Dwelling type and risk of chronic obstructive lung disease

BACKGROUND AND AIM Previous research has shown an association between dwelling type and chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). However, existing research has primarily been based on cross-sectional data making the temporal relation between dwelling type and COPD uncertain. The temporal relation is of importance since people with existing COPD might move into a more COPD friendly type of dwelling (e.g., without stairs) or move due to consequences of their COPD (e.g., financial strains). Hence, we aimed to test the hypothesis that dwelling type was associated with risk of developing COPD. METHODS We performed a cohort study of participants who replied to the Danish Health and Morbidity survey in 2000. Participants were followed from inclusion in 2000 until end of 2018 for incident COPD based on information from the Danish National Patient Register and the Danish National Prescription Registry. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) of COPD with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Poisson Regressions of incidence rates (IR). Analyses were adjusted for construction-year, urbanization, educational level, age, sex, smoking status and calendar year. RESULTS A total of 12,054 participants, free of COPD at inclusion, were included. Most participants lived in detached houses (56%) whereas 17%, 16% and 11 % lived in semi-detached houses, apartments, or other dwelling types, respectively. A total of 1,078 developed COPD during follow-up corresponding to an overall IR of COPD at 8.6. The IRR was 1.45 (95% CI: 1.21-1.73), 1.51 (95% CI: 1.26-1.81), 1.14 (95% CI: 0.86-1.52) and 1.45 (95%: CI 0.81-2.59) for people living in semi-detached houses, apartments, farms and others dwelling types, respectively, as compared to people living in detached houses. CONCLUSIONS The IR of developing COPD was significantly higher among participants living in semi-detached houses and in apartments as compared to participant living in detached houses. KEYWORDS: Dwelling type; COPD; Cohort study