in winter months than summer, UK; 18%, Mean; 16%). Other health outcomes linked with cold homes includes the findings of Strusberg indicating that rheumatic pain is linked to climatic conditions, specifically humidity and temperature. (Strusberg and others 2002). Even some relatively warm homes can “feel cold” to some occupants. This reflects the fact that many factors affect an occupant’s thermal sensation or “thermal comfort”. Fanger (1970) states; “thermal comfort is that condition of mind that expresses satisfaction with the thermal environment”. However, he also found that thermal comfort is dependent on six main environmental variables, air temperature, relative humidity, radiant temperature, air speed, clothing level and metabolic rate (activity level). If the home is both cold and has high moisture levels a consequence can be mould and damp, the health effects of mould and damp are significant.
Respiratory symptoms were found to be linked in different ways to different housing factors for
children and for seniors. Draughty homes are were linked to fewer symptoms while poor heating
systems were related with increased prevalence of respiratory problems for children. For seniors,
having problems with cold temperatures in winter and being dissatisfied with the homes insulation
were both associated with increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms.
Cardio-vascular problems were strongly linked to age, weight and gender, but after compensating
for these, only Mould_Score was found to be a factor from all the housing factors considered (see
mould chapter elsewhere in this book for more details).
Arthritic problems were very strongly linked to age; however within the senior age grouping,
“problems with cold temperatures in winter” were also significantly associated with arthritic
problems. It is important to note that arthrosis, degeneration essentially due to age, was classified
in the same category as arthritis, so this may have led to a confusing picture resulting from the
analysis.
Ref:- http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/16832/1/16832.pdf
http://joannenova.com.au/2011/11/7000-excess-winter-deaths-in-australia-and-1500-in-new-zealand-each-year/
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=BD59AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA143&lpg=PA143&dq=thermal+comfort++arthritis+humidity&source=bl&ots=FlQZsG_oJl&sig=1bL3W8jLy9DxPX4X_Kd35zMh8SI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2pe3LkJ_NAhWJKZQKHV1sBwsQ6AEITjAH#v=onepage&q=thermal%20comfort%20%20arthritis%20humidity&f=false
The work formed helped support the action plan on children and environmental health for the June
2004 conference to European Ministers of Health and Environment.
http://www.euro.who.int/budapest2004
