Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

How consumers value healthy houses: a preliminary segmentation of Canadian households

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Housing and the Built Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As part of a larger research project which examined the concept of healthy houses in Canada, this study provides a preliminary assessment of potential segments of Canadian householders based on their attitudes about two indoor environmental quality (IEQ) attributes (indoor air quality and lighting). Additionally, concerns about energy efficiency in the home are also addressed. A nationwide survey of households (n = 784) was conducted to search for indications of segments of Canadian householders that value their homes’ indoor environments and energy efficiency, thus addressing issues of consumer interest for healthier homes. Similar groups of householders were derived based on their levels of agreement with a variety of statements regarding some indoor environmental quality attributes and energy efficiency. The specific goals were: (1) to identify segments within Canada which indicate the presence of potential consumers of healthier houses on a broader scale; and (2) to characterize these groups using attitudinal and demographic variables. Segmentation in this study was conducted using a k-means cluster analysis, with the clusters being characterized using demographic and attitudinal information. Results indicated that there is indeed an identifiable segment within the Canadian housing sector for products and services associated with the healthy housing concept. Although housing and policy recommendations are not explicitly made, both private and public stakeholders in the Canadian housing sector could benefit by taking note of these findings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Besides indoor air quality and lighting, other attributes normally associated with indoor environmental quality include acoustics and thermal comfort.

  2. In an attempt to increase participation in this survey of householders, indoor air quality and lighting were the leading attributes presented to respondents in this study since both were thought to be simple concepts that were of interest and could be easily understood.

  3. Energy efficiency was included as it is closely aligned with the concept of healthful living in Canada.

  4. Prior to the analysis, variability of householders in each province was unknown. Upon completion of the analysis, no significant differences between strata were found. As a result, data were analyzed in aggregate for the entire sample.

  5. For examples of calculations involving sample sizes, see Kozak (1995), Bluman (2001), and Spetic (2003).

  6. For further information on the questionnaire design and types of questions, see Spetic (2003).

  7. The Guttman λ6 was used over Cronbach’s alpha as it allows for the reliability testing of a multi-item scale where different questions (concepts) are being measured simultaneously.

  8. Caution must be exercised in reading three of these statements (TOXIC, RADON, MITES) as they were presented in the negative voice in order to control for acquiescence bias. In these cases, higher mean scores relate to more agreeable attitudes.

  9. Multicollinearity is a problem that occurs with the correlation matrix when variables are too highly correlated, inflating the size of the error terms, and thus weakening the analysis (Tabachnick and Fidell 2001).

  10. The Bonferroni adjustment was used in order to ensure that the overall alpha level remained at 0.05 (i.e. 0.05/3 = 0.017) (Uitenbroek 2003).

  11. These are self-reported data. These are conditions that respondents believed to be caused by materials and substances in the home.

References

  • Anonymous. (2002). Health Canada – Public Health Agency of Canada – publications. Retrieved 30/08, 2003, from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/ccdpc-cpcmc/crd-mrc/pubs_e.html

  • Anonymous. (2007). Natural Resources Canada – Office of Energy Efficiency. Retrieved June 12, 2007, from http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/english/index.cfm

  • Armstrong, J. S., & Overton, T. S. (1977). Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. Journal of Marketing Research, 14(3), 396–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bajic, V. (1985). Housing-market segmentation and demand for housing attributes: Some empirical findings. American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association Journal, 13(1), 58–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, R., & Seldman, N. (1998). Wanted: More green buildings. In Business, 20(3), 36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bearden, W. O., Netemeyer, R. G., & Mobley, M. F. (1993). Handbook of marketing scales: Multi-item measures for marketing and consumer behavior research. Newbury Park: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beckman, M. D., Kurtz, D. L., & Boone, L. E. (1988). Foundations of marketing (4th ed.). Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belsley, D. A., Kuh, E., & Welsch, R. E. (1980). Regression diagnostics: Identifying influential data and sources of collinearity. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigsby, H., & Ozanne, L. K. (2002). The purchase decision: Consumers and environmentally certified wood products. Forest Products Journal, 52(7/8), 100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bluman, A. G. (2001). Elementary statistics: A step-by-step approach (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bower, J. (1989). The healthy house: How to buy one, how to build one, how to cure a sick one. Carol Publishing Group.

  • Bruner, G. C., Hensel, P. J., & James, K. E. (1992). Marketing scales handbook: A compilation of multi-item measures. Chicago: American Marketing Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, D. S. (1986). Housing and health: The relationship between housing conditions and the health of council tenants. Aldershot: Gower.

    Google Scholar 

  • CaGBC. (2003). Canada Green Building Council. Retrieved 12/12, 2003, from http://www.cagbc.org/

  • Cairney, J., & Boyle, M. H. (2004). Home ownership, mortgages and psychological distress. Housing Studies, 19(2), 161–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cawley, J. (2003). Is your home making you sick? Biography, 7(5), 68.

    Google Scholar 

  • CDC. (2003). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 23/11, 2003, from http://www.cdc.gov/

  • CHBA. (2003). Canadian Home Builders’ Associations. Retrieved 23/04, 2003, from http://www.chba.ca/

  • CMHC. (2002). Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – housing the boom, bust and echo generations. Retrieved 21/07, 2003, from http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/publications/en/rh-pr/socio/socio77-e.pdf

  • CMHC. (2007). Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation – the five essentials of healthy housing. Retrieved 16/06, 2007, from http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/maho/yohoyohe/heho/index.cfm

  • Dales, R. E., Schweitzer, I., Bartlett, S., Raizenne, M., & Burnett, R. (1994). Indoor air quality and health: Reproducibility of respiratory symptoms and reported home dampness and molds using a self-administered questionnaire. Indoor Air, 4(1), 2–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A. (1978). Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dillman, D. A. (2000). Mail and Internet surveys: The tailored design method (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forsyth, K., Haley, D., & Kozak, R. A. (1999). Will consumers pay more for certified wood products? Journal of Forestry, 97(2), 18–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godish, T. (2001). Indoor environmental quality. Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, A. C., & Thibodeau, T. G. (1998). Housing market segmentation. Journal of Housing Economics, 7(2), 121–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, A. C., & Thibodeau, T. G. (2003). Housing market segmentation and hedonic prediction accuracy. Journal of Housing Economics, 12(3), 181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guttman, L. (1945). A basis for analyzing test–retest reliability. Psychometrika, 10(4), 255–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hathaway, W. E. (1994). A Study into the effects of types of light on children – a case of daylight robbery National Research Council of Canada – Institute for Research in Construction. Retrieved 09/07, 2003, from http://www.irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/pubs/fulltext/ir659/hathaway.pdf

  • Kanuk, L., & Berenson, C. (1975). Mail surveys and response rates – a literature review. Journal of Marketing Research, 12(4), 440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kauko, T., Hooimeijer, P., & Hakfoort, J. (2002). Capturing housing market segmentation: An alternative approach based on neural network modeling. Housing Studies, 17(6), 875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozak, R. A. (1995). An analysis of the North American specifiers of structural materials in nonresidential construction. Unpublished microform, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

  • Krieger, J., & Higgins, D. L. (2002). Housing and health: Time again for public health action. American Journal of Public Health, 92(5), 758.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, R. W., & Levitt, A. J. (1999). Canadian consensus guidelines for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (160 pp.). Vancouver: Clinical and Academic Pub.

  • Levitt, A. J., Boyle, M. H., Joffe, R. T., & Baumal, Z. (2000). Estimated prevalence of the seasonal subtype of major depression in a Canadian Community sample. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 45(7), 650.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnusson, A., & Boivin, D. (2003). Seasonal affective disorder: An overview. Chronobiology International: The Journal of Biological & Medical Rhythm Research, 20(2), 189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra, N. K. (1999). Marketing research: An applied orientation (3rd ed.). New Jersey: Upper Saddle River.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manly, B. F. J. (1994). Multivariate statistical methods: A primer (2nd ed.). London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLeister, D. (1999). More builders use health house to improve air. Professional Builder, 64(7), 24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton, I., & Kassirer, J. (2000). Healthy indoors: Achieving healthy indoor environments in Canada. Discussion paper for phase II – cross Canada multi-stakeholder consultation and alliance building process. Electronic Version. Retrieved 21/07/2003 from http://www.healthyindoors.com/english/resources/healthy\%20indoors\%20-%/20discussion\%20paper\%20-\%20pdf.pd

  • Moschis, G. P., Bellenger, D. N., & Curasi, C. F. (2003). Housing preferences of older consumers. Paper presented at the 10th Annual Conference of the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society, Bangkok, Thailand.

  • NAHB. (2002). National Associations of Home Builders. Retrieved 12/09, 2002, from http://www.nahb.org/default.aspx

  • Ozanne, L. K., & Vlosky, R. P. (1997). Willingness to pay for environmentally certified wood products: A consumer perspective. Forest Products Journal, 47(6), 39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson, R. A. (1994). A meta-analysis of Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Journal of Consumer Research, 21(2), 381.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ray-Jones, A. (2000). Sustainable architecture in Japan: The green buildings of Nikken Sekkei. Chichester: Wiley-Academy.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of innovations (4th ed.). New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, N. E., Sack, D. A., Gillin, J. C., Lewy, A. J., Goodwin, F. K., Davenport, Y., et al. (1984). Seasonal affective disorder. A description of the syndrome and preliminary findings with light therapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41(1), 72–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, C. Y., Magee, R. J., Swinton, M. C., Riley, M., & Robar, J. (2001). Canadian experience in healthy housing. Retrieved 04/08, 2003, from http://www.irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc44699/nrcc44699.pdf

  • Singleton, R., & Straits, B. C. (1998). Approaches to social research (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Small, B. M. (1983). Indoor air pollution and housing technology. Ottawa: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, M. R., Polegato, R. & Zaichkowsky, J. L. (2001). Consumer behaviour: Buying, having, and being (2nd Canadian ed.). Scarborough: Prentice Hall Canada.

  • Spengler, J., Neas, L., Nakai, S., Dockery, D., Speizer, F., Ware, J., et al. (1994). Respiratory symptoms and housing characteristics. Indoor Air, 4(2), 72–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spetic, W. C. (2003). The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) survey of Canadian households a focus on indoor air quality, lighting, and acoustics. Unpublished microform, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

  • Spetic, W., Kozak, R., & Cohen, D. (2005). Willingness to pay and preferences for healthy home attributes in Canada. Forest Products Journal, 55(10), 19–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • SPSS. (2003a). Performing k-means cluster analysis – Statistical Package Software (Version 12). Chicago: SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • SPSS. (2003b). Performing reliability tests – Statistical Package Software (Version 12). Chicago: SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • StatCan. (2003). Statistics Canada. Retrieved 30/07, 2003, from http://www.statcan.ca/

  • Tabachnick, B. G., & Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using multivariate statistics (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uitenbroek, D. G. (2003). SISA Bonferroni. Southampton: D.G. Uitenbroek. Retrieved 5/08, 2003, from http://www.home.clara.net/sisa/bonfer.htm

  • Veitch, J. (1998). Improved lighting quality benefits people and the environment. Construction Innovation, 3(2).

  • Veitch, J. (2001). Psychological processes influencing lighting quality. Institute for Research in Construction. Retrieved 21/07, 2003, from http://www.irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc42469/

  • Veitch, J., & Newsham, G. (1998a). Determinants of lighting quality I: State of the science. Institute for Research in Construction. Retrieved 24/06, 2003, from http://www.irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc39866.html

  • Veitch, J., & Newsham, G. (1998b). Lighting quality and energy-efficiency effects on task performance, mood, health, satisfaction and comfort. Institute for Research in Construction. Retrieved 23/06, 2003, from http://www.irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/fulltext/nrcc40663.pdf

  • Vidal, N. G. (2003). Chain of custody certification current status and level of knowledge in the North American solid wood sector. Unpublished microform, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

  • Wedel, M., & Kamakura, W. A. (1998). Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zikmund, W. G. (1997). Exploring marketing research (6th ed.). Fort Worth: Dryden.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors acknowledge the International Environmental Institute (IEI), Hokkaido, Japan for their financial support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University of British Columbia, 4th Floor – Forest Sciences Centre, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4

    Wellington Spetic, Robert Kozak & David Cohen

Authors
  1. Wellington Spetic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert Kozak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. David Cohen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wellington Spetic.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Spetic, W., Kozak, R. & Cohen, D. How consumers value healthy houses: a preliminary segmentation of Canadian households. J Hous and the Built Environ 23, 37–52 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-007-9101-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-007-9101-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation