The impact of the physical and urban environment on mental well-being.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the strength of association between physical and social factors in the built environment and mental well-being, and to determine which factors are the most important. STUDY DESIGN: A postal survey based on a theoretical model of domains that might link the physical and urban environment with mental well-being was sent to 2696 adults aged 18 years or over, in four areas of Greenwich, London. Mental health was measured using the SF36 subscales for mental health (MH) and vitality (V). Additional household and area level data were appended for each respondent from a range of sources. RESULTS: 1012 questionnaires were returned (38% response rate). At the univariate level significant confounders that were associated with poorer mental well-being were being female, 85+ years, unemployed or retired, on housing benefit, council tenant, two or more children, and having requested re-housing Better mental well-being was associated with being aged 65 years to 84 years (better MH and V). Within domain analysis, adjusting for each of the confounding factors, resulted in the following factors being significantly associated with being in the lowest quartile for MH score: (i) control over the internal environment (damp), (ii) design and maintenance (not liking the look of the estate/road, (iii) noise (neighbour noise), (iv) density and escape (feeling over-crowded in the home, being dissatisfied with green spaces, dissatisfied with social and entertainment facilities) being dissatisfied with community facilities (such as libraries and community centres) was only significant for vitality, (v) fear of crime and harassment (feeling unsafe to go out in the day, feeling unsafe to go out at night, agreeing that needles and syringes left lying around are a problem) (vi) social participation (not enough events to get people together, not enough places to stop and chat). When these 12 factors were entered into a single model with the significant confounders five remained significantly associated with being in the lowest quartile for MH or V: neighbour noise MH OR 2.71 [95% CI 1.48, 4.98]; feeling over-crowded in the home MH OR 2.22 [1.42, 3.48]; being dissatisfied with access to green open spaces MH OR 1.69 [1.05, 2.74]; access to community facilities V OR 1.92, [1.24, 3.00]; feeling unsafe to go out in the day MH OR 1.64 [1.02, 2.64]; V OR 1.58 [1.00, 2.49]. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms an association between the physical environment and mental well-being across a range of domains. The most important factors that operate independently are neighbour noise, sense of over-crowding in the home and escape facilities such as green spaces and community facilities, and fear of crime. This study highlights the need to intervene on both design and social features of residential areas to promote mental well-being.

Risk factors for death from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease after a hospital admission for asthma.

BACKGROUND: Patients with asthma have an increased risk of death from causes other than asthma. A study was undertaken to identify whether severity of asthma, its treatment, or associated co-morbidity were associated with increased risk of death from other causes. METHODS: Eighty five deaths from all causes occurring within three years of discharge from hospital in a cohort of 2242 subjects aged 16-64 years admitted for asthma were compared with a random sample of 61 controls aged <45 years and 61 aged >/=45 years from the same cohort. RESULTS: Deaths from asthma were associated with a history of clinically severe asthma (OR 6.29 (95% CI 1.84 to 21.52)), chest pain (OR 3.78 (95% CI 1.06 to 13.5)), biochemical or haematological abnormalities at admission (OR 4.12 (95% CI 1.36 to 12.49)), prescription of ipratropium bromide (OR 4.04 (95% CI 1.47 to 11.13)), and failure to prescribe inhaled steroids on discharge (OR 3.45 (95% CI 1.35 to 9.10)). Deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were associated with lower peak expiratory flow rates (OR 2.56 (95% CI 1.52 to 4.35) for each 50 l/min change), a history of smoking (OR 5.03 (95% CI 1.17 to 21.58)), prescription of ipratropium bromide (OR 7.75 (95% CI 2.21 to 27.14)), and failure to prescribe inhaled steroids on discharge (OR 3.33 (95% CI 0.95 to 11.10)). Cardiovascular deaths were more common among those prescribed ipratropium bromide on discharge (OR 3.55 (95% CI 1.05 to 11.94)) and less likely in those admitted after an upper respiratory tract infection (OR 0.21 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.95)). Treatment with ipratropium bromide at discharge was associated with an increased risk of death from asthma even after adjusting for peak flow, COPD and cardiovascular co-morbidity, ever having smoked, and age at onset of asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Prescription of inhaled steroids on discharge is important even for those patients with co-existent COPD and asthma. Treatment with ipratropium at discharge is associated with increased risk of death from asthma even after adjustment for a range of markers of COPD. These results need to be tested in larger studies.

Accuracy of recording of deaths from asthma in the UK: the false negative rate.

BACKGROUND: A study was carried out to determine the extent to which asthma deaths are wrongly attributed to another cause on UK death certificates. METHODS: Deaths from all causes occurring anywhere in the UK were identified amongst 2382 subjects aged 16-64 years within three years of discharge following hospital treatment for asthma (ICD9 493) in hospitals in the South East Thames region. The deaths were reviewed by an expert panel to assess the proportion of asthma deaths identified by the panel which were attributed to another cause of death on the death certificate (false negatives). RESULTS: Eighty five deaths from all causes were identified in a mean follow up period of two years and three months. In 61 cases (72%) there was sufficient information for the expert panel to be confident about the cause of death. The panel identified 22 deaths from asthma, four of which were certified as non-asthma deaths (two as deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and two as deaths from cardiovascular disease). The proportion of false negative death certificates was four of 22 (18%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5 to 40). CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence that asthma deaths in the UK are wrongly certified as deaths from both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Hypothesis: posture is one of the determinants of the circadian rhythm of urine flow and electrolyte excretion in elderly female patients.

In view of recent investigations suggesting that the circadian rhythm of urine output is reversed in the elderly, the present study was designed to see if increased urine flow at night may be related to change in posture. Urine flow, urea and electrolyte excretion were measured 4-hourly for 6 consecutive days and nights in four catheterized female patients, mean age 83 years. Two were nursed in chairs for 8 h daily for 3 days, followed by total bed-rest for 3 days, and the other two in reverse order. None of the patients showed the morning rise of water and electrolyte excretion which has been described in young people. On full bed-rest, there was no significant day-night difference in water, sodium, potassium, urea or creatinine excretion. Chair nursing produced a negative mean day-night difference in water excretion (-321 ml: P less than 0.001) and in sodium (-11.7 mmol: P less than 0.002), urea (-26.6 mmol: P = 0.005) and creatinine excretion (-0.6 mmol: P = 0.008), but had no significant effect on potassium excretion. These results suggest that sitting upright may have important effects on water and electrolyte balance in elderly patients and may contribute to nocturia and nocturnal incontinence.