Abstract
Objective: Although there is much evidence about the effects of particular housing conditions on health, less is known about the practices of public health inspectors (PHIs) in relation to minimizing or eliminating potential housing health risks. The purpose of this qualitative study was to illuminate the practices of PHIs in relation to types of biological and physical housing risks.
Method: This study used photo vignettes to focus on PHIs’ perceptions, options, and resultant interventions with regards to typical housing risks encountered by PHIs in northeastern Ontario. The vignettes represented two general categories of potential housing risks: biological exposures, and physical characteristics of housing. During a semi-structured interview, 34 PHI participants viewed the vignettes, assessed the housing hazard depicted in each, and described the most appropriate intervention. Traditional content analysis methods were used.
Results: The assessment of the physical housing hazards was fairly consistent among the PHIs. There seemed to be more variation in their assessment of risk associated with biological factors. Variation in responses was often explained by their different interpretations of the scope of the provincial legislation as well as local public health unit policies and practices.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that PHIs’ assessment and responses to potential physical housing hazards were influenced by an interplay between variables related to residents, local service partners, organizational culture, and policy. The recommendations for action also range from specific public health unit protocol to broader research and policy advocacy initiatives. Collectively, the recommendations focus on strategies for optimizing the role of PHIs in reducing housing health risks in mid-size urban or rural areas.
Résumé
Objectif: Les preuves des effets de certaines conditions de logement sur la santé abondent, mais on en sait moins sur les pratiques des inspecteurs en santé publique (ISP) qui peuvent réduire ou éliminer les risques sanitaires potentiels des logements. Notre étude qualitative visait à éclairer les pratiques des ISP à l’égard des types de risques biologiques et physiques liés aux logements.
Méthode: À l’aide de vignettes photographiques, nous avons étudié les perceptions des ISP, leurs options et les interventions qui en résultent en ce qui a trait aux risques typiquement rencontrés dans les logements du Nord-Est de l’Ontario. Les vignettes représentaient deux grandes catégories de risques possibles dans les logements: les risques biologiques et les caractéristiques physiques du logement. Au cours d’un entretien semi-structuré, 34 ISP participants ont étudié les vignettes, évalué le risque présenté, puis décrit l’intervention la plus appropriée. Nous avons analysé le contenu de ces entretiens par les méthodes classiques.
Résultats: L’évaluation des dangers physiques des logements a été sensiblement la même d’un ISP à l’autre. Il semble y avoir plus d’écarts dans leur évaluation du risque associé aux facteurs biologiques. Les différences dans les interventions proposées s’expliquent souvent par leurs interprétations différentes de la portée des lois provinciales, et des politiques et des pratiques des bureaux de santé publique locaux.
Conclusion: L’étude démontre que les évaluations par les ISP et les interventions qu’ils proposent pour contrer les dangers physiques possibles dans les logements sont influencées par l’action réciproque de variables liées aux résidents, aux partenaires locaux dispensateurs de services, à la culture organisationnelle et aux politiques. Les mesures qu’ils recommandent varient aussi, allant de protocoles précis pour un bureau de santé publique à de vastes initiatives de recherche et de défense des politiques. Collectivement, les recommandations mettent l’accent sur des stratégies pour optimiser le rôle des ISP en vue de réduire les risques sanitaires des logements dans les agglomérations urbaines de taille moyenne et les régions rurales.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Breysse P, Farr N, Galke W, Lanphear B, Morley R, Bergofsky L. The relationship between housing and health: Children at risk. Environ Health Perspect 2004;112(15):1583–88.
Dunn JR. Housing and health inequalities: Review and prospects for research. Housing Studies 2000;15(3):341–366.
Hwang S, Fuller-Thomson E, Hulchanski D, Bryant T, Habib Y, Regoeczi W. Housing and Population Health: A Review of the Literature. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 1999.
Moloughney B. tHousing and Population Health: The State of Current Research Knowledge. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2004.
Shaw M. Housing and public health. Annu Rev Public Health 2004;25:397–418.
World Health Organization. Report on the WHO Technical Meeting on Quantifying Disease from Inadequate Housing. Copenhagen, Denmark: WHO, 2006.
Madden G. A study into the health-based decision-making practices applied to kerosene vapour exposure following a leak of domestic heating oil. J Environ Health Res 2007;6(2):1–10.
Maguire K. A qualitative study of attitudes and perceptions of environmental health officers towards people with mental illness in the region of the UK. Int J Environ Health Res 1997;7(3):203–14.
Page A. Poor housing and mental health in the United Kingdom: Changing the focus for intervention. J Environ Health Res 2002;1(1):1–16.
Stewart J. Healthy housing: The role of the environmental health officer. J Royal Society Promot Health 1999;119(4):228–34.
Ontario. Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Ontario Public Health Standards. Toronto, ON: Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2008. Available at: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/pubhealth/oph_standards/ophs/progstds/pdfs/ophs_2008.pdf (Accessed June 10, 2011).
Health Promotion and Protection Act, R.S.O. c. H.7. 1990. Available at: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90h07_e.htm (Accessed June 10, 2011).
Kauppi C, Etches V, Montgomery P. Homelessness and Health: Exploring Effective Public Health Interventions. Sudbury, ON: Sudbury & District Health Unit, 2008.
Minkler M, Wallerstein N. Community-based Participation Research for Health: From Process to Outcomes. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
Streubert Speziale HH. Action research method. In: Streubert Speiziale HJ, Rinaldi D, Carpenter D (Eds.), Qualitative Research in Nursing: Advancing the Humanistic Imperative. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007;327–48.
Statistics Canada. Community profiles. 2006. Available at: http://www.stat-can.gc.ca (Accessed July 12, 2010).
Koerber A, McMichael L. Qualitative sampling methods: A primer for technical communicators. J Business Tech Communication 2008;22(4):454–73.
Hughes R, Huby M. The application of vignettes in social and nursing research. J Adv Nurs 2002;37(4):382–86.
Hsieh HF, Shannon SE. Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qual Health Res 2005;15(9):1277–88.
Richards L. Handling Qualitative Data: A Practical Guide, 2nd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2009.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Conflict of Interest: None to declare.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lefebvre, S., Montgomery, P., Michel, I. et al. The Role of Public Health Inspectors in Maintaining Housing in Northern and Rural Communities: Recommendations to Support Public Health Practice. Can J Public Health 103, 84–89 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404208
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03404208